Jamestown, N.Y. – For more than 60 years, the weekend after Memorial Day has been reserved by many for the Allegany Nature Pilgrimage, an outdoor learning experience that combines fun with a variety of nature-oriented activities. 

Instead of its usual location at Allegany State Park in Cattaraugus County, N.Y., this year’s event will be on the internet, via Zoom and Facebook. 

For those who have never experienced the Pilgrimage, this is an opportunity to get a flavor of the event and be inspired to take part in the future. For those who have participated in the past, this is a way to continue what has become a meaningful tradition.

From Thursday evening, May 28, through Sunday, May 31, 2020, you can enjoy nearly two dozen presentations covering subjects from “Nature Themed Children’s Yoga” and “Digital Wildlife Photography for Beginners” to “How to Think Like a Frog” and “Nature at Night.” 

Presenters come from all over Western New York and beyond. They include a nationally registered paramedic and swift water rescue technician, the director of a national program that improves the teaching of astronomy and physical science in K-12 classrooms by linking professional and amateur astronomers with local educators, the director of education of the Penn Dixie Fossil Park & Nature Reserve in Buffalo, N.Y., and Twan Leenders, conservation biologist, nature photographer and president of the Roger Tory Peterson Institute of Natural History in Jamestown. 

The first 100 people who sign up for each of the programs can participate via Zoom. Participation is unlimited on Facebook Live. All programs will be recorded and made available on the Allegany Nature Pilgrimage Youtube channel. 

Since its founding by Jamestown’s Gib Burgeson, the Allegany Nature Pilgrimage has been a cooperative presentation of Allegany State Park and volunteers from the Audubon Community Nature Center (Jamestown), Buffalo Audubon Society, Rochester’s Burroughs Audubon Nature Club, and Erie’s Presque Isle Audubon Society.

For all the details and to register for any of the Zoom events, visit AlleganyNaturePilgrimage.com/VirtualANP. A full program guide can be downloaded that features descriptions of each program as well as brief bios of the presenters. 

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