Jamestown, N.Y. – Audubon Community Nature Center (ACNC) invites the community to join them at a reception honoring retiring president Ruth Lundin.

“Ruth’s Retirement Party” will be at the Nature Center on Friday, June 8.

Appetizers and beverages will be served 4-5 p.m. Anyone who would like to say a few words may do so at the 5-6 p.m. speaking session. The 6-7 p.m. hour is open to mingling, chatting, and visiting with the honoree.

Walk-ins are welcome. Reservations are appreciated and can be made by calling (716) 569-2345 during business hours or online through the Programs page at auduboncnc.org.

During her 19 years at ACNC Lundin welcomed in dramatic change, from the acquisition of a Bald Eagle to the expansion of school programs into Warren County, Pa. Most recently, she spearheaded the effort to change the name to Audubon Community Nature Center, working to make it welcoming to all and to open the door to a new and vibrant future.

At Audubon’s 2013 Annual Meeting and Volunteer Recognition Night, Lundin was presented with the Chairman’s Award for her unflagging support of all things Audubon. This award is presented annually to a person or organization that has demonstrated exemplary service in nature education.

In addition to serving on the Board of Directors of the national Association of Nature Center Administrators, including a term as president, Lundin served for 10 years on the board of the Audubon Council of New York State, three years as Vice Chair, and five as Secretary. She was recently presented with the Council’s highest affiliate honor, the prestigious Norman I. Stotz Award that recognizes the Audubon New York member who best demonstrates extraordinary leadership on behalf of the Audubon Society in broad-based state-wide, regional and local contexts, and their contributions to the environmental cause.

Those who wish to recognize Ruth’s service to the community can do so with a gift to The Ruth Lundin Environmental Internship Endowment Fund at the Chautauqua Region Community Foundation. Gifts can be made online at crcfonline.org, by calling the Foundation at (716) 661-3390, or by mailing a check with the name of the fund in the memo line to 418 Spring Street, Jamestown, NY 14701.

Located at 1600 Riverside Road, one-quarter mile east of Route 62 between Jamestown, N.Y., and Warren, Pa., Audubon Community Nature Center has more than five miles of beautifully maintained trails on a 600-acre wetland preserve. Its three-story building, open daily, houses the Blue Heron Gift Shop and a collection of live fish, reptiles, and amphibians. One of the most visited exhibits is Liberty, a non-releasable Bald Eagle, in her outdoor habitat.

To learn more about Audubon and its many programs, call (716) 569-2345 or visit auduboncnc.org.

Audubon Community Nature Center builds and nurtures connections between people and nature by providing positive outdoor experiences, opportunities to learn about and understand the natural world, and knowledge to act in environmentally responsible ways.