Jamestown, N.Y. – The next time you are driving on New York State Route 394 from Chautauqua to Lakewood you will see an addition to the scenery: a billboard featuring Liberty, the non-releasable Bald Eagle that lives at Audubon Community Nature Center (ACNC).
This eye-catching sign was made possible thanks to a grant from the Defrees Family Memorial Fund of Warren, Pa., and its location provided by realtor Debbie Rowe. Kim Turner, ACNC designer, created the layout for the billboard that was printed by 360 Graphics of Jamestown.
The Defrees grant includes funding to update highway signs on Route 62, the main highway that runs past Audubon. Rowe is also supporting Audubon as a business sponsor of the Wild 5K Run/Walk on Saturday, July 27.
Liberty was originally found in Washington State in 2001 with a severe injury to her wing. After she was rehabilitated, she was relocated to ACNC in 2002, where she has lived since.
Preparing for the arrival of an eagle took two years and brought together a lot of community partners. Liberty has become a symbol for Audubon Community Nature Center, and staff and volunteers are already planning celebrations for her 20th anniversary.
Cut paper artist and Audubon Board Member Wendy Bale was so inspired by Liberty that she created original artwork of her, with the text, “For the Love of Liberty.” Until July 21, the design is available on a variety of styles and colors of T-shirts and hoodies, as a fundraiser for Audubon. Details are at bonfire.com/for-the-love-of-liberty.
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. Visit at 1600 Riverside Road, one-quarter mile east of Route 62 between Jamestown, N.Y., and Warren, Pa., or online at auduboncnc.org.
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