Jamestown, N.Y. – If it is time for some new games, toys, puzzles, books, or activities for yourself or the kids, Audubon Community Nature Center (ACNC) has a great selection and an easy way to acquire them. 

First, check out the possibilities in Audubon’s Blue Heron Gift Shop at auduboncnc.org/shop. Next, call (716) 569-2345 between 9 a.m. and 3 p.m., Monday-Friday, to arrange the details of your purchases and payment. Then, at your scheduled pick-up time, drive to the front of the nature center building where your purchase will be brought out to you.

To make your shopping an even more positive experience, the usual 10 percent discount for members will be 25 percent, and non-members will receive a 15 percent discount. The discounts apply to everything except birdseed and suet and continue through May 30.

For younger kids, you will find stickers of backyard animals and birds of prey, tattoos of reptiles, turtles and flowers, books of 100 Backyard Activities and Nature Play at Home, snowy owl, rabbit, porcupine and more, hand puppets, finger puppets, binoculars, tubes of butterflies and river creatures, and many beautifully illustrated nature books.

For yourself or older kids, there are adult coloring books and colored pencils, books to teach you The Art of Botanical Drawing and 20 Ways to Draw a Tree (and 44 Other Nifty Things About Nature), the Rebel Nature Journal created by two ACNC staffers, delightful puzzles, bird brain-teasers, and nature-related books and field guides. You may also want some locally produced honey, jams, or soaps, or perhaps you are ready for a hand-carved walking stick or a new shirt or jacket for your next hike.  

The Blue Heron Gift Shop has a variety of items with artwork specially created for ACNC by Roycroft Renaissance Master Artisan Laura Wilder.  Her image celebrating Audubon’s history and growth is featured on canvas tote bags, magnets, postcards, prints, and more. Information about the Rochester, N.Y., artist is at LauraWilder.com.

Don’t forget birdseed and supplies. You can pick up Audubon’s very own Conewango Blend birdseed, as well as bird treats, feeders, and nesting boxes.  

Gift shop proceeds help maintain Audubon’s trails that you can enjoy after you collect your purchases. 

For more ideas for activities that would be good for you, good for Audubon, and good for nature, check out the possibilities at auduboncnc.org/volunteer: planting and fostering milkweed seeds, gathering fairy house and fairy garden materials, making dragon eggs, and spring cleaning around your house. Then if you have questions, email ACNC Senior Nature Educator Katie Finch at kfinch@auduboncnc.org

The Saturday, May 2, Birdathon Scholarship Fundraiser is another way to get outdoors, raise money for Audubon, and still maintain social distance. To learn how you can participate as a birder, a supporter, or both, go to auduboncnc.org/programs and click on “Current Schedule.”

Audubon Community Nature Center is located at 1600 Riverside Road, just east of Route 62 between Warren, Pa., and Jamestown, N.Y. While the Nature Center building is closed until further notice due to COVID-19 and state recommendations, visitors are welcome to walk the trails and view Liberty, Audubon’s non-releasable Bald Eagle, from dawn to dusk daily. 

More information can be found online at AudubonCNC.org or by calling (716) 569-2345.

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. 

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