Audubon Community Nature Center

The festival, which takes place from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Saturday, February 5, will offer nature hikes, a bonfire with s’mores, demonstrations and activities that might include knitting and weaving, snowshoeing and a mini “skating” rink, craft projects, live animal demonstrations, and more. Food and hot drinks will be served outdoors by 3 C’s Catering.

ACNC Public Engagement Specialist Jeff Tome said volunteers are needed for everything from helping with crafts to tending a fire to assisting with outdoor games. There are both indoor and outdoor jobs available.

Volunteers will be scheduled in two shifts: 9:45 a.m. – 1:30 p.m. and 1 – 4 p.m. All receive access to the hospitality room and free admission to the Festival before or after their shifts. COVID-19 preventative measures will be taken, including required face covering while indoors for both event participants and volunteers.

If you are able to help, please contact Audubon Volunteer Coordinator Tina Preston at (716) 569-2345 or email her at tpreston@auduboncnc.org.

Snow or none, indoors and out you will find much to experience at Audubon Community Nature Center’s Snowflake Local Living Festival on Saturday, February 3.

JAMESTOWN – Whether you love winter or can’t wait for it to end, you are sure to love Audubon Community Nature Center’s Snowflake Local Living Festival.

Now in its 36th year, the Saturday, Feb. 3, family-friendly celebration is all about enjoying local places, weather, activities and products.

Festival hours are 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Admissions are $6, $2 children 3-15, and free for children 2 and under. Parking is free.

Animal lovers will delight in live animals including sled dog demonstrations, alpacas in a petting pen from Dun Roving Farms (weather permitting), Wild Spirit Education’s live owls, hawks, amphibians and insects, and Chautauqua County Humane Society animals. They join Audubon’s resident fish, reptiles, and amphibians, as well as Liberty, the non-releasable Bald Eagle who lives in her outdoor habitat behind the Nature Center building.

Snowflake Local Living Festival emphasizes learning to live lighter on the planet. You can explore hands-on activities that can be done at home to have a smaller impact on the environment. These include wool spinning, knitting, leather working, grinding your own flour, drilling maple taps and syrup making.

Other activities included with the admission fee are trying snowshoes courtesy of Evergreen Outfitters, kayak-sled races, hiking with a naturalist, games, building an insect house, customizing a walking stick, a scavenger hunt, tools and taste tests, take-home projects from some of the vendors, and demonstrations of winter camping and cooking by Boy Scout Troop 169, with free samples. You are also welcome to bring your own equipment for sledding and cross-country skiing.

Activities that have a small fee are Magic Moments horse-drawn carriage rides, making a basket, and building a nest box or bird feeder. You can also enjoy a basket raffle and great shopping at the Blue Heron Gift Shop. There is no ATM on site, but credit cards can be accepted for purchases in the building.

With seating in an outdoor heated tent, you can treat yourself to lunch or snacks of local food purchased from Franklin’s Honey and Apples and 3 C’s Catering.

Other vendors and exhibitors to date are Penn State Extension Master Gardeners, Royal Wind and Solar, Knitting 4 Peace, Chautauqua County Master Gardeners, Girl Scouts of Western New York, and Steady Plow Farm LLC.

Some of the booths will have locally made or eco-friendly items for sale. Come with a smile and ready to meet some of the amazing people and wildlife that live in the region.

The schedule of activities includes:

• 10:30 a.m. – Hike with a Naturalist
• 11 a.m.-2 p.m. – Wild Spirit live birds of prey Meet and Greet
• Noon-4 p.m. – Magic Moment Carriage Rides
• 12:30 p.m. – Hike with a Naturalist
• Until 3:00 p.m. – Sled dog demonstrations

Cub Scouts, Girl Scouts of any age group, and other interested boys and girls can earn a Winter Fun patch by completing activities at the Festival. Visit the Reception Desk in the Nature Center when you arrive for a list of requirements.

To see a video of the Festival, click on youtube.com/watch?v=QY4L5m3DEWM or go to youtube.com and search for Snowflake Festival 2015. To learn more, call (716) 569-2345 during business hours or visit auduboncnc.org/snowflakefestival.

Volunteers are still are needed to do everything from selling snacks and operating the elevator to assisting with bluebird house building and children’s crafts.  All volunteers receive access to the hospitality room and free admission to the Festival before or after their volunteer shift. For more information, call (716) 569-2345 or visit auduboncnc.org/volunteer.

Audubon wants to thank its sponsors: Kwik Fill, Williams Restoration and Construction Company, Orkin Pest Control, Welders Supply Co., Cattaraugus County Bank, Jamestown Awning, 3 C’s Catering, Courier Capital LLC/Randy Ordines, James M. Smith CLU, and Metallic Ladder Mfg. Corp.

Audubon Community Nature Center is conveniently located at 1600 Riverside Road, one-quarter mile east of Route 62 between Jamestown, N.Y., and Warren, Pa.

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.

The Jamestown Audubon Nature Center’s 2015 Snowflake Festival is coming up on Saturday, February 7. Horses, alpacas, sled dogs, reptiles, arachnids, and birds of prey like owls and the Nature Center’s resident Bald Eagle are some of the animals that visitors will be able to enjoy.

JAMESTOWN – The Jamestown Audubon Center and Sanctuary’s 2015 Snowflake Festival is set to take place this weekend and there’s plenty of events and activities scheduled to take place.

Planners at Audubon are excited to announce that Paul Fehringer will be returning this year. He’s a licensed wildlife rehabilitator who founded Wild Spirit Education program.

A variety of vendors will also be on hand and will have hand-made items like winter wear, pottery, jewelry and greeting cards. Demonstrations of outdoor cooking, spinning, snowshoeing, and cross-country skiing will add to the fun.

The day-long event, from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., also features horse-drawn sleigh rides, kicksled demonstrations by Tails of the Tundra Siberian Husky Rescue, crafts, a Chinese auction, naturalist-led winter nature walks, alpacas and other live animals, door prizes, kids crafts, behind-the-scenes tours of Audubon’s resident bald eagle, and more.

Times for special activities are:

• 10:30 a.m.: Hike with a Naturalist – Explore the grounds with a guide and see what is happening in the winter world (repeats at noon and 2 p.m.).
• 11 a.m.: Wild Spirit Education Program – Daytime Sky Hunters. See live birds of prey up close and learn all about their unique ways of surviving as a daytime hunter.
• Noon – 4 p.m.: Horse Drawn Sleigh Rides
• Noon: Hike with a Naturalist
• Noon: Wild Spirit Education – Meet and greet the live owls and other birds of prey and their handlers up close. Ask questions and get great photos.
• Noon: Kicksled Demonstrations outdoors by Tails of the Tundra Siberian Husky Rescue (repeats at 1, 2, and 3 p.m.)
• 1 p.m.: Wild Spirit Education Program – Owls. Learn all about owls and the awesome ways they get around at night.
• 1 p.m.: Kicksled Demonstrations
• 2 p.m.: Hike with a Naturalist
• 2 p.m.: Kicksled Demonstrations
• 3 p.m.: Kicksled Demonstrations

Admission to the Snowflake Festival is $6; children 3-12 are $2, and those two and under are free.

The Audubon Center and Sanctuary is at 1600 Riverside Road, one-quarter mile east of Route 62 between Jamestown, New York, and Warren, Pennsylvania.

To learn more, call (716) 569-2345 or visit jamestownaudubon.org.

With something for all ages and most activities on-going throughout the day, those with specific times include:

• 10:30 a.m., Noon and 2 p.m.: Hike with a Naturalist – Explore the grounds with a guide and see what is happening in the winter world.
• 11:30 a.m.: Daytime Sky Hunters presentation featuring live animals by Paul Fehringer, wildlife rehabilitator and founder of Wild Spirit Education.
• Noon to 4 p.m.: Horse Drawn Sleigh Rides
• Noon, 1, 2 and 3 p.m.: Kicksled Demonstrations outdoors by Tails of the Tundra Siberian Husky Rescue
• 1 p.m.: Owls of the Region presentation featuring live owls by Paul Fehringer, wildlife rehabilitator and founder of Wild Spirit Education.
• 2:30 p.m.: Bruce Robinson: Gardening for Wildlife

Admission to the Snowflake Festival is only $5; children under 12 are $2, and those two and under are free. Extra fees apply for horse-drawn wagon rides, bluebird house building, Chinese auction, raffles, and food.

The Audubon Center and Sanctuary is at 1600 Riverside Road, one-quarter mile east of Route 62 between Jamestown and Warren.

For more information, call (716) 569-2345 or visit jamestownaudubon.org.