Jamestown Audubon Nature Center

Purpose: Supporting Lifelong Learning Since 1960, the Jamestown Audubon Nature Center has provided educational programs to all the schools in Chautauqua County, New York, and Warren County, Pennsylvania. It is the only nature center in a 40-mile radius and serves more than 20,000 students a year. In an effort to bring more children and families to the center, this project will develop and implement "Insects, What's the Buzz?," an exhibit for adults and children. Hands-on activities and interactive pieces for children will be combined with interpretation for adults. The exhibit will help visitors understand what insects are, their role in our lives, and how fascinating insect life can be. The exhibit will provide an opportunity for collaboration, as local experts speak on butterfly surveys, monarch migration, mosquitoes and West Nile Virus, integrated pest management, and other topics. Volunteer docents will be trained to conduct programs and tours, and workshops will help teachers incorporate the study of insects into the curriculum. The nature center will also hold community workshops to encourage community members to become involved in citizen science projects such as the North American Butterfly Association Butterfly Count and the Monarch Larva Monitoring Project.