Jamestown, NY – Dramatic stories are not limited to human beings: there are soap operas among birds, as well!

You can learn about some of the dramas that play out throughout the breeding season at the Audubon Center and Sanctuary’s Bluebird Nestbox Workshop and Walk on Saturday, May 26, 1-4 p.m.

Audubon has more than 60 “birdhouses” on its grounds, providing nesting for several species of birds, including bluebirds. “Nestbox” is a more proper term for these structures, since birds use them to raise their babies, but do not live in them once the birds have fledged, that is, flown from the nest. 

On the walk, participants will learn more about the kinds of birds who use nestboxes and protocols for monitoring and caring for the boxes. After the walk, they will build a nestbox to take home and learn how to install them.

ASHVILLE, N.Y. -- The Chautauqua Children's Safety Education Village honored two heroes Monday morning -- a 6-year-old girl and a 2-year-old St. Bernard.

Madelyn Petscher's home burned to the ground in January, but thanks to her insistence and her dog Nana's intuition, the entire family survived.

The family home in Kiantone caught fire the night of January 17. Everyone was asleep, but Nana noticed the smoke and started repeatedly licking the face of Madelyn's father, Menash.

He was able to wake up and get the family to safety.

"Yea (Nana) is a hero," Menash Petscher said. "She's our hero."

Madelyn is the other hero. She went to the Children's Safety Education Village and learned about the importance of having a family fire escape plan. Just a few months before the fire, she convinced her parents to develop such a plan, which helped them all escape unharmed.

Jamestown, NY – Spring wildflowers flourish in the wild places on the grounds of Chautauqua Institution. 

Audubon Center and Sanctuary Senior Naturalist Jeff Tome, a longtime student of wildflowers, sees as many as 250 varieties each spring. While leading groups of local schoolchildren, he observed the large numbers of wildflowers on the Institution grounds.

From 9 a.m. to noon on Saturday, May 26, Tome will teach a wildflower class in the form of a walk at Chautauqua.

Participants will meet at the main gate of Chautauqua Institution. As they wander along the trails around and under Thunder Bridge in search of spring blooms, they will learn how to use a field guide to identify their finds.