A red-winged blackbird is pictured. Submitted photo

As Red-winged Blackbirds and American Robins reappear, spring has finally arrived! The Chautauqua Watershed Conservancy has some great events planned this spring, and we hope you will come out and join us as we come together to learn more about the health and protection of our waterways and get outside to enjoy the warming weather!

¯ April 20th – We will be celebrating Earth Day and jumping into spring at JCC’s Earthfest celebration, hosted by JCC’s Earth Awareness Club. Stop by between 11 a.m. and 2 p.m. along the central campus walkways near the pond and in the COCE Student Union at the Jamestown campus to enjoy educational displays and exhibits, featured musician Jamie Haight on the acoustic guitar and a show from Jeff Musial of Nickel City Reptiles and Exotics! In addition to putting on an awesome event, the club is also generously donating all proceeds from the day to CWC and The Bee Project – so come on out and show your support!

¯ April 23rd – Join us from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. at the GROW Jamestown Garden Fair in downtown Jamestown. This year will be a hybrid indoor/outdoor event including a street fair along Third Street in Jamestown, indoor vendors at Covenant Manor’s Community Space on the corner of 3rd and Cherry and educational workshops at St. Luke’s Episcopal Church!

¯ April 25th – Come listen to expert Dr. Johnathan Titus as he speaks on Native Plants for Pollinators at JCC’s April Earth Day presentation from 6:30 p.m. to 8 p.m. at the Carnahan Theater on the Jamestown campus. Discussing the problems with invasive and non-invasive plants and why native species are so much more beneficial for our community, this presentation is sure to be a hit!

¯ May 8th – Get out into nature, and join us for our annual Mother’s Day Wildflower Walk at our Bentley Preserve in Jamestown. This year, we will offer two guided walks, one at noon with naturalist Jack Gulvin and one at 2 p.m. with biologist and CWC Board President Becky Nystrom.

¯ May 21st – Clean up the river! Join the Chautauqua-Conewango Consortium, CWC and other partners as we all work together to get our river ready for spring and summer by cleaning her up!

¯ May 26th – Join us at noon behind the BPU building in Jamestown as we kick off our community launch of our local National Wildlife Federation effort to certify Chautauqua County as a Community Habitat! This effort will connect members of our community to educate and engage with one another on the importance of wildlife and habitat conservation in our own backyards.

¯ June 3rd – Gather with us to watch the incredible documentary “Uninvited” by the Department of Environmental Conservation which raises awareness of the impacts of invasive species on our biodiversity and ecosystems. Hosted by Audubon, CWC and CCCES, this viewing party will take place Audubon Community Nature Center at 11 a.m.

With so many awesome events going on, there is sure to be something for everyone, so come on out and join us! For questions or more details on any of these events please feel free to contact the CWC at 716-664-2166 or info@chautauquawatershed.org.

The Chautauqua Watershed Conservancy is a not-for-profit organization with the mission to preserve and enhance the water quality, scenic beauty and ecological health of the lakes, streams, wetlands and watersheds of the Chautauqua region. For more information, visit chautauquawatershed.org and follow us on Facebook and Instagram.