Audubon Community Nature Center Little Explorers and their adults learn about “Sounds and Songs” Saturday morning, April 13. This photograph of a “Baltimore Oriole amongst the Cherry Blossoms” by Mark Evans of Warren, Pa., received Honorable Mention in the Adult Wildlife category of Audubon’s 2023 Nature Photography Contest.

Spring can get pretty noisy in nature. Children between the ages of 3 and 8 and a parent or guardian can learn more about spring’s “Sounds and Songs” with Audubon Community Nature Center Little Explorers from 10 to 11:30 a.m. Saturday, April 13

Explore the sounds, songs, and calls made by animals and other sources, and learn how and why animals might be making some of those noises. During the day, animals are rustling through the new plant growth and birds are calling back and forth. Just after dark, frogs and toads start peeping and trilling, while overhead owls hoot from trees and fluttering bats produce sounds too high for people to hear.

After an indoor lesson, head outside to listen for the sounds of nature and look for the source of the sounds in the forests, fields, and ponds.

A snack is provided after the hike and a craft is offered if there is time. Little Explorers takes place rain or shine, so dress for the weather. The fee is $12 for adults, $9 for children ages 3-8 and Nature Center members. Enrollment is limited to 15 children, 30 participants total. To make a paid reservation by Thursday, April 11, call 716-569-2345 during business hours or go to AudubonCNC.org and click through Programs and Events.

Audubon Community Nature Center is located at 1600 Riverside Road, one-quarter mile east of Route 62 between Jamestown and Warren. Visit the nearly 600-acre nature preserve, check in on the live birds of prey, and hike the more than five miles of trails dawn until dusk daily for free.

The three-story Nature Center building houses interactive displays, a collection of live animals including the Hellbender exhibit, and the Blue Heron Gift Shop. Visitors are welcome Mondays through Saturdays, 10 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., and Sundays, 1 to 4:30 p.m. Nature Center members and SNAP/EBT cardholders have free building admission daily. Building admission is also free every Sunday for non-Nature Center members.

To learn more about Audubon and its programs, call 716-569-2345, find Audubon Community Nature Center on Facebook, or visit AudubonCNC.org.