Pfeiffer Nature Center & Foundation

If you love all things nature-related, now’s your chance to get paid doing it!

We have an opening for a part-time Naturalist. This is a paid position, and has some great benefits available, too.

What’s a Naturalist? Someone who excites others about nature, engages their sense of wonder and curiosity, and stimulates their care of the earth. Pfeiffer Nature Center’s Naturalist has lots of flexibility, plenty of opportunities to be creative, and a great bunch of people to work with.

Interested? Get a bit more info and a job description. But hurry – this opening won’t last long!

Although the early registration deadline has passed, there’s still time to be part of Woods Walk & Trail Run.

Run from 5K to 10 grueling miles. Walk from less than a mile to 10K. You make the choices, we provide the trails, great food, live bird displays, massages, and lots more.

Woods Walk & Trail Run is part of the Eastern Grip Trail Running Series. Run more races, earn more points.

Register online, by mail (Pfeiffer Nature Center, PO Box 802, Portville, NY 14770), or give us a call (716.933.0187), but don’t delay – the entry deadline is Tuesday, June 1.

What a beautiful week we had with cool, sunny days and brisk winds.  It was those very winds that brought sweet scents down from the fields along the creek.  Investigating this last night, I was overwhelmed with the floral smells of the Autumn Olive, Morrow’s Bush Honeysuckle, and Hobblebush. I was surprised by the Autumn Olive as we usually expect it to bloom the first week in June around the time of Woods Walk.

As sensational as the scents were, I needed to remind myself that the Autumn Olive and Morrow’s Bush Honeysuckle are rampant invasive shrubs.  Not having a long history with this plot of land, I haven’t a clue which native plants were crowded out of this spot by these two pleasantly fragrant plants.

I recently took Rick Miller, reporter for the Olean Times Herald, on a walk through part of our Lillibridge Road property. He took many photos, and posted them as a slide show on YouTube. Check it out!

We’re busily preparing for the 4th annual Woods Walk & Trail Run, and you won’t want to miss it!

We get better every time, and this year’s no exception. Most noticeably, we’ll have improved trail markings, more trail guides, and a new road walk. Plus, with our ever-increasing emphasis on the health of our little blue planet, we won’t be sending you home with a bag of things you’ll never use. Register early (entry received by May 20) and you’ll still get a wonderful 2010 Woods Walk T shirt. Plus, you can pick up what you like, from insect repellent to band aids, water to snacks, when you check in.

Our Finish Line Arena returns with their delicious food – turkey sandwiches from Sprague’s Maple Farms, and homemade pasta salads and brownies, as well as other yummies.

Aid stations will provide you with water and snacks to keep you hydrated and energized. That’s also where we’ll be doing our tracking to make sure everyone stays on target.

To add even more incentive, we’re part of the Eastern Grip Trail Running Series. Run more races, earn more points.

WHAT?! You haven’t registered yet?! Go do it now!

Register online or call the office (716.933.0187) for a paper entry form.

This past week we’ve been checking out the vernal pools on the Lillibridge Property hoping to see “the big walk” of the forest salamanders. Last Thursday’s cold and snowy night, we were rewarded with a spectacular site of dozens of spotted salamanders in a pool.  A check yesterday afternoon, just a mere 5 days later, there were sperm packets and large masses of both Spotted and Jefferson salamander eggs.  What a wonderful thing to see!

Took a picture of the vernal pool behind the kiosk at Lillibridge in anticipation of the annual spring migration of salamanders to the pool. Can’t wait to catch a glimpse of the “big night”. You can follow our progress here or if you’re a member check out the articles on the salamanders and vernal pools in the spring edition of the Ovenbird, arriving soon in your mail.

It’s the time of year where we just seem to have one bleary day after another.  But there’s hope on the horizon as my daffodils have popped up ready to bolt with the first week of warm and sunny weather.  So taking my cue from the daffodils, I went out and marked the trees at the house I will be watching for Project BudBurst.

The project uses citizens like us to record the emergence of buds tracking the progress of spring.  I really enjoyed doing this last year and would encourage you to try it as well.  Simply look at the list of trees and plants for your area, choose which one you’ll watch, then make a point to take a peek to note the changes.

I’ve marked our Eastern Redbud today with a little strip of colored ribbon to remind me to look.  I pass the tree every day on my way to the car so it’s super easy to remember to observe the tree changes.  The Project BudBurst site makes it convenient for me to make my observation entries online and I get a little burst of happiness each day as I watch this little tree respond to the changes of the season.

Today was the kind of day we hope for to help us get through these long western New York winters.  It was absolutely glorious with bright sun, ice blue skies, no wind, and tons of snow of excellent consistency for sledding, snowshoeing, and snowman building!  Sixty-five folks braved these conditions to visit our Lillibridge property for our Snowshoe Blitz.  The talented staff from Paths, Peaks, and Paddles in Tonawanda provided equipment, instruction, and guided walks allowing our visitors to explore and enjoy the best we have to offer during the height of the winter season.  The trails had thick fresh snow, the trees loaded with heavy white coats that brought the boughs low enough to brush their freshness against your cheek.  Lots of happy people (and dogs) emerged from the forest all smiles and enthused about their new found winter sport!

Both properties are open dawn to dusk, year round and provide miles of trails to enjoy winter hiking, nature exploration, cross country skiing and of course, snowshoeing!  We have several pair of snowshoes available for daily and weekend rental.  On March 6, we offer a 2-hour snowshoe program.  This is a small group experience using snowshoes to explore the trails of Lillibridge and enjoy the quiet and peace of the snow laden forest. Snowshoes provided.  Experience limited to 6 participants.  10:30-12:30 PM General Public $10/PNC Members $5.  Call the office at 716-933-0187 for details.

Get out and enjoy this wonderful winter!

Thanks to a grant from the NYS Council on the Arts and the consistent support of the Cattaraugus County Arts Council, we’re happy to announce (drum roll please)…

FILM FESTIVAL, 2010!

Whether you’re young in years or young at heart, Pfeiffer Nature Center’s Film Festival wants to see what’s in YOUR viewfinder. Take still photos or video, create animation or shoot reality, make it pretty or edgy. All we want is your interpretation of this year’s theme: My Backyard. Be as expansive or as narrow as you’d like within that theme.

Download a flyer suitable for posting, submission guidelines, and an entry form. Tell everyone in your art class, your photo club, or your neighborhood about it, and challenge them all to submit. It’s fun, it’s easy, and it’s free.

Check out some of last year’s winners on YouTube.

Don’t wait – go take some pictures!