AP Photo With family, a friend or by oneself, area residents have throughout the month of February to go on a winter treasure hunt on the trails at Audubon Community Nature Center. Answer all the clues on the treasure map correctly to win a prize.

The Audubon Community Nature Center is adding some fun to the shortest month of 2023: a Winter Treasure Hunt.

Gather family, grab a friend, or head out alone and use the treasure map – available online or at the Nature Center – to search for clues hidden around the grounds at Audubon. Answering all the clues correctly earns a prize.

Plan the hunt any time during the month of February. Trails are open dawn to dusk.

Choose from a shorter, easier hunt or a longer, more challenging quest.

The shorter hunt has simpler clues and is located close to the Nature Center. The longer hunt is designed for older children and/or adults and involves walking one mile. February 28 is the last day of the treasure hunt. Visit the reception desk during open hours Mondays through Saturdays, 10 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., and Sundays, 1 to 4:30 p.m. to claim a prize.

The $5 registration fee provides access to one treasure map. This map can be used by an entire group. Purchase a Winter Treasure Hunt map at the Nature Center.

To purchase a map online, go to AudubonCNC.org and click through “Programs and Events.” The email receipt will have highlighted text to access the map.

The 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, snowshoe or cross country ski over 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. 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.