Dr. Eugenie Poignard, is pictured volunteering at the light trinket table at the 2025 Audubon Lights. Volunteers are needed for the 2026 edition of the event.

Volunteers are needed for the upcoming Audubon Community Nature Center’s 2026 Audubon Lights.

The annual event celebrates the first three weekends of spring with a half-mile trail of lights that brighten the landscape after sunset. Dates this year are Fridays and Saturdays from March 20 through April 4.

“Building on the success of previous years, we’re excited to introduce new elements that will make this year’s experience even more memorable,” said Katie Finch, Audubon visitor experience director. “A big feature this year is the creation of a new rainbow tunnel.”

Using LED light technology, Audubon Lights highlights the variety of shapes and colors found in nature — from trees just beginning to unfurl their leaves, to the silhouettes of animals active in early spring, and the subtle shift from the cooler tones of winter to the brighter, more abundant colors of spring.

Dozens of volunteers are needed for all kinds of tasks over the three weekends: to help with luminary trail lighting, admission booths, trinket sales, snack stand, clean-up, or to be a trail walker or fire tender. Audubon Lights volunteers receive a free snack and drink during volunteering as well as a free admission to Audubon Lights to use during any of the three weekends of the event. For more information, email Sharon Tefft, volunteer coordinator, at STefft@AudubonCNC.org or call 716-569-2345.

Sponsors for Audubon Lights 2026 to date include Ahlstrom Schaeffer Electric Corporation, Lawley Insurance, Shults Auto Group, Univera Healthcare, Warren County Chamber of Business & Industry, Wegmans, and Whirley-DrinkWorks. Individuals or businesses interested in sponsorship can contact Aaron Sidder, Audubon executive director, at ASidder@AudubonCNC.org or visit AudubonCNC.org/sponsor. For more information about Audubon Lights, go to AudubonCNC.org/events.

Audubon Community Nature Center is located at 1600 Riverside Road, one-quarter mile east of Route 62 between Jamestown and Warren.