At Audubon Community Nature Center’s First Friday on January 3, Piper VanOrd, owner of Allegheny Outfitters in Warren, Pa., shares a journey above and below the water, exploring the Allegheny River.

“Above and Below the Allegheny River with Piper VanOrd” is the program for Audubon Community Nature Center’s First Friday, Jan. 3, from 11 a.m. to noon.

The owner of Allegheny Outfitters in Warren, Piper VanOrd is a student of the Allegheny River. After returning from a humanitarian aid trip to Ukraine in July 2023, VanOrd felt a strong need to reconnect with her natural surroundings to help find her footing. What began as wanting to get a closer look at a Great Blue Heron’s feet quickly became a commitment to get on the river every morning and evening, setting cameras above and below the water’s surface. What VanOrd found, both on the river and within herself, has become a project full of learning about all the river’s fascinating critters. From families of otters, beavers, and raccoons, down to the tiniest critters like water boatman and mayflies, she is constantly amazed by everything that calls the river home and how they are all connected.

VanOrd is a founding member of the Allegheny River Clean-up, now in its 17th year; clean-up volunteers have removed more than 180,000 pounds of metal alone from a 31-mile stretch of the Allegheny River and two of its tributaries. The author of the Allegheny River Paddling Guide is a Leave No Trace Master Educator, ACA Level I and II Instructor, and is Wilderness First Aid certified.

The public is welcome to bring a packed lunch and visit with VanOrd after the program.

The program fee is $8 or $6 for Nature Center members and children ages 9 to 15. Reservations are appreciated by calling 716-569-2345 or online through Programs and Events at AudubonCNC.org. Walk-ins are welcome.

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 and cross country ski over five miles of trails dawn until dusk daily for free.