For four full decades, the Audubon chapter has provided the greater Clarion community with environmental education, beautiful gardens, birding walks, and opportunities to contribute to citizen science programs.
This commitment has only been possible through the steadfast work of volunteers, many of whom were both at the picnic and there when the chapter was first formed.
During the event, held in the Veteran’s Pavilion at the Clarion County Park and catered by Daddy’s Main Street, the group’s officers presented Certificates of Recognition to long-term members (in alphabetical order) Pat Conway, Pete Dalby, Gary Edwards, Deb Freed, Michael Leahy, Jim McGuire, Ron Montgomery, Jim Wilson, and Carole Winslow.
Additional Certificates of Appreciation were presented to Paulette Colantonio, Mal Hays, Nick and Meg Kolodick, Jo Scheier and Larry Towse for their contributions to SRAS.
Vice President Vickie Gotaskie, Secretary Kay John, and Treasurer Cindy Bonner surprised President Alice Thurau with a well-deserved Certificate of Appreciation for her leadership.
Several of the 45 attendees stepped up to the mic to share special memories of past events; some humorous, and some poignant.
Knox Bakery prepared a beautiful cake decorated with the SRAS logo to top off the night.
With that sweet ending, the organization looks forward to its next 40 years, and beyond!
How It All Began
The June-August 2025 issue of the Seneca Rocks Audubon Society’s newsletter The Drummer included this description of how the Chapter got started--
Early in 1983, long time Audubon member Walt Fye and Clarion University Biology Department member, Pete Dalby, thought that there might be enough interest in the area to start a local Audubon chapter.
Since Pete was President of the Clarion County Federation of Sportsmen and involved in a National Wildlife Week Program at the Clarion Mall in March, it was decided that an initial meeting, with some advertising and an Audubon film, would be held in one of the vacant storerooms during the weeklong program.
Just prior to the evening program, with the projector ready to go and plenty of Audubon literature, (thanks to Walt Pomeroy’s help from the Mid-Atlantic Office), a spring snow squall hit Clarion.
While not that much snow fell, the weather was cold, windy, and made for nasty driving. By “show time,” the mall parking lot was nearly empty. No one came.
Not to be discouraged, Walt Pomeroy offered to come later in the year and present a program himself.
In early December, thanks to better weather and more advertising, a meeting attended by several dozen people was held in the CUP Chapel.
After Walt’s film program, he discussed some of the things which would have to be done to start a local Audubon chapter.
Enough people showed an interest that several monthly programs were planned and a recruitment drive of sorts was conducted.
By the March 1984 meeting, the 35-member minimum needed for a provisional charter was attained. A chapter name, a constitution, and election of officers soon followed.
We formally became the 22nd chapter in Pennsylvania and the 495th chapter in the nation in May 1984.
Since those early days of not too long ago, a lot of indoor and outdoor programs have come and gone and new programs have taken their place.
Lasting friendships have been made over the years, and the Seneca Rocks Audubon Chapter, has given all of us a forum from which those interested, knowledgeable, and concerned about environmental education and other environmental concerns can influence their outcome, regionally or even nationally.
Click Here for copies of The Drummer newsletter.
The Chapter website notes one of the other founding members and the first president of the Chapter-- Gary Edwards-- was awarded the Earl Poole Award by the Pennsylvania Society of Ornithology in 2011 for his contributions to ornithology in the Commonwealth.
Click Here for the award presentation for more about the kinds of programs and activities the Seneca Rocks Audubon Chapter has been involved over the years.
Visit the Seneca Rocks Audubon Society website for more information about upcoming events and programs and initiatives, or find them on Facebook.
To find an Audubon chapter in your area, visit the Audubon Pennsylvania website.
[Posted: August 25, 2025] PA Environment Digest
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