Autumn chills will be arriving soon.

The Audubon Community Nature Center is looking for wool or wool-blend sweaters that are a bit worn or no longer fit. Audubon officials are asking for the donations to upcycle the old sweaters into mittens. Upcycling is a form of recycling where an item that would otherwise be thrown away is given a new use in life. Rather than recycle using a recycling bin, creativity is used to update and renew old items.

ACNC Volunteer Ann Thorpe will repurpose your sweaters into sweater-mittens to sell in Audubon’s Blue Heron Gift Shop, as was done last year. Any excess sweaters not used for mittens will be donated to charity during Audubon’s winter clothing drive.

Gently loved wool and wool-blend sweaters can be dropped off at the Nature Center’s reception desk during regular open hours: Mondays through Saturdays from 10 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. and Sundays, 1 to 4:30 p.m.

The hand-knitted mittens will be available for purchase in the Blue Heron Gift Shop from November through the holidays.

Audubon Community Nature Center is located at 1600 Riverside Road, one-quarter mile east of Route 62 between Jamestown and Warren. Anyone visit the grounds, with its six miles of trails, and view Liberty, Audubon’s non-releasable Bald Eagle, dawn to dusk daily, free of charge.

The three-story Nature Center building houses interactive displays, a collection of live animals including the new Hellbender exhibit, and the Blue Heron Gift Shop. Nature Center members enjoy free building admission daily, and building admission is free every Sunday for non-Nature Center members as well.

For ACNC’s most up-to-date COVID-19 requirements, which include information on face coverings and gathering limitations, visit AudubonCNC.org and read the COVID-19 Notice at the top of the page.

To learn more about Audubon and its programs, call 569-2345, find Audubon Community Nature Center on Facebook, or visit AudubonCNC.org. All visitors, volunteers, and staff are required to wear face coverings while inside the building. Any updates to these requirements can be found at the COVID-19 Notice on that webpage.