What began as a fun, artistic pursuit at a small farm in West Deer is a full-fledged, nature-themed fair Saturday at the Audubon Society’s Buffalo Creek Nature Park in Buffalo Township.
The second annual Flying Solo Farm Fair will feature more than 20 vendors selling a variety of nature-based and -themed items. Among them are local wildflower jelly, watercolor artwork, birdhouses and feeders made from recycled materials, crocheted goods and gently loved nature books.
Chris Kubiak, Audubon’s education director, will lead a bird walk at 10 a.m. and a backyard foraging educational event from 2 to 4 p.m. Harrison photographer Dave Brooke will be on hand with calendars and local bird pictures.
Silent auction items include a totem sculpture, a hand-painted walking stick and a barn owl print from Gray Wolf Gallery in Saxonburg, plus raffle baskets with local natural goods. A food truck, Burritos by Brett of Saxonburg, will serve on site.
The farm fair was hatched during the covid-19 pandemic when the Flying Solo Birding Club members were stuck indoors. During the early days of the pandemic, the Audubon Society and other groups canceled and offered limited, social-distanced outings.
Linda Croskey of West Deer is founder of the birding group and owner of Purple Spoon, a jelly business that harvests local wildflowers.
Croskey decided to stage the special event at her West Deer farm last year to parlay the talents and wares of her artist-birder friends. She and the others decided that a portion of the proceeds from all of the vendors should go to the local Audubon Society where she trained to be a master birder.
“I have benefited from the Audubon Society of Western Pa. It’s been a blessing,” Croskey said. She leads a bird walk at 9 a.m. every Tuesday in Buffalo Creek Nature Park.
Last year, the event netted $2,000 for Audubon, she said.
The Flying Solo Birding Club was named by Jim Bonner, Audubon’s executive director and Tarentum resident, for the group of birders who didn’t want to go alone in certain places to watch birds, Croskey said.
She formed the club after completing master birding classes about four years ago; she had eight members. Now there are about 180 members who go on bird walks together, kayak andenjoy the outdoors.
The fair will be held at Audubon’s Buffalo Creek Nature Park, 154 Monroe Road, Buffalo Township. Registration through Audubon’s website is requested but not required. To learn more about the Flying Solo Birding Club, send an email to lcroskey@consolidated.net.
