The Northeast Pennsylvania Audubon Society (NEPAS) was founded in 1971 as a local chapter of the National Audubon Society. Our mission is “To Conserve and restore our environment to benefit humanity and wildlife through education, action, and advocacy.”
NEPAS is a non-profit 501(c)(3) organization with about 650 members. The annual Audubon Art and Craft Festival is our major fund-raising event. Proceeds support scholarships to college students pursuing an environmentally-related major and to youths and adult leaders for camps in Maine, Vermont and other camps closer to home. NEPAS also funds environmentally-focused school programs and organizations.
The above map shows the chapter territory for Northeast Pennsylvania Audubon (highlighted area), which includes Wayne County, Susquehanna County, Lackawanna County, and the upper third of Pike County. Our boundaries don’t fit exactly within county lines insofar that National Audubon uses zip codes to define local chapter territories.
What We Do
- Offer educational programs, field trips & hikes
- Own and maintain two wetland sanctuaries
- Award an annual $4,000 college scholarship for environmental studies
- Give scholarships to local children and teens to attend environmental camps
- Provide teacher scholarships for environmental workshops
- Present nature programs to schools, libraries, and community groups
- Advocate for the environment locally, nationally, and sometimes worldwide
- Publish annual calendar of events and a quarterly newsletter
- Sponsor National Audubon’s “Audubon Adventures” in local classrooms
- Host annual juried Art & Craft Festival to raise scholarship funds
- Present an annual Conservation Award (when appropriate)
- Participate in Adopt-a-Highway program
- Participate in Bird Census Studies, the Breeding Bird Atlas, and are stewards of an Upper Delaware River Corridor Important Bird Area
- Work cooperatively on environmental issues with other area organizations
Board of Directors
Officers
- President: Jim Sanders
- Vice President: Kathy Dodge
- Secretary: Pat Sanders
- Treasurer: Nancy Savage
Committee Chairs
- Adopt-a-Highway: Kathy Dodge
- Art & Craft Festival:
- Communications (Newsletter & Website): Devan George
- Conservation: Sarah Hall-Bagdonas
- Education: Lindsay George
- Membership: Pat Sanders
- Parliamentarian: Pete Snyder
- Programs & Field Trips: David Trently
- Scholarships: Keith Williams and Chris Weigand (Co-Chairs)
Directors
- Bob Campbell (2014-2016)
- Mimi Williams
- Beverly Beers
- John Harvey