Dear Friends,
As we enter into the new year, looking back and looking forward, one thing is clear – the Grange Insurance Audubon Center has found its way into the heart of Columbus. The Center has become known as “Central Ohio’s Urban Oasis, where discovery inspires conservation.”
The long journey to definition and visibility has been with you by its side. What is the Audubon Center? Is it education, welcoming all of the diversity of the Columbus City Schools? Is it the inspiration for conservation, where those who enter gain knowledge and connection with nature and are motivated to take action?
Is it a sanctuary where unions of marriage are celebrated? Is it the birds that tell their own stories and capture hearts in their own right? Is it a gathering place for community conversation and action? It is, as you well know, all of this and more.
Still in its infancy at only six years since opening, the Audubon Center has come into its own, taking on a life and personality together with a circle of family and friends. This faithful circle will carry the Center forward and help it to grow into whatever it needs to be.
The Center needs you, your vision, your passion, and your action. In the next few months I will be leaving to start a new journey called retirement. Of necessity, I will step back and allow the transition to unfold in whatever ways are best for the Center and the community. I am proud of what we have accomplished together and thank you for being a part of the Center’s journey and mine.
Christie Vargo