Gainesville Young Birders Club: Paynes Prairie Preserve State Park Visitor Center

The Gainesville Young Birders Club is a birdwatching club for students aged 9 to 17 seeking to explore local natural areas and learn more about birds and the places they inhabit. Attending students should wear sunscreen and closed-toed shoes and bring water. Loaner pairs of binoculars will be available for students who do not have access to a pair. Younger students are welcome with an accompanying parent or guardian. No membership in Alachua Audubon is required for any attendees. Access the Paynes Prairie main Visitor Center on Savannah Blvd. from the US-441 main park entrance. Please note that the park entry is $6 per vehicle or free with a Florida State Parks Pass. Meet trip leaders Maggie Paxson and Adam Kent on the steps in front of the Visitor Center. First, we'll hike a very short trail to the observation tower then climb the roughly 3-stories of stairs and use spotting scopes to look for ducks, cranes, and other birds. Afterwards we'll walk a short trail east from the Visitors…