Exhibits designed by the Gecko Group of West Chester are the focal point of a new museum and nature facility at the John James Audubon Center at Mill Grove in Montgomery County, writes Ellie Rushing for the Philadelphia Inquirer.

The newly opened, $13 million building is shaped like a bird in flight and expects to more than double the visitors to the Center. The exhibits use Audubon’s prized paintings to teach visitors about North American birds and their importance to the environment.

“At a time when the natural world is under fire, we need a facility like this to help people of all ages see the beauty and importance of birds, and inspire them to take action,” said Jean Bochnowski, the Audubon Center’s director.

Audubon came to the U.S. from France at the beginning of the Napoleonic Wars. He gave Americans and Europeans their first detailed information about America’s migratory birds. It took him more than two decades to complete his massive, 435-page book titled Birds of America.

The new facility is also located just a few hundred yards from Audubon’s home.

Read more about the new museum and nature facility in the Philadelphia Inquirer here.

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