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New for 2011!

 

Pre-BirdFest Orientation, Presentation & Welcome Reception

All registrants are invited to attend the Pre-BirdFest Orientation, Presentation & Welcome Reception, Wednesday, Oct. 5, 6-8pm, Delta Hall, 5 Rivers Delta Resource Center. Enjoy beverages and a light meal and meet your fellow birders. Pick up your registration packet if you wish and get directions for meet-the-bus or drive-yourself trips. Local birder and photographer Kathy Hicks will present “Nature Through our Lenses,” a musical slide show of bird and nature photos taken by some of the area’s finest photographers, including year’s poster photographer, Sherry

Stimpson Frost, and former BirdFest artists, Bill Summerour, Terry Hartley, Lisa

Comer, and BirdFest founder John L. Borom, plus outstanding images from members of Mobile’s CameraSouth, the Eastern Shore Camera Club, and Pensacola’s Wide Angle Photo Club.

FREE WITH YOUR $15 BIRDFEST REGISTRATION FEE.

No advance reservation required.

 

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Free workshops

5 Rivers Delta Center during BirdFest week

 Open to all. No advance registration required (*except where noted). Schedule subject to change.

 

THURSDAY, Oct. 6

 

5 Rivers Woodland Walk 

12 Noon, Thursday. Meet at Delta Hall

With its lush, diverse forest, many visitors are surprised to learn that the 80-acre 5 Rivers property was created as a dredge material disposal site just 40 years ago. Birders won’t be surprised to find that birds are largely responsible for the forest here today. Join Hank Burch, manager of the 5 Rivers Center, on an interpretive walking tour of the site. See some of his favorite plants and learn about challenges we face with invasive, exotic plant species. Workshop is free and open to all. No advance registration required.

 

PLANTS for Birds & Butterflies  

Thursday, 2pm. Delta Hall Deck and Yard

The right plants can go a long way toward attracting birds, butterflies, and other wildlife to your yard. Experts from Dodd & Dodd Nursery will show you how to create your own backyard habitat. Workshop is free and open to all. No advance registration required.

 

Evolution of Birds

Thursday, 3pm, Delta Hall Classroom 

Which came first, the chicken or the egg? Actually, reptiles were the first to figure out how to lay eggs on land. Joel Borden, an instructor of herpetology and ornithology at the University of South Alabama, talks about the evolutionary connections between reptiles and birds. Workshop is free and open to all. No advance registration required.

 

Introduction to Wildlife Photography

Thursday, 4-6pm, Tensaw Theater & outdoors

Whether you have a point-and-click camera or professional equipment, photographer Kathy Hicks can help you snap the perfect wildlife shot. This workshop offers tips and techniques for composing and framing, getting the focus you want, and planning your photography trip to maximize wildlife viewing opportunities. Participants should bring their cameras, as Kathy will lead them outside at 5 Rivers to see what they can collect. Workshop is free and open to all. No advance registration required.

 

 

Friday, Oct. 7

 

5 Rivers Woodland Walk

12 Noon, Friday. Meet at Delta Hall

With its lush, diverse forest, many visitors are surprised to learn that the 80-acre 5 Rivers property was created as a dredge material disposal site just 40 years ago. Birders won’t be surprised to find that birds are largely responsible for the forest here today. Join Hank Burch, manager of the 5 Rivers Center, on an interpretive walking tour of the site. See some of his favorite plants and learn about challenges we face with invasive, exotic plant species. Workshop is free and open to all. No advance registration required.

 

Growing Up Wild: Fun with Feathered Friends

Friday, 1pm, Lil’ Bateau Classroom

Get the little ones started in birding! This is part of 5 Rivers’ series of programs designed for preschool-aged children. *They must pre-register by calling 5 Rivers (251-625-0814). They’ll learn about the mechanics of bird shapes (beaks, talons, feathers, etc.) and will learn about the variety of birds we have in Alabama.

 

Alabama’s Forever Wild Program: A Conservation Success Story  

Friday, 2pm, Tensaw Theater

In 1992, the citizens of Alabama overwhelmingly approved a state constitutional amendment to create the Alabama Forever Wild Land Trust. Since then, the program has preserved over 220,000 acres of conservation land in Alabama, including the Mobile-Tensaw River Delta and Grand Bay Savanna, which are BirdFest tour stops. Hank Burch, Manager of the 5 Rivers Center, will explore how this program works, what it has accomplished, and what is in store for its future. Workshop is free and open to all. No advance registration required.

 

Raptor Rehab

Friday, 3pm, Tensaw Theater

The Mobile County Public School System operates the Environmental Studies Center, which serves as both an outdoor education facility and as a wildlife rescue and rehabilitation center. ESC staff will be at 5 Rivers to talk about their wildlife rehabilitation program and will bring along a few rehabilitated raptors that cannot be released to the wild due to their injuries. Learn what to do (and not to do) if you come across an injured animal.

 

BONUS! Bird PhOTOGrAPhy By SPeCieS:

WAderS, GUllS, ANd TerNS

NOTE: There is a fee for this comprehensive four-hour workshop. See details and contact information below. Stick around on Sunday, Oct. 9, for this comprehensive Kathy Hicks photography workshop. In the classroom, you’ll learn about photography challenges that happen with particular birds and how to conquer them. You will learn about where, how, and when to approach different birds and how to make photographs that “wow” the viewer. In the second half, the class will head outside to find photo opportunities. All skill levels welcome. 4 hours. Class Limit: 12. $65.00. *To register or for more information (location and times), visit www.NeonFlamingos.com, email Kathy@neonflamingos.com, or call 251-751-9195.

 

 

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The 8th Annual Bird & Conservation Expo

Saturday, Oct. 8

9am – 4pm

Faulkner State Community College in downtown Fairhope

 

Bring the whole family for hands-on kids’ activities and fun for all ages!

• Birdhouse Build with Boy Scouts Pack 47

• Raptor Trek! - Alabama 4-H Center, Alabama’s Premier live raptor show

Alabama Snakes w/ Dr. David Nelson & Crew from 5 Rivers

• Birding and nature films

• Exhibits, Vendors and Artists

• Sea Creature touch tanks from Marine Resources, Alabama Dept. of Conservation & Natural Resources

• Kids’ hands-on bird & nature workshops throughout the day

• Learn about Alabama State Parks, Alabama’s Birding Trails, and Alabama’s Forever Wild Tracts

 

 

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Grand Festival of ARt & Grand Festival of Books

Saturday & Sunday, Oct. 8 & 9

10am – 5pm

The Bird and Conservation Expo takes place adjacent to the 29th Annual Grand Festival of Art, sponsored by the Eastern Shore Art Center. This premier fall event is an exciting opportunity to view and acquire the works of over 100 participating artists from throughout the country. Admission is free. Visit the website for the Eastern Shore Art Center for more information.

New this year, the Grand Festival of Books, features readings, signings, and discussions, with local, regional, and national authors—for booklovers of all ages. Visit PageandPalette.com for details.

 


 

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