Saturday, May 12th, Trempealeau National Wildlife Refuge invites everyone to our Annual Birding Festival to celebrate World Migratory Bird Day (WMBD)! Each year the Refuge celebrates WMBD to encourage support for migratory bird conservation.
This year International Migratory Bird Day is changing its name to World Migratory Bird Day. Its theme – Year of the Bird will focus on the importance of unifying the planet’s major migratory corridors, or flyways (The African-Eurasian, the East Asian-Australasian, and the Americas flyways) Citizens all over the world are inspired to support programs and laws that protect birds and their habitats 365 days of the year, including the Migratory Bird Treaty.
One way to support bird conservation is to join us at our festival! Spread the word! Come to the festival and help expand the circle of birders! Relax and enjoy exploring the outdoors while discovering birds and wildlife at the Refuge! New participants, young and old, will have a great time enjoying the excitement of birding!
The festival runs from 8 am to 12:30 pm on Saturday, May 12th. Some of the activities include: special “early bird” bird hikes at 7 am with expert birders Laura Erickson and Markus Mika, brilliant bird apps, camera tips and tricks, live raptors, and bird banding demonstrations.
Other activities include: arts and crafts for kids, critter scoop pool, and a kid friendly bird hike. Don’t miss this wonderful opportunity to come out and enjoy a special day on the refuge; catch a glimpse of some birds or just relax with our feathered friends! All festival hikes and activities start at the canopies next to the refuge office.
To kick off the festival, the Friends of Trempealeau Refuge will be hosting a wine tasting event at Elmaro Vineyard in Trempealeau, Wisconsin on Friday night, May11th from 5:30 pm to 8:00 pm. Laura Erickson will be presenting “101 Ways to Help Birds” based on her book of the same title. She focuses on ways we birders can help birds in our everyday lives, focusing on birds of conservation concern, with lots of photos, thanks to her 2013 Conservation Big Year experiences. Her presentation will begin at 6:30 PM.
For more information regarding the festival visit our website and download a festival brochure at http://www.fws.gov/refuge/trempealeau/ or call (608)539-2311, ext. 6.
Trempealeau National Wildlife Refuge, established in 1936, lies within the Mississippi River flyway. This 6,446-acre Refuge contains rolling prairies, rich wetlands and bottomland forests, which support a variety of wildlife species. It is an isolated backwater, providing needed resting and feeding areas for waterfowl and other birds. The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service is the principal federal agency responsible for conserving, protecting and enhancing fish, wildlife and plants and their habitats for the continuing benefit of the American people.