Wings and Wildlife Festival Makes a Second Appearance
Wings and Wildlife Festival of Southern Nevada
March 11-15, 2010
Laughlin, Nevada
An annual birding and wildlife-watching festival is coming to Southern Nevada for a second time. The Wings and Wildlife Festival will take place March 11–15, 2010 along the riverfront in Laughlin.
The festival is sponsored by the Southern Nevada Birding and Wildlife Trails Partnership, whose mission is to promote ecotourism in the rural areas of Southern Nevada.
A celebration of all things wild in the Mojave Desert, the Wings and Wildlife Festival promises days of exploring, fun and learning along the Colorado River. Educational seminar topics will include falconry, bats, bighorn sheep, attracting hummingbirds, wildlife uses of plants, and binocular use.
Transportation will be provided for field trips, which will take bird and wildlife enthusiasts to such sites as Big Bend of the Colorado River State Recreation Area, Colorado River Heritage Greenway Trail, Havasu National Wildlife Refuge, Henderson Bird Viewing Preserve, Hualapai Mountains, Lake Mead National Recreation Area, and Wee Thump Joshua Tree Forest. Kayak trips will allow bird and wildlife viewing along the Black Canyon, Colorado River and Topock Gorge.
A wine and cheese gathering is planned for Friday night, with renowned local photographer and artist Sharon Schafer and other nature artists displaying their work. On Friday and Saturday, there will also be approximately 20 informational booths, including the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Nevada Department of Wildlife, Red Rock Audubon Society, and others. Exhibitors will have information on wildlife watching and will include live raptors and reptiles, and even a bird taxidermist. An evening banquet and keynote speaker, Ted Floyd, is planned for Saturday. Ted Floyd is the Editor of "Birding", the flagship publication of the American Birding Association.
The festival will include:
- Indoor displays emphasizing nature or environmental and conservation-oriented messages
- Educational workshops and demonstrations including falconry, taxidermy, and live animals
- Multi-media presentation by Boulder City artist, Sharon K. Schafer
- Keynote speaker and editor of "Birding" magazine, Ted Floyd, at Saturday night banquet
- Guided hiking and kayak tours for both beginning and advanced nature watchers
- Friday night social and Saturday evening banquet
For more information about this event, visit http://www.wingsandwildlifefestival.org
Cover artwork © Sharon K. Schafer www.skschaferart.com
