Birders Celebrate Profusion of Color at 2016 Winter Bird Festival in St. George, Utah
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St. George, Utah —For many, January might mean setting New Year’s resolutions; but for birders it’s prime time for birding. Winter’s chill forces shrubs and trees to shed their leaves creating an idyllic environment to catch glimpses of otherwise elusive and beautifully brilliant species of birds. Birders are drawn to southwest Utah’s “St. George Winter Bird Festival,” not only to enjoy the region’s mild January weather, but also to view more than 375 species of birds the area attracts.
The event which runs from January 28-30, 2016, provides the public with opportunities to enjoy a wide variety of fun and exciting educational workshops for adults and children, presentations, field trips and more to learn more about these vast species of birds.
In its thirteenth year, the festival will host presentations by birding experts such as “Introduction to Birding” and , as well as workshops like the “Junior Birder Program” and “Build a Birdhouse” just for kids, and field trips to regional birding hot spots such as Zion National Park, Quail Creek, Sand Hollow and Hurricane Fields, and the Lytle Ranch. Daily lectures include species identification, banding, predators, and photography. The majority of festival events will begin at the Tonaquint Nature Center at Tonaquint Park in St. George, at 1851 South Dixie Drive with Thursday and Friday evening presentations hosted at the Children’s Museum located at 86 South Main Street in St. George, Utah.
Long-time fans of the St. George Winter Bird Festival are excited to hear from keynote speaker Kate Davis, founder of the non-profit organization, “Raptors of the Rockies” and author of the award winning book, “Raptors of the West Captured in Photographs” and “American Kestrel; Pint-sized Predator”.
For more information regarding registration, activities, field trips, and lectures included in the 2016 St. George Winter Bird Festival call 435-673-0996 or visit www.sgcity.org/birdfestival. The cost for the event is $10 general admission which can be picked up at the Children’s Museum during the Thursday evening presentation and at the Red Cliffs Audubon Society’s booth located at the Tonaquint Park on Friday and Saturday.
The St. George Winter Bird Festival is sponsored by the Red Cliffs Audubon Society, Division of Natural Resources, Dixie/Arizona Strip Interpretive Association, Bureau of Land Management, National Park Service, U.S. Forest Service, City of St. George, Home Depot, Click Elite, St. George Inn & Suites, and Best Western Abbey Inn.
The BLM manages more than 245 million acres of public land located primarily in 12 western states, including Alaska, on behalf of the American people. The BLM also administers 700 million acres of sub-surface mineral estate throughout the nation. Our mission is to sustain the health, diversity, and productivity of America’s public lands for the use and enjoyment of present and future generations.