California Nature Events & Festivals

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BIRDING EVENTS

JANUARY
FEBRUARY
MARCH
APRIL
MAY
JUNE
JULY
AUGUST
SEPTEMBER
OCTOBER
NOVEMBER
DECEMBER

JANUARY

Morro Bay Winter Bird Festival
Morro Bay - CA
January 16 - 19, 2009
Every January on the Martin Luther King Jr. holiday weekend, the Morro Coast Audubon Society in collaboration with California State Parks, Central Coast Natural History Association, the city of Morro Bay, the Morro Bay Chamber of Commerce, and Friends of the Estuary, host the Winter Bird Festival. All-day and half-day tours will take participants to a wide variety of habitats, including deep water pelagic, oak woodland and riparian, wetland and estuary, and the unique grassland habitat of the Carrizo Plain. Workshops will cover a vast array of topics ranging from beginner birding classes to gull identification. Outstanding Evening Speakers will make presentations on Saturday and Sunday. A variety of vendors will be present with nature related artwork, books, field equipment and attire, and local merchant wares.
Morro Bay California is one of the few remaining estuaries on the Pacific flyway. Christmas Bird Counts on the bay have numbered above the 200 species mark, and the festival bird lists have totaled over 220 species for the weekend, making this area on the central California coast a prime birding destination.

Annual Snow Goose Festival
Chico & Red Bluff - CA
January 25-27, 2008
Experience the sights and sounds of the Pacific Flyway migrating waterfowl at the SNOW GOOSE FESTIVAL! A weekend full of fun, adventure and learning for all ages with field trips, presentations and workshops available to all. Contact: Snow Goose Festival, P.O. Box 1063, Chico, CA 95927 Phone: (530) 345-1865 or 1 (800) 852-8570 # 313 Email


FEBRUARY

San Francisco Bay Flyway Festival
Vallejo - CA 
February 6-8, 2009

Mare Island, Vallejo, CA. Visit the San Pablo Bay National Wildlife Refuge booth at the Festival Headquarters in Building 897 on Mare Island. Meet the National Wildlife Refuge System's famous Blue Goose! Enjoy Mucky Marsh Music. Trips and workshops. Contact Phone: (707) 649-WING (9464)

BirdSource Great Backyard Bird Count

Your backyard - any state

February 13-16, 2009 President’s Day Weekend

Winter Wings Festival
Klamath Falls, Oregon

February 13-15, 2009
Klamath Falls hosts this festival at the Oregon Institute of Technology, which celebrates the return of Bald Eagles and other raptors and wintering flocks of waterfowl to the Klamath Basin. The Basin is home to the largest concentration of wintering Bald Eagles in the lower 48 states. Participants can enjoy a variety of field trips, workshops, mini-sessions, free family activities, and special receptions. Pete Dunne will delight the audience with his keynote address on Feb. 13th entitled "Golden Wings". For information see their website or contact Travel Klamath at 1-800-445-6728 or 541-882-1501.


MARCH

SAN DIEGO BIRD FESTIVAL
San Diego - CA
March 5-8, 2009
Marina Village Conference Center in Mission Bay
The 13th annual 2009 San Diego Bird Festival will be held from March 5th to March 8th at Marina Village. We have added many new events and are repeating our most popular events from previous years. Many of our trips will net more than 100 observed species.

The Aleutian Goose Festival
Crescent City - CA
March 26-30, 2009
Choose from 80 guided birding, nature and heritage excursions, featuring coastal lagoon, river and ocean trips; more than 170 bird species during the weekend, and a coastal fly-off spectacle of 30,000 once-endangered Aleutian Canada Geese. Located in home of Redwood National & State Parks, Smith River National Recreation Area, and Lake Earl Wildlife Area.

Contact: Redwood Economic Development Institute, 140 Marine Way, Suite A, Crescent City, CA 95531 Tel:  800-343-8300 or 707-465-0880 EMAIL


APRIL

Godwit Days Spring Migration Bird Festival
Arcata - CA
April 16-22, 2009
Arcata, California welcomes you to the 13th Annual Godwit Days, the three-day Spring Migration Bird Festival where amid our ancient redwood forests, marshes and the Pacific Ocean, 450 species of bird have been recorded visiting here annually. One can watch Marbled Murrelets, have face to face encounters with spotted owls, and take small boat tours of Humboldt Bay to view migrant shorebirds at their peak. Nearly 100 birding field trips and workshops are offered in the heart of California's Redwood Coast.
Contact: Godwit Days non-profit Organization P.O. Box 894, Arcata, CA 95518 Tel: 800-908-9464 or 707-444-2938 Fax: 707-269-0632.

HERON FESTIVAL & WILDFLOWER BRUNCH
Kelseyville - CA
April 25-26, 2009
Heron Festival is a celebration of the Great Blue Heron return to their nesting sites around Clear Lake. Activities include pontoon boat rides to view the heronry and guided kayak trips to view birds on Kelsey Creek. Informative and interesting nature presentations are held at Clear Lake State Park along with informative booths, children's activities, and a Wildflower Brunch. Guided bird walks are available.
Contact: Redbud Audubon Society or call 1.800.525.3743


MAY

Kern VALLEY SPRING NATURE Festival formerly Bioregions Festival
Weldon - CA
May 2-3, 2009 - exhibits - workshops (keynote dinners - Friday & Saturday)
April 30 - May 5, 2009 - field trips
The Kern River Valley is one of the West's premier spring migration regions including the Giant Sequoia National Monument, South Fork Kern River Globally Important Bird Area, Butterbredt Spring Nationally Important Bird Area, and Sequoia National Forest Globally Important Bird Area. The Natural history of the region and a celebration of Earth Day are integrated during this spectacular festival.
Contact: Kern Valley Nature Festivals, PO Box 833, Weldon, CA 93283

Spring Wings Bird Festival
May 8-10, 2009
Stillwater National Wildlife Refuge Complex, Fallon, Nevada
(775) 428-6452

Walk on the Wildside

Freeport, CA
May 9, 2009 - 10 a.m. - 4:30 p.m. Stone Lakes National Wildlife Refuge - Beach Lake Preserve

NAS Spring BirdAThon (800) 647-BIRD, EMAIL

International Migratory Bird Day

May 9, 2009


JUNE

Mono Basin Bird Chautauqua 
Lee Vining - CA       

June 19-21, 2009
3 days of evening presentations, seminars, field trips, music, and great birding! All proceeds support continuing research in the Mono Basin. Contact: Mono Lake Committee, P.O. Box 29, Lee Vining, CA 93541 760-647-6595,  EMAIL


JULY


AUGUST

Kern Valley Hummingbird Celebration
Weldon - CA
August 1, 2009
The Southern Sierra's Kern River Valley is one of the premier migration routes for six species of hummingbirds, join us for a day of hummingbird appreciation at our feeders. Contact: Kern Valley Nature Festivals, PO Box 833, Weldon, CA 93283


SEPTEMBER

MOnterey Bay Birding Festival

Watsonville - CA

September 24-27, 2009
Featuring field trips, kayaking, workshops, optics expo, and speakers.
The Birding Festival has something for everyone, especially beginning birders. The Pajaro Valley and the Monterey Bay region are home to an incredible diversity of habitats – redwood forests, rocky shorelines, sandy beaches with Snowy Plovers, the world-class Elkhorn Slough National Estuary, oak forests and surrounding grasslands at Pinnacles National Monument, the stunning Big Sur coastline with California Condors, and, of course, pelagic trips on Monterey Bay – and bird species. Over 600 species of birds have been found.
Contact Info: Phone: (831) 724-3900 or Email: montereybaybirding@hotmail.com

National Wildlife Refuge Week Celebration

Kern National Wildlife Refuge, Delano - CA

Participants will be offered birding tours, refreshments, information on the NWR System, the history of Kern NWR and the Southern San Joaquin Valley, learn about wildlife resources and offered Centennial give-a-ways.  Phone: (661) 725-2767 EMAIL  

Kern River Valley Fall Nature & Vulture Festival
Weldon - CA
September 26-27, 2009
Visit the Southern Sierra's Kern River Valley to experience one of the U.S. and Canada's largest known Turkey Vulture migrations and the height of fall landbird migration at desert oases. You will enjoy birds, vultures, geology, botany, natural history, native American studies, moths, reptiles, and children's activities. Contact: Kern Valley Nature Festivals, PO Box 833, Weldon, CA 93283


OCTOBER

NATIONAL WILDLIFE REFUGE WEEK CELEBRATION
Check your local wildlife refuge for activities - www.fws.gov


NOVEMBER

Sandhill Crane Festival

Lodi - CA,

November 6-9, 2009

Viewings of the state's largest concentration of greater Sandhill Cranes; workshops, exhibits, children stories, dancing, face painting, live wild animals and fine art. (916) 683-1700, EMAIL  

Central Valley Birding Symposium

Stockton - CA

November 19-22, 2009

The Central Valley Birding Symposium Speakers: Ornithologists of International Renown. Field trips, workshops, panel discussion, and birding camaraderie.  (209) 369-2010,   EMAIL


DECEMBER

see the Christmas Bird Count page for December 14 - January 5 scheduled CBC's in California

Nature Events (Non-birding)

JANUARY
FEBRUARY
MARCH
APRIL
MAY
JUNE      JULY
AUGUST
SEPTEMBER
OCTOBER
NOVEMBER
DECEMBER

JANUARY

Whale Watch Weekend and Intertidal Life Festival
San Diego, CA

Point Cabrillo National Monument,
 (619) 557-5450
 


FEBRUARY

Migration Festival - Natural Bridges State Beach, Seacliff, and Henry Cowell Redwoods State Parks

Santa Cruz - CA

Contact Phone: (831) 423-4609


MARCH

MENDOCINO WHALE & WINE FESTIVAL
March 2009

Whale watching boat tours, walks and more. Art Fair, Chowder tasting, plain-air painters exhibit, the Coast- KOZT FM concert. Point Cabrillo Lighthouse events for kids and for all, from games and puzzles to whale and tide pool exhibits. Call (800) 726-2780 or (707) 961-6300 for more information on individual events.

 

Fort Bragg Whale Festival
Fort Bragg, CA

March 2009

The annual Fort Bragg Whale Festival includes a selection of local chef's recipes of Chowders for tasting, regional microbrew tasting, an arts and crafts fair, a classic car show, and  more. Take a charter boat out of Noyo Harbor to watch the whales, or watch from shore at a state park. For more information, call (707) 961-6300 or (800) 726-2780


APRIL

Redwood Coast Whale & Jazz Festival

April 2009

Point Arena Lighthouse

Contact: REDWOOD COAST
CHAMBER OF COMMERCE
PO Box 199 • Gualala, CA 95445
email: info@redwoodcoastchamber.com
707-884-1080 or 1 (800) 778-5252

EARTH DAY

April 22, 2009


MAY


JUNE

California Amphibian & Reptile Celebration
Weldon - CA
June 13, 2009
Visit the Southern Sierra's Kern River Valley to experience a sampling of the diversity of reptiles and amphibians along with the regions breeding bird populations. Contact: Kern Valley Nature Festivals, PO Box 833, Weldon, CA 93283


JULY


AUGUST


SEPTEMBER


OCTOBER

Kokanee Salmon Festival

Lake Tahoe - CA

Taylor Creek Visitor Center. Contact Phone: (530) 573-2611

American River Salmon Festival

Rancho Cordova - CA

Nimbus Fish Hatchery and Lake Natoma


NOVEMBER

Tours of the Monarch Butterfly Grove - Natural Bridges State Beach
Santa Cruz - CA
Saturdays & Sundays.                      Join a docent naturalist & see thousands of monarch butterflies wintering in Santa Cruz. 11am & 2pm weekends, through Feb 12. Phone: (831) 423-4609


DECEMBER


for other California events see:

CALIFORNIA WATCHABLE WILDLIFE

Nature Alley • P.O. Box 153 • Weldon, CA 93283 • (760) 378-2029 • Email
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