Festivals

Wings Over Willcox, Willcox, AZ, January, 2018
http://www.wingsoverwillcox.com/
 Registration begins September 1st 2016. Be sure to sign up for the Easy Birding Sampler Tour with guide Darlene Smyth. A slow pace and comfortable tour, easy viewing will be emphasized on this trip designed for birders with limitations of endurance or mobility. Visit Willcox Twin Lakes for waterfowl and shorebirds, Kansas Settlement for raptors and sparrows, and AEPCO Ponds for Sandhill Cranes. Most birding done from the vehicle or in close proximity to vehicle and the short excursions will be wheelchair accessible.

Gilbert Outdoors Expo - Feb.  2018 -Put on your camouflage, boots and head over to the First Annual Gilbert Outdoors Expo at the Riparian Preserve. You will have a chance to brush up on various outdoor activities or learn new  skills, including fishing, camping, hunting, hiking and much more.  This premier 2 day event will draw exhibitors and attendees statewide with an expected attendance of over 8,000 people.   See http://www.gilbertaz.gov/departments/parks-and-recreation/parks/riparian-preserve-at-water-ranch

Tres Rios Nature and Earth Festival - New Date - March 3rd and 4th, 2018 The popular Tres Rios Nature and Earth Festival will return to Tres Rios Wetlands, at the Baseline & Meridian wildlife area and will again offer a unique opportunity for nature lovers to visit a riparian corridor in the West Valley near where the Salt and Agua Fria rivers join the Gila River.   For more information, visit tresriosnaturefestival.com . Contact:  tresriosfestival@gmail.com or call (623) 932-2260.


Welcome Back Buzzards, Boyce Thompson Arboretum, Superior, Saturday, March, 2018 - ASU Professor and author Dave Pearson is the special guest interpretiveguide for BTA's seasonal salute to Turkey Vultures as the big black birds return from their winter migation. The Arboretum opens at 7:00 am today,one hour earlier than usual for March, so visitors can join staff andvolunteers 'vulture viewing' from 7:00-8:30 before Dr. Pearson leads an 8:30 am bird walk.  For event updates check out http://ag.arizona.edu/bta/events/buzzards.html

Hassayampa Preserve Nature Festival, April, 2018 - 8 AM - 2 PM, Join us for a day of outdoor fun for the entire family. Touch a non-venomous snake, go eye-to eye with a live bird of prey and other wildlife, make your own walking stick and other nature crafts, get new ideas on recycling and enjoy interpretive hikes.  
8:00 - 9:30 AM - Guided nature walk
8:00 - 9:30 AM - Guided bird walk,
11:00 - 11:45 AM - Liberty Wildlife live animal presentation
9:00 AM - 1:00 PM - Nature crafts for kids. Children 12 and under admitted free.
Email: bmccollum@tnc.org More info HERE
 

Verde Valley Birding Festival, at Dead Horse Ranch in Cottonwood, April 26th -29th, 2018 Four fun-filled days of bird walks, presentations and local field trips. Field Trip registrants are treated "first come, first served". Reserve early. Most trips will fill quickly. VVBNF recommends you make your registration as soon as possible after February 1st to reserve your place. For information about the VVBNF please contact:  Barbie Hart at: birdyverde@gmail.com
http://www.birdyverde.org/  





Southwest Wings  2 Festivals, one in Spring held in May, then in Summer held in August. A virtual bonanza of field trips with expert birders to birding hotspots ranging from the Chiracahua's to Miller and Ash Canyon during the peak of spring migration!  Wow!  This event is for serious birders that want to get out there and explore southern Arizona's mecca of birds. For an extensive list of field trips offered, click here.

Payson Wildlife Fair, May 2018, 9am-3pm - Join us for a fantastic day of activities during the Annual Payson Wildlife Fair, an annual cooperative event between the Arizona Game and Fish Department, Mogollon Sporting Association, US Forest Service, and Parks, Recreation & Tourism Department. Admission is FREE.  Parents and kids can fish, play games, and get a close-up look at wildlife, including birds of prey, rattlesnakes, Gila monsters and alligators. There will be booths from a variety of conservation groups and Green Valley Lake will receive more than double its usual stocking of trout in preparation for this event. No fishing license is required for fair attendees and equipment and bait can be borrowed from the free fishing booth at the fair. For more information contact the Parks, Recreation & Tourism at (928) 474-5242 x7
http://paysonrimcountry.com/Activities/Special-Events/Wildlife-Fair



Wonderful Wetlands and their Importance to Wildlife (and Humans!)  September  2018, Pinetop-Lakeside - White Mountain Wildlife and Nature Center - ,Family-oriented fun with a discovery focus on increasing awareness, understanding and responsible action towards nature, understanding the vital role that wetlands play to wildlife and purifying our water supply, with our annual search for water critters at the Big Springs wetland, free, 10 am, 928-358-3069 or http://www.wmnature.org

10th annual High Country Hummers Festival. July, 2018 - Sheri Williamson, one of the nation’s foremost experts on hummingbirds, will lead a capture and bird-banding event with the invaluable assistance of a dedicated group of volunteers. Free and open to the public. Participants will be able to observe researchers up close as they handle, measure and band these flying jewels. The festival takes place at the department’s Sipe White Mountain Wildlife Area located near Eagar in eastern Arizona. http://www.azgfd.gov/outdoor_recreation/hummingbird.shtml

Sedona Hummingbird Festival, July, 2019 - Includes presentations and a “Hummingbird Mall” at the new Sedona Performing Arts Center. The Festival features three full days of presentations by hummingbird experts in many interest areas: science, gardening, photography, conservation, and regional species studies. See http://www.hummingbirdsociety.org/festival.php

Tucson Bird & Wildlife Festival, August 8th - 12th, 2018  An exciting weekend of outstanding birding and wildlife-watching, presented by Tucson Audubon and the Riverpark Inn .\  Expert-led Field trips to nearby birding hotspots, some of the best birding in N. America! Birding & Natural History Workshops for beginners through advanced! Family-friendly activities, Vendors,and live critter exhibits! Online Registration will open March 17.

Bye Bye Buzzards, Boyce Thompson Arboretum, Superior, September 23rd, 2017 ASU Professor and author Dave Pearson is the special guest interpretive guide for September's seasonal salute to the Arboretum's flock of Turkey Vultures before the big black birds fly away on their winter migation southwards. The Arboretum opens at 7:00 am today, one hour earlier than usual for September, so visitors can join our staff and volunteers 'vulture viewing' from 7:00-8:30 before Dr. Pearson leads the 8:30 am bird walk. Preview this event on YouTube. Bring your camera, today brings a chance to see a real, live vulture up close and personal at the Arizona Game & Fish Department wildlife rehabbers living exhibit near the smith building - with other rescued birds, mammals and reptiles too. Read more at http://ag.arizona.edu/bta/events/buzzards.html. 

Arizona Field Ornithologists (AZFO) Annual Meeting, Oct. 26-28, 2018

Conventions feature:
*  Expert presentations on identification, status and distribution of Arizona birds
*  Presentations on where to go birding in Arizona by local experts
*  Reports on AZFO Activities such as Field Expeditions, Seasonal Reports, Sightings Database, the Online Journal, Web Page, Censuses
*  Report from the Arizona Bird Committee
*  Sunday half-day field expeditions led by local experts to 'under-birded' and lesser-known areas
*  A chance to meet new friends in the AZ avian research community, and visit with old ones!
Complete details will continue to be posted at http://www.azfo.org/annual_meetings/annual_meetings.html