Heron Festival promises variety of nature activities

Print
KELSEYVILLE – The upcoming Heron Festival and Wildflower Brunch, on April 26 and 27, sponsored by the Redbud Audubon Society and the Clear Lake State Park Interpretive Association (CLSPIA) promises an array of fun and interested nature oriented activities, ranging from pontoon boat tours on Clear Lake to a live bird presentation.


Heron Festival is in its 14th year and since its founding, by the Redbud Audubon Society, the event has grown to become one of Northern California’s most popular nature festivals. The festival is held at the Clear Lake State Park on Soda Bay Road near Kelseyville. Pontoon boat tours on Clear Lake are a popular feature of the festival, but a huge variety of other activities and programs are offered.


Boat tours are held on both days and last for approximately 90 minutes. Advanced reservations are required for the boat tours. This may be accomplished by going to the Heron Festival website at www.heronfestival.org. Price for a boat ride is just $15 per person.


Other activities on Saturday include an Audubon Bird Walk starting at 8:30 a.m., the popular Wildflower Brunch from 9 a.m. until noon, a “Nature Fair,” which features exhibit booths highlighting education displays and information from nature-related government agencies, local environmental nonprofit groups, and nature-related artists and craftsmen.


Keynote speaker on Saturday is Philip Greene, an internationally know photographer of herons and egrets. His presentation will be presented at the Visitor Center Auditorium at the park. There will also be Visitor Center tours of the interpretive displays of Lake County’s natural and cultural resources.


Children’s activities will consist of a wide range of fun educational programs for children to learn about nature, including owl masks, peanut butter birdseed feeders to take home, and making a personalized bird journal. A family nature walk is also planned.


Pontoon boat tours continue on Sunday along with more bird walks, the nature fair, a presentation by Dr. Harry Lyons on Myths and Music of Clear Lake, and at 1 p.m. a live bird presentation, “Raptor Speak,” by Native Bird Connections, that will give visitors the opportunity to see raptor behavior up close.


All events except the pontoon boat tours and the Wildflower Brunch are free and open to the public. Registration for both the boat tours and the brunch are required and can be made by going to the festival website or by calling the Lake County Visitor Center1-800-525-3743. The Web site also features the full schedule of events for the two day Heron Festival at Clear Lake State Park.


{mos_sb_discuss:2}