CHESTER, Calif. – Lake Almanor will be the place to be the weekend of Aug. 19 through 21 as they celebrate the extraordinary “dancing” grebes with the inaugural Grebe Festival centered in Chester.

There will be a diverse assortment of activities for all to enjoy during the festival. 

The event will start with a grebe research symposium on Friday for those interested in the more scientific aspect of the grebes, their ecology and conservation. 

Later in the evening, folks can partake in the beer stroll around Old Towne Chester to benefit Plumas Audubon Society and partner sponsor, Feather River Land Trust.

Saturday and Sunday will be filled with activities for all ages and interests. 

Choose from a wide variety of events: pontoon and kayak tours, field trips to Chester Meadows, historic Olsen Barn property, Willow Lake, north fork of Feather River, and Humbug Valley, or Tasmam Koyom as the Maidu call it. 

There also will be crafts and nature activities in the Almanor Recreation Center, 400 Meadowbrook Loop, Chester, for fun and education.

Some of these family activities will be geared toward children, and there are also field trips and a picnic day geared toward youngsters.

The purpose of the Grebe Festival is to celebrate the conservation of these charismatic and interesting birds while at the same time giving people a chance to enjoy themselves.

The field trips and events that Plumas Audubon has planned will cover many aspects of nature enjoyment and some also have historical significance. 

All of the trips will offer the chance to see Lake Almanor Basin’s wide diversity of bird life including sandhill cranes, bald eagles, osprey, pelicans, phalaropes and other shorebirds. 

Several of these trips offer the opportunity to learn about this area’s deep connection with the Maidu culture and pioneer life. 

All of the trips offer the chance to get close to, and learn about, many aspects of nature enjoyment such as dragonfly watching, field journaling, insects and plants.

If you cannot make it to a field trip, there will be two documentary movies, "The Messenger" and “Searching for the Gold Spot,” offered Saturday evening and Sunday afternoon at the Mount Lassen Theater in Chester, and continuing programs at the Almanor Rec Center such as "How to Draw a Better Bird," and a silent auction for some beautiful bird art, including some Bill Peters prints.

A youth art exhibit with original artwork from our Grebe Festival Art Contest will adorn the walls of the Almanor Rec Center during the festival.

Registration is now open. Some of the field trips require a fee. Everyone is asked to pre-register. 

Check out the fieldtrips and activities at www.plumasaudubon.org/grebe-festival .