Kachemak Bay Shorebird Festival

4th Annual Junior Birder Program

The Junior Birders Program encourages kids and their families to get outside and learn the basics of birding. New Junior Birders can earn a badge and returning Junior Birders can win great prizes. Look for the many family-friendly birding events throughout the weekend, noted with the Junior Bird Badge symbol.

Sponsored by:

Alaska Maritime National Wildlife Refuge,  Kachemak Bay Research Reserveand Center for Alaskan Coastal Studies.
 

Junior Birder Badge Requirement: 

1. Attend a Junior Birder Lab. At either Lab, kids will be given their Junior Birder form and learn about program requirements. Both events are at the Islands & Ocean Visitor Center.
   • Locals Lab is Wednesday, May 4th, 3pm-5pm OR
   • Visitors Lab is Saturday, May 7th, 11am-1pm
2. Birding Requirements:
   • First time Junior Birders must attend either a Family Bird Walk OR a Family Birding Station during the Thursday-Sunday weekend
   • 2nd or 3rd year returning Junior Birders must do both a Family Bird Walk and a Family Birding Station.
   • 4th and 5th year Junior Birders must do both a Family Bird Walk and a Family Birding Station. They also need to do one of the following: draw or paint their favorite bird seen during the weekend or write a poem or short essay about their favorite bird seen during the weekend or take a good photographic image of 2-3 species of birds seen during the weekend and print them out. The product of choice must be turned in with other paperwork at the awards ceremony or by mail.
3. All Junior Birders must also attend at least one other Junior Birder Shorebird Festival activity of their choice during the Thursday-Sunday weekend.
4. Attend the Junior Birder Badge Awards Ceremony or provide the necessary contact information for the Shorebird Festival to mail the badge or pin and other prizes. Information should be given to the front desk at the Islands & Ocean Visitor Center by 5pm on Sunday, May 8th. This information may also be mailed to the Shorebird Festival, 201 Sterling Highway, Homer, AK 99603 or e-mailed to shorebirdster@gmail.com no later than May 20th.

Photo courtesy of Sharon Bauer	Photo courtesy of Sharon Bauer	Photo courtesy of Wayne Stanley