2009 Kachemak Bay Shorebird Festival - May 7-10
Kachemak Bay Shorebird Festival
Sections
| Call 907-235-PEEP (235-7337) to hear what birds are being spotted in Homer right now! |
2009 Festival Shorebird Count Tally Results are
now available. The Barren Islands trip this year
picked up three species not currently on the tally
sheet - Great Blue Heron, Thick-billed Murre and
Sooty Shearwater.
click
here for the 2009 tally.
Thanks for participating in the 17th Annual
Kachemak Bay Shorebird Festival. We appreciate your
support and hope to see you next year, May 6 to May
9, 2010. Stay tuned for information on the Keynote
Speaker for the 18th annual event.
We value your feedback.
Please complete and return the festival survey.
Click
here for printer friendly download
Welcome to the 17th Annual Kachemak Bay Shorebird Festival.
Join us in celebrating spring and the more than 130
species of birds, including over 20 shorebirds, that
migrate to Kachemak Bay. This year we also honor the
50th Anniversary of Alaska's Statehood, as well as
the Centennial Anniversary of National Wildlife
Refuges in Alaska. Enjoy presentations by our two
Keynote speakers: Jack Dalton, a Yup'ik
Storyteller and artist and Paul Baicich, chair of the Council on Environmental
Education's Bird Education Network.
This year's theme is Birds in Culture: Our
Brothers and Sisters Return. You will have
numerous opportunities to enjoy food, music and
presentations honoring a variety of cultures. Our
expert speakers, naturalists and guides will share
their extensive wealth of birding knowledge, as they
lead you through the many field events, workshops,
presentations and boat and kayak tours being
offered. And spend your evenings enjoying our great
lineup of entertainment for all ages.
Whether you are a beginner, intermediate or advanced
birder, or even the non-birder in your group, you
will enjoy this fun-for-the-entire-family weekend
event. We hope you will join us in celebrating this
very special year!
Happy birding!
Christina M Whiting, Festival Coordinator
c/o the Kachemak Bay Shorebird Festival Committee
2009 Keynote Speakers
Rooted
in Naparyarmiut (Hooper Bay), born in Bethel and
raised in Anchorage, Alaska, Jack Dalton has grown
up an ambassador between two worlds - his Yup'ik and
European heritages. A professional storyteller,
writer and teacher, Jack has been honored by the
World Indigenous Peoples' Conference on Education as
a Distinguished Dignitary, featured as the cover
story for the premiere issue of First Alaskans
magazine and considered by many people around the
world, indigenous and non-native alike, to be "The
Storyteller". He was also chosen as one of Alaska's
Top 40 Under Forty, one of the top forty business
people in Alaska under the age of 40, and was the
first storyteller ever to perform at the Camai Dance
Festival which is held annually in Bethel, Alaska.
He has created and produced five theatrical works of
epic storytelling, written a book, and has both a
DVD and a CD of his storytelling available. He
travels extensively around Alaska, the US and the
world sharing his culture and stories in schools,
universities, theatres and on Alaskan summer cruises
to a wide variety of audiences. At residencies in
schools across the country, he teaches the
importance of storytelling to the continuation of
all cultures and works with students to create their
own stories, thus continuing the tradition. He also
speaks Swedish fluently and carries a great deal of
wisdom for one still considered young. His company,
Raven Feathers & the Wind, is based in Anchorage,
where he has called home for most of his life. For
more information, visit
www.ravenfeathers.com
Paul J. Baicich (pronounced "base-itch") has been an
active birder since his early teens in New York
City. A former employee of the American Birding
Association (ABA), he organized their conferences
and conventions from 1991 through 1995. He edited 14
of their "ABA Birdfinding Guides" from 1990 to late
1997. From late 1997 to early 2002 he edited
"Birding", ABA's bi-monthly magazine. He then served
as ABA's Director of Conservation and Public Policy
until late 2003.
His concerns include an abiding interest in bird
conservation and studies in the breeding biology of
North American birds. In this last regard, he has
co-authored (with the late Colin Harrison) "a Guide
to the Nests, Eggs, and Nestlings of North American
Birds (1997)". Paul also has co-led a number of
birding tours and workshops to Alaska. These Alaska
destinations include the Aleutians, the Pribilofs
the Seward Peninsula, and St. Lawrence Island.
He is on the Management Board of the Prairie Pothole
Joint Venture. He is also on the Waterbird
Conservation Council and is chair of the Council on
Environmental Education's Bird Education Network
(BEN). Paul worked for two years for Swarovski
Birding, a North American birding project, and for
the National Wildlife Refuge Association, promoting
support for our unique and valuable Refuge System.
He has also been a consultant for the National
Wildlife Refuge System (Visitor Services) on issues
of popular birding and parallel refuge
receptiveness. In addition, Paul co-edits (with
Wayne Petersen) the popular monthly "Birding
Community E-bulletin".
Happy birding!
Christina M Whiting, Festival Coordinator
For more information, call 907-235-7740 or e-mail
shorebirdster@gmail.com
Thanks to our Magnificent Godwit Supporters
Announcements
-
Check out the
results of the 2009 Migration Run
-
Homer Area Birding Website!
Find out about birding opportunities, bird count
results and species listings on the new birding
website for the Homer Area at
http://birdinghomeralaska.org
Website
Festival photos courtesy of the U.S. Fish & Wildlife
Service,
unless otherwise noted.
