Wild Adventures, Wild Birds!
21st Annual Snow Goose Festival of the Pacific Flyway
January 22 – 26, 2020
Chico, CA
Birders and nature enthusiasts of all ages are invited to attend the 21st Annual Snow Goose Festival of the Pacific Flyway, one of the premier birding events in California. This action-packed 5-day event celebrates the millions of waterfowl and thousands of raptors that migrate along the Pacific Flyway and call the Northern Sacramento Valley their home during the winter months. This is one of the least explored and most amazingly diverse areas of California, with habitats that include rivers and wetlands, sweeping plains and grasslands, rolling foothills, sheltered canyons, and mountain peaks. The festival also gives our local community an opportunity to rediscover the abundant treasures the North State has to offer all year round, from wholesome foods and delectable wines to inspirational artists and gifted musicians.
FIELD TRIPS & WORKSHOPS
Attendees can choose from over 70 field trips and workshops that are sure to appeal to a wide variety of interests and ability levels. In addition to numerous bird-watching field trips to see waterfowl, raptors, and songbirds, you might choose to take a guided tour of a nature preserve, visit a local vineyard, or hike the scenic Sutter Buttes in search of lofty views and resident wildlife.
Our workshops offer something for everyone! Learn about nature photography, bird carving, how to record nature sounds, how to identify those backyard birds, and much more. Free nature activities and live raptors demonstrations are offered for youth, and there are armchair adventures for all.
WILDLIFE ART EXHIBIT
Museum of Northern California Art (monca)
Feast your eyes on wonderful art by numerous artists whose subjects include wildlife and habitat along the Pacific Flyway. This impressive art exhibit, at the Museum of Northern California Art, will feature a variety of media, including sculpture, clay, oils, fiber arts, watercolor, acrylics, mixed media, glass, and photography.
“GATHERING OF WINGS” Banquet, Silent Auction & Keynote Speaker
Don’t miss the biggest event of the Snow Goose Festival, our “Gathering of Wings” Banquet. This treasured evening provides a mix of great food, great company, and great entertainment, with an exceptional gifted keynote speaker, Karen Amstutz, Yosemite Park Ranger, Naturalist, and Guide.
The Silent Auction tables that accompany us while we dine will hold a vibrant mix of items, including exquisite works of art and jewelry, wonderful wines, and a variety of other goods and services.
Featured Keynote Speaker, Karen Amstutz
Yosemite National Park Ranger, Naturalist & Guide
“The Gift of Watching Birds”
The practice of birding makes us whole. Well, it has the potential to set us on a path of finding our way into our place in the more than human community. Our senses piqued, primal intelligence stirring, we search for birds. Why do we do this thing called “birding”? What does it offer us?
Is it more than a new and hard-earned addition to a list? As we use our binocular vision and our ears in pursuit of our avian objectives, we become more-than-human ourselves. Our ears tune in to the bird sounds around us and our senses awaken to other cues. I have learned much about birds in my lifetime of tuning in to their movements. As my focus on birds has taught me much about this most intriguing group of fellow terrestrials, I have gained insight into my own species. What motivates us to pay close attention to birds? What does the future hold for us as we witness our beloved species struggle through these times? I believe bird watchers hold more power over positive outcomes in an uncertain future than even we know. Following our hearts … where will we go? — Karen Amstutz
REGISTRATION BEGINS IN EARLY DECEMBER. We highly recommend getting on our email list as soon as possible. Emails will go out to notify you when registration opens, of various deadlines, and of any changes and additions to the program along the way. You can follow us on Facebook, too!
For more information visit www.snowgoosefestival.
or contact: Jennifer Patten, Event Coordinator
(530) 592-9092
