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The Hummingbird Festival Returns to LBL’s Woodlands Nature Station

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Hummingbird

If you’re a bird watcher or simply someone who happens to love hummingbirds, Woodlands Nature Station is having a Festival that you won’t want to miss. It’s the Hummingbird Festival and the popular event is just around the corner.

Land Between The Lakes (LBL) National Recreation Area is the place to be in early August for a lot of reasons, but hummingbird lovers have an extra reason to head for the lakes.�  On Saturday & Sunday, August 4-5, enjoy the migration of the Ruby-throated hummingbird during the annual Hummingbird Festival�  at Woodlands Nature Station.

“Hummingbird migration in this area is at its peak in August,ââ?¬Â said Nature Station Interpreter Carrie Szwed. ââ?¬Å?A large number of hummingbirds stop here on their journey south to Mexico and Central America. During this time, up to 200 hummingbirds visit our feeders in a single day. The festival is an opportunity to be a part of this awesome event.ââ?¬Â

The main Hummingbird Festival events take place at the Nature Station Saturday 9am-4pm and Sunday 10am-4pm. Admission to Hummingbird Festival 2012 is $5 ages 13 and up, $3 ages 5-12, and free for children 4 and under. Visit with the staff and guest exhibitors to learn more about these amazing little birds and how you can help them survive their long migration. Highlights of the weekend include hummingbird banding demonstrations, a nature photography program, a native plant sale, a honeybee observation hive, activities and games for children, and live animal encounters. Take-home information will be available about building nest boxes, participating in citizen science projects, downloading nature apps to your smartphones, and more. Be sure to bring your camera to capture the stars of the weekend, the Ruby-throated hummingbirds.

Hummingbird banders from Louisville, Kentucky, Brainard Palmer-Ball Jr. and Mark Monroe, will give up close demonstrations throughout the day on the technique of bird banding. If a hummingbird is recaptured at another study site along its migration route, the leg band number is recorded and added to a database. Biologists can look at all the data collected over the years for clues about the habits of these tiny birds and how best to meet their habitat needs. Visitors can attend ongoing demonstrations and visit other information stations Saturday 9am-4pm and Sunday 10am-4pm.

Other weekend activities include Dinner with the Hummingbirds on Friday, August 3. This event requires reservations and full deposits due to limited space. For complete information or reservations, contact 270-924-2020.

The following is a list of Nature Station programs for the weekend:

Friday, August 3

  • 6-8pm Dinner with the Hummingbirds – $20 per person (includes dinner and evening admission)

Saturday, August 4

  • 9am-4pm Hummingbird Banding Demonstrations
  • 10am Hummingbirds 101
  • 11am Hummingbird Photography: The Basics & More
  • 12pm Hummingbirds 101
  • 1pm Hummingbird Photography: The Basics & More
  • 2pm Hummingbirds 101
  • Ã? 3pm Gardening for Hummingbirds & Butterflies

Sunday, August 5

  • 10am-4pm Hummingbird Banding Demonstrations
  • Ã? 11am Hummingbird Photography: The Basics & More
  • 12pm Hummingbirds 101
  • 1pm Hummingbird Folklore
  • 2pm Hummingbirds 101
  • 3pm Hummingbirds for Kids

Please visit http://www.lbl.org for more information about the beautiful Land Between the Lakes area!

Cool and Crawly Critters Day at Woodlands Nature Station

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Cool and Crawly Critters Day at Land Between the Lakes

These adorable faces are priceless!�  I wonder if their t-shirts come in my size???

If you’re blessed with children in your life, you know how much they love cool and crawly critters. Spiders, snakes, bugs, turtles – kids can’t get enough of these fascinating animals.Ã?  Heck, a lot of us adults enjoy them as much I’d take snakes out of my own personal line up, however. I have a deal with them – they don’t come near me and I won’t go near them.Ã?  Oddly enough, I’m incredibly fascinated by spiders and other crawly animals.

If your kids enjoy catching bugs and other critters, you’ll want to mark July 14th on your calendar.Ã?  Land Between The Lakes (LBL) National Recreation Area is havingÃ?  Cool & Crawly Critters Day at Woodlands Nature Station on Saturday, July 14, 2012, from 10am to 4pm.Ã? Ã?  You and your kids can get an up-close look at bugs, snakes, turtles, fish, and more!

ââ?¬Å?The Nature Station buzzes with opportunities for children to learn about critters that sometimes give them the creeps,ââ?¬Â said Nature Station naturalist, Carrie Szwed. ââ?¬Å?Families can spend the day having fun while learning about these animals hands-on!”

The day�s events include games, crafts, programs, and lots of cool and crawly critters. Stop by ongoing exhibits such as the Insect Road Show, Rescued Reptiles, Aquatic Animals, and Slithery Snakes. Throughout the day scientists and naturalists will be on hand conducting programs and answering questions.

Be sure to say hello to Smokey Bear when he visits throughout the day!

Featured programs include:

  • 11 am: Live Animal Show: Creatures of the Night
  • 12 pm: Turtle Races
  • 1 pm: Live Animal Show: Creatures of the Night
  • 2 pm: Amazing Animals Puppet Show
  • 3 pm: Live Animal Show: Creatures of the Night

Your family will have a fun day (with lots of learning experiences for the young ones) as you get up close and personal with these amazingly cool animals. Food will be available for purchase from Aurora BBQ (outstanding BBQ!) The day offers a variety of activities for all ages and is especially geared for ages 5-12. Activities are ongoing throughout the day from 10am to 4pm. Event admission fee is $4 ages 13 and up, $3 ages 5-12, and free 4 and under. Cool & Crawly Critters Day is perfect for Home Educators. Event admission includes all programs.

While at the Nature Station, you’ll want to visit the other resident critters – deer, owls, eagles, turkeys, wolves, and more. They’re magnificent animals who are kept safe at the Nature Station. You’ll soon learn that these are very special animals that wouldn’t (for various reasons) be able to survive on their own. I’m struck, each time we go, by the level of love the workers have for these animals.Ã?  As the world’s biggest animal lover, it always warms my heart.

Visit our Land Between the Lakes Pictures page to see a few of the faces waiting for you!

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