Wings & Wetlands Festival

O’Brien County Conservation invites you to participate in the annual Wings & Wetlands Festival on Saturday, May 15th. It is a great opportunity to experience the wonders of birds and their habitats. Wings & Wetlands will be hosted at the Prairie Heritage Center and will have organized activities throughout the morning.  Many of the programs will be hosted virtually as well, so you can enjoy from the comfort of your own space.

SCHEDULE OF EVENTS:

8:00 a.m. – 9:30 a.m. | Join in search of migrating songbirds at the Prairie Heritage Center. Warblers are on the move and bird expert, Lee Schoenewe is exceptional at helping people identify birds. Registration is required for this event. CLICK HERE TO REGISTER

9:00 a.m. – 1:00 p.m. | Enjoy different crafts and activities focused on birds and their habitats at the Prairie Heritage Center. These will be available to do at your own pace and for all ages.

9:30 a.m. | Virtual Presentation by the Iowa DNR – This presentation, by Wildlife Research Technician, David Hoffman, will focus on the history of Swans in North America and restoration efforts. There will also be a panel of experts at the end of the presentation that will share even more information about Swans as well as answer questions. This presentation will be live streamed at the Prairie Heritage Center OR you can request the zoom link. To request the zoom link please contact aparker@obriencounty.iowa.gov.

11:00 a.m. | Virtual Presentation by the Iowa DNR – Join Avian Ecologist, Anna Buckardt Thomas, as she shares in Swan research, especially in regards to nesting. She will give an update and share research on one of the Swans found in O’Brien County that was given a GPS neck collar last fall. This presentation will be live streamed at the Prairie Heritage Center OR you can request the zoom link. To request the zoom link please contact aparker@obriencounty.iowa.gov.

12:30 p.m.| Virtual Presentation by Sara Dykman – Sara Dykman became the first person to follow, by bicycle, the eastern population of monarch butterflies on their roundtrip migration in 2017. Sara will share about her journey and about her new book “Bicycling with Butterflies”. For more information about Sara click here.  This presentation will be live streamed at the Prairie Heritage Center OR you can register for the presentation and watch from the comfort of your own space by CLICKING HERE.

9:00 a.m. – 4:00 p.m. | Available all day long will be a storybook walk on one of the trails at the Prairie Heritage Center. “Henry the Impatient Heron” by Donna Love will be the story presented.