Florida Keys Birding and Wildlife Festival Sep 26-28
September 24th, 2008
Marathon, Florida Keys – Nature enthusiasts can get acquainted with some of the unique birds and wildlife native to the Florida Keys at the 10th annual Florida Keys Birding and Wildlife Festival, set for Friday through Sunday, Sept. 26-28. The family-friendly event is to be staged at the quiet oceanfront preserve of Curry Hammock State Park, mile marker (MM) 56.2 in Marathon, with field trips scheduled throughout the Florida Keys.
The festival starts Friday, Sept. 26, with an all-day birding excursion led by professional birder Larry Manfredi and targeting pelagic birds off the Middle Keys. The excursion is to depart at 8 a.m. from Bud ‘n’ Mary’s Marina, MM 79.8 in Islamorada, with participation cost set at $99 per person.
The festival’s opening reception is to be held at 5:30 p.m. that evening at the Marathon Garden Club, MM 50 bayside. The schedule includes dinner, a silent auction and a keynote speech by naturalist Roger L. Hammer. Cost is $10 for registered guests.
A native Floridian from Cocoa Beach, Hammer has lived in Homestead, Fla., since 1969 and has been a professional naturalist and director of Castellow Hammock Nature Center for the Miami-Dade Parks Department since 1977.
Saturday, Sept. 27, festival participants can enjoy their choice of field trips and eco-tours. In addition, a popular environmental fair is set for 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. at Curry Hammock, with booths manned by environmental agencies and vendors to arouse curiosity and encourage eco-adventure enthusiasts. Admission is free.
Saturday evening, plans call for Curry Hammock State Park to stay open for a concert by Valerie Wisecracker, a third-generation Floridian who loves to sing and write songs about her favorite state. Known for her acoustic style and outspoken wit, she can make audiences caw with her biting, humorous numbers like “The Dirty Little Rat That Ate Orlando” and “Stop Runnin’ My Florida Home into the Ground.”
As well as the concert, the evening is to include an astronomy program and a marshmallow roast for the kids. Admission is free and campsites are available.
Overnight guests can head out early Sunday, Sept. 28, for an all-day birding excursion with Manfredi to Dry Tortugas National Park. The ferry to the remote birders’ paradise boards at 7:30 a.m. in Key West and returns around 5 p.m. Reservations are required, and the $179 per-person cost includes continental breakfast and lunch.
A bike tour also is offered on Sunday.
Although the festival is set for Sept. 26-28, additional field trips await early arrivals. Wednesday, Sept. 24, a Curry Hammock State Park ranger is to offer an interpretive 90-minute walk through a palm hammock. Free for festival registrants, the walk is to start at 10 a.m. and space is limited.
A Curry Hammock ranger also is to lead a 90-minute paddle around Little Crawl Key beginning at 11 a.m. Thursday, Sept. 25. A portion of the route takes paddlers along a twisting, narrow mangrove creek that offers a rare experience of unspoiled Florida.
The entrance fee at Curry Hammock State Park is to be waived for festival registrants. Personal kayaks are welcome, or gear can be rented from the park at $16 per single kayak or $20 per double. Space is limited.
Event registration is $15 per person and provides access to all programs. Additional fees may apply.
For more information, visit www.keysbirdingfest.org, call Curry Hammock State Park at (305) 289-2690 or register by calling (305) 852-4486. For area accommodations, contact the Marathon Chamber of Commerce at (305) 743-5417 or (800) 262-7284 or visit www.fla-keys.com.
