Come celebrate Spring in the Kern River Valley
Welcome to the 14th Annual Kern River Valley Spring Nature Festival
and Earth Day Celebration.
On Saturday and Sunday
find many events at AUDUBON-CALIFORNIA’S Kern River Preserve,
18747 Hwy 178, Weldon, bird walks led by Kerncrest Audubon Society
volunteers, bird banding by the
Southern Sierra Research Station, and
on Saturday only information booths and
exhibits are found in Circle Park, Kernville.
Contact Bob Barnes
to register for trips after researching them from these pages. He will help with
trip planning services.
Click here for detailed trip
descriptions.
Click this link for maps and travel
information.
Click here for Hotel and Camping Information.
The Kernville Chamber of Commerce also can provide lodging information
call (760) 376-2629.
WEDNESDAY, April 30th
CHOOSE FROM AMONG THE FOLLOWING POSSIBLE CHOICES:
4:45am-4pm/5pm,
TRIP B: Butterbredt Spring & East Kern Desert Oases. FEE $40
4:45am-3pm/5pm,
TRIP C: Butterbredt Spring & Piute Mountains.
FEE $40
5:45am-4pm/5pm,
TRIP M: Kern River Valley & Southern Sierra Nevada. FEE: $40
5:45am-4pm/6pm,
TRIP H: Greenhorn Mountains Transect. FEE: $40
6am-4pm/5pm,
TRIP Q: Mojave Desert & Great Basin. FEE: $40
6:30am-4pm/5pm,
TRIP U: San Joaquin Valley & Greenhorn Mountains.
FEE: $40
THURSDAY, May 1st
CHOOSE FROM AMONG THE FOLLOWING POSSIBLE CHOICES:
4:45am-4pm/5pm,
TRIP B: Butterbredt Spring & East Kern Desert Oases. FEE $40
4:45am-3pm/5pm,
TRIP C: Butterbredt Spring & Piute Mountains.
FEE $40
SOLD OUT 5:30am-4pm/5pm,
TRIP O: Little Lake & Owens Lake w. Mike Prather.
FEE: $40
5:45am-4pm/5pm,
TRIP M: Kern River Valley & Southern Sierra Nevada. FEE: $40
5:45am-4pm/6pm,
TRIP H: Greenhorn Mountains Transect. FEE: $40
6am-4pm/5pm,
TRIP Q: Mojave Desert & Great Basin. FEE: $40
6:30am-4pm/5pm,
TRIP U: San Joaquin Valley & Greenhorn Mountains.
FEE: $40
FRIDAY,
May 2nd
CHOOSE FROM AMONG THE FOLLOWING POSSIBLE CHOICES:
4:45am-4pm/5pm,
TRIP B: Butterbredt Spring & East Kern Desert Oases. FEE $40
4:45am-3pm/5pm,
TRIP C: Butterbredt Spring & Piute Mountains.
FEE $40
SOLD OUT 5:30am-4pm/5pm,
TRIP O: Little Lake & Owens Lake w. Mike Prather.
FEE: $40
5:45am-4pm/5pm,
TRIP M: Kern River Valley & Southern Sierra Nevada. FEE: $40
5:45am-4pm/6pm,
TRIP H: Greenhorn Mountains Transect. FEE: $40
6am-4pm/5pm,
TRIP Q: Mojave Desert & Great Basin. FEE: $40
6:30am-4pm/5pm,
TRIP U: San Joaquin Valley & Greenhorn Mountains.
FEE: $40
5 pm -
6:30
pm. Catered Deep
Pit Barbeque Dinner
(vegetarian option available upon request). Join us for dinner as we share 2008
Nature Festival experiences and socialize with
Festival participants and community guests. Location:
South Fork Middle School, 5225 Kelso Valley Road, Weldon (No host
gathering 5 - 5:30 pm, food served
buffet style at 5:30 pm
sharp). Cost: $20: includes dinner, taxes, tip, evening program and door prizes).
-
6:30 pm-7:45 pm -
Evening Program. $10 at the door
if only attending the program.
-
Highlights of the 2008
Nature Festival
-
Drawings for prizes.
-
PROGRAM:
Warblers of the Kern River
Valley and Southern Sierra Nevada by Bob Steele
6pm-Conclusion,
TRIP R2: Owling – All Night Owling in the Greenhorn Mountains. FEE: $60
6pm-10pm/11pm,
TRIP S: Owling – High Country. FEE: $40
6pm-9:30pm/10pm,
TRIP T: Owling – Low Country. FEE: $30
SATURDAY, May 3rd
4:45am-4pm/5pm,
TRIP B: Butterbredt Spring & East Kern Desert Oases. FEE $40
4:45am-3pm/5pm,
TRIP C: Butterbredt Spring & Piute Mountains.
FEE $40
4:45am-3pm/5pm,
TRIP G: Galileo Hill-Silver Saddle Resort. FEE: $40
5:45am-4pm/5pm,
TRIP M: Kern River Valley & Southern Sierra Nevada. FEE: $40
5:45am-4pm/6pm,
TRIP H: Greenhorn Mountains Transect. FEE: $40
6am-11:30am/1pm,
TRIP L: Kern River Preserve Headquarters. FEE: $30
6am-11:30am/1pm,
TRIP D: Canebrake Ecological Reserve. FEE: $30
6am-11:30am/1pm,
TRIP F: Fay Ranch Road. FEE: $30
6am-11:30am/1pm,
TRIP K: Kelso Creek Sanctuary. FEE: $30
6am-11:30am/1pm,
TRIP J: Isabella Reservoir.
FEE: $30
6am-11:30am/1pm,
TRIP I: Inyokern – Le Conte’s Thrasher & Much More. FEE: $30
6am-11:30am/1pm,
TRIP W: South Fork Wildlife Area. FEE: $30
6am-11:30am/1pm,
TRIP P: Migrant Corner Trail & Prince’s Pond. FEE: $30
6am-2pm,
TRIP E: Chimney Peak National Backcountry By-way. FEE: $30
6am-4pm/5pm,
TRIP Q: Mojave Desert & Great Basin. FEE: $40
6:30am-4pm/5pm,
TRIP U: San Joaquin Valley & Greenhorn Mountains.
FEE: $40
7 am - noon. Bird Banding Demonstration at Kern
River Preserve.
FREE
7 am -
10 am. Basic Bird Photography Workshop with
Bob Steele.
FEE $30
8 am - 10 am. Spring Nature Run 10K/ 5K. Start from
Whiskey Flat Trailhead, Burlando Road, Kernville. FEE
8am-1:30pm. Southern Sierra Geology. FEE: $30
8 am - 2 pm.
Rare Plants
of the Kern River Watershed.
FEE: $20.
9 am -
11 am.
TRIP N: Kern River Preserve Bird Walk. Led by Kerncrest Audubon Society volunteers. Meet
at the Information table at the Kern River Preserve Headquarters in
Weldon. DONATION.
9 am
- 11 am.
Habitat enhancements and stewardship at the Kern River Preserve.
DONATION.
9 am-3 pm. An Introduction to Kern River Valley Spring Butterflies. FEE:
$20
9 am - 5 pm. Kern River Preserve Festival
Headquarters, Kern River Preserve, Weldon: Children’s activities,
Information, Educational & Interactive Exhibits, Field Trip Departures,
Live animals, Music and more. FREE (Donations welcome).
10 am - 10:30 am.
Southwestern Pond Turtle Demonstration.
Learn about the Kern River Preserve's preservation efforts for this rare
species. FREE (Donations welcome).
 10 am - 4 pm. Official United States Postal Service
Kern Valley Spring Nature Festival Postal Station,
Kern River Preserve, Weldon. Kern Valley Nature Festival special cancellations from past
years' festivals. You may also order and purchase envelopes with this
year's Spring Nature Festival cancellation from Steve during regular hours at the
Weldon Post Office. Contact Steve for the exact time period for picking
up your order.
10 am - 4 pm. Children’s Activities at the Kern
River Preserve. Charlotte Goodson Nature crafts, storytelling, live
snakes & frogs. FREE
10 am - 4 pm. Kern Valley Museum. FREE
(Donations welcome).
10 am - 4 pm. Live Native Amphibians & Reptiles,
Herp-Ecology. Kern River Preserve Headquarters. FREE
(Donations welcome).
10 am - 4 pm. Paiute Nuui Cunni Cultural Center
(Native American) French Gulch, Wofford Heights. FREE (Donations
welcome).
10 am - 4 pm. CIRCLE PARK FESTIVAL HEADQUARTERS,
Circle Park, Kernville: Information, Educational & Interactive Exhibits.
Informational displays, live animals, music, and more. FREE.
11 am - noon.
Native Plant Gardening Workshop.
Marya Miller, local gardening columnist and native plant
expert will talk about how to use native plants in your garden. FREE
12:30 pm - 1:30 pm. GPS
Workshop with Matt Reiter. Do you have a
GPS unit that you don't know how to work? Join the Kern River Preserve's
Land Steward and Doctoral Candidate in a lesson on using GPS, creating
waypoints and mapping with the unit. Several temporary GEO-CACHES will
be placed around the preserve, in a find and seek exercise. Plan on a
little hiking after the lecture portion. FREE
1:30 pm – 2:30 pm. Nature Walk. Learn about
the plants, trees, birds and animals that are all part of the Kern River
Preserve. FREE
3 pm - 4:30 pm. Earth-honoring Faith. A
spiritually based appreciation of the environment.
Come and participate in a group discussion on faith and environment in the Kern
River Valley. Meeting location TBD. FREE
3 pm -
5 pm. Advanced Bird Photography Workshop
with
Bob Steele. Learn how to photograph
birds in flight. FEE $30
5 pm -
6:30 pm Catered Barbecue Chicken Dinner
(vegetarian option available upon request). Join us for dinner as we share 2008
Nature Festival experiences and socialize with
Festival participants and community guests. Location:
South Fork Middle School, 5225 Kelso Valley Road, Weldon (No host
gathering 5 - 5:30 pm, food served
buffet style at 5:30 pm
sharp). Cost: $20: includes dinner, taxes, tip, evening program and door prizes).
-
NEW IN 2008!!!
6:30 pm-7:45pm -
John Muir
Laws - An Evening Exploring the Natural World of the Sierra
Nevada from this amazing artist and author's eyes. Evening Program. $10 at the door
if only attending the program.
-
Highlights of the 2008
Nature Festival
-
Drawings for prizes
-
PROGRAM: Exploring the Natural World of the Sierra
Nevada
6pm-Conclusion,
TRIP R1: Owling – All Night Owling on Breckenridge Mountain. FEE: $60
6pm-Conclusion,
TRIP R2: Owling – All Night Owling in the Greenhorn Mountains. FEE: $60
6pm-10pm/11pm,
TRIP S: Owling – High Country. FEE: $40
SUNDAY, May 4th
NOTE: Most Sunday workshops are held at the
Kern River Preserve: read where to meet carefully.
4:45am-4pm/5pm,
TRIP B: Butterbredt Spring & East Kern Desert Oases. FEE $40
4:45am-3pm/5pm,
TRIP C: Butterbredt Spring & Piute Mountains.
FEE $40
4:45am-3pm/5pm,
TRIP G: Galileo Hill-Silver Saddle Resort. FEE: $40
5:45am-4pm/5pm,
TRIP M: Kern River Valley & Southern Sierra Nevada. FEE: $40
5:45am-4pm/6pm,
TRIP H: Greenhorn Mountains Transect. FEE: $40
6am-11:30am/1pm,
TRIP L: Kern River Preserve Headquarters. FEE: $30
6am-11:30am/1pm,
TRIP D: Canebrake Ecological Reserve. FEE: $30
6am-11:30am/1pm,
TRIP F: Fay Ranch Road. FEE: $30
6am-11:30am/1pm,
TRIP I: Inyokern – Le Conte’s Thrasher & Much More. FEE: $30
6am-11:30am/1pm,
TRIP K: Kelso Creek Sanctuary. FEE: $30
6am-11:30am/1pm,
TRIP W: South Fork Wildlife Area. FEE: $30
6am-11:30am/1pm,
TRIP J: Isabella Reservoir.
FEE: $30
6am-11:30am/1pm,
TRIP P: Migrant Corner Trail & Prince’s Pond. FEE: $30
6am-2pm,
TRIP E: Chimney Peak National Backcountry By-way. FEE: $30
6am-4pm/5pm,
TRIP Q: Mojave Desert & Great Basin. FEE: $40
6:30am-4pm/5pm,
TRIP U: San Joaquin Valley & Greenhorn Mountains.
FEE: $40
7 am - noon.
Bird Banding Demonstration at Kern
River Preserve. Join volunteers from the Southern
Sierra Research Station. Learn how banding is used to conserve birds,
listen to the heartbeat of a bird and otherwise observe birds up close &
personal. FREE
9
am - 10 am. Falconry Workshop.
Bill Foster, KRP volunteer and expert hawk handler will
demonstrate the ancient art of falconry. FREE
9 am -
11 am.
TRIP N: Kern River Preserve Bird Walk. Led by
Kerncrest Audubon Society volunteers . Meet at the Information table at
the Kern River Preserve Headquarters in Weldon. FREE
9 am -
3 pm. An Introduction to Kern River Valley Spring Butterflies. FEE:
$20
10 am - 10:30 am.
Southwestern Pond Turtle Demonstration.
Learn about the Kern River Preserve's preservation efforts for this rare
species. FREE (Donations welcome).
10 am - 2 pm. Wildflowers in Bloom Workshop.
FEE: $10.
10 am - 4 pm. Children’s Activities at the Kern
River Preserve. Nature crafts, storytelling, live snakes & frogs.
FREE
10 am - 4 pm. Kern River Preserve Headquarters.
Kern River Preserve, Weldon: Children’s activities, Information,
Educational & Interactive Exhibits, Field Trip Departures, Live animals,
and more. FREE (Donations welcome).
10 am - 4 pm. Kern Valley Museum. 49 Big
Blue Road. FREE (Donations welcome).
10 am - 4 pm. Live Native Amphibians & Reptiles.
Kern River Preserve. Educational presentations throughout the day by
HerpEcology. On display will be a wide variety of California reptiles
and amphibians. FREE
(Donations welcome).
10 am - 4 pm. Paiute Nuui Cunni Cultural Center
(Native American) French Gulch, Wofford Heights. For more information,
call (760) 549-0800. FREE (Donations welcome).
11
am - noon. Gardening with Native Plants
at the Kern River Preserve. Marya Miller,
local native plant columnist will introduce visitors to the idea of
gardening with local natives. FREE
Noon - 1 pm. Propagating native riparian plants with Matt Reiter. FREE
1 pm - 2 pm.
Native American use of Native Plants.
Carol Wermuth, Native American expert will talk about
traditional uses of native plants. FREE
2:30 pm – 3:30 pm. Nature Walk. Learn about
the plants, trees, birds and animals that are all part of the Kern River
Preserve. FREE
MONDAY May 5th
CHOOSE FROM AMONG THE FOLLOWING POSSIBLE CHOICES:
4:45am-4pm/5pm,
TRIP B: Butterbredt Spring & East Kern Desert Oases. FEE $40
4:45am-3pm/5pm,
TRIP C: Butterbredt Spring & Piute Mountains.
FEE $40
5:45am-4pm/5pm,
TRIP M: Kern River Valley & Southern Sierra Nevada. FEE: $40
5:45am-4pm/6pm,
TRIP H: Greenhorn Mountains Transect. FEE: $40
6am-4pm/5pm,
TRIP Q: Mojave Desert & Great Basin. FEE: $40
6:30am-3pm/5pm,
TRIP V: San Joaquin Valley/Tulare Lake Basin via the Kern River Canyon. FEE: $40
7 am - 5 pm.
TRIP DD: Natural History of the Kern River Watershed with
Nature Ali. FEE $40.
TUESDAY May 6th
5:45am-3pm/6pm,
TRIP X: Target Species / Target Trips Tuesday. FEE: $40
SPRING NATURE FESTIVAL FIELD TRIPS
LODGINGS become very crowded in the Kern River Valley by late
April. Be sure to make your reservations sooner rather than later so you
have a comfortable place to stay each night during the Nature Festival.
Click here for local inns.
ADDITIONAL INFORMATION:
Weather: Weather in the Kern Valley in late April is usually
spectacular (sunny, 65-80° F daytime highs), but it can be variable. On
mountain trips prepare for very cool to freezing weather. For your
comfort, we suggest bringing water, snacks, a hat, sunscreen, insect
repellent, jacket for cool weather, and sturdy shoes (waterproof boots
may be handy in riparian areas).
Fees/Registration: There is no general entrance fee to attend the
Kern River Valley Spring Nature Festival. All fee activities are limited
to twenty or less participants... usually ten to fifteen. All fees go to support the Festival and are not refundable.
Vendor fees are waved at Circle Park but are 10% of net or $100
whichever is lower for booths selling merchandise at the Kern River
Preserve.
Schedule of Events: Additional events may be added between now
and the Spring Nature Festival weekend.
JOIN US FOR FUN IN THE CALIFORNIA SUN
|
