2007 Activities

Festival Headquarters at Audubon-California’s Kern River Preserve - 18747 Highway 178 (Signed entrance on the north side of Hwy. 178 1.1 mile east of Sierra Way, 31 miles west of Hwy. 14, 57 miles east of Hwy. 99 in Bakersfield), Weldon, Kern County, California.

The festival offers many special vulture related activities plus special programs on Birding, Bird Research, Children's Activities, Kern River Preserve land preservation and restoration,  Raptors, and Reptiles.

FREE EVENTS: Help make the Turkey Vulture Festival self-sustaining. Please make donations at FREE events as you are able. Thank you.

RSVP for birding trips to krpfriends@audubon.org and then bring registration form and fee to give to your leader on the morning of the trip, make checks payable to KRVR-VultureFest. For reservation information for sequoia and kayaking trips - click link to MRA website.

FRIDAY, September 28th

5pm-7pm Arrival of Vultures at Their Night Roost: Meet at the Kern River Preserve, Weldon. The time of arrival and location varies, so plan to spend the full 2 hours. FREE.

NEW IN 2007!!! 6 pm - 9:30 pm. Birding Field Trip - Vulture Drop In / Owling. Scheduled leader Alison Sheehey. Meet at the Kern River Preserve, Weldon at 5:45pm for orientation and carpooling. Fee: $20 per person. ($15 for current members of the Friends of the Kern River Preserve). RSVP to krpfriends@audubon.org and then bring registration form and fee to give to your leader on the evening of the trip.

SATURDAY, September 29th

NEW IN 2007!!! 6am-3pm. Birding Field Trip - Fall Migration in the East Kern Desert. Meet at the Kern River Preserve, Weldon at 5:55am for the trek to one of Kern County's premier fall migration birding locations, Galileo Hill. Scheduled leader Michael McQuerrey. With the drought year, many natural desert oases are dry this year, so Galileo Hill should be filled with all kinds of migrants and vagrants, depending on time, the trip may include a stop at California City. Bring lunch, drinks, hat, sun screen, binoculars, 2-way radio, $8 each for gas money to be given to your driver. Those in multi-passenger cars be prepared to drive, most driving on paved surfaces.  Carpool. Trip Limit. Fee: $45 per person. ($40 for current members of the Friends of the Kern River Preserve). RSVP to krpfriends@audubon.org and then bring registration form and fee to give to your leader on the morning of the trip.

8am-9:30am. Bird Walk at the Kern River Preserve. This is a wonderful introduction to birding and bird feeding. Viewing of the Preserve's hummingbird and seed feeders. FREE.

8am-9:30am. Turkey Vulture Lift Off. Meet at the Kern River Preserve, Weldon. Proceed by foot or carpool to vicinity of Friday night’s roost site. The vultures normally leave before 10am. FREE.

NEW IN 2007!!! 8:30am-noon. Field Trip - Nature Observation of Lake Isabella by Kayak with Mountain & River Adventures. An excellent choice for families, first timers, or kayakers who aren't out to tame the river. You will learn the ins and outs of touring kayaks surrounded by beautiful mountains and breathtaking scenery as you cruise along the shores of Lake Isabella. The South Fork Wildlife Area and Kern River Preserve are located nearby and provide numerous opportunities for bird watching and wildlife photography. Minimum group size is 4: Includes snack, equipment and instruction. $49.44 per person. Contact Mountain & River Adventures to RSVP. (800) 861-6553 - click here to make reservations. Trip leaves from Mountain & River Adventures: 11113 Kernville Rd., Kernville.  

9am-2pm. Field Trip - Trail of One Hundred Giants. This trip to the Giant Sequoia National Monument is run by Mountain & River Adventures. A docent narrates the drive to the Sequoias and on a walk along the paved trail. A picnic lunch is included in the fee and will be served in the forest. Along with learning all about the flora and fauna of this area, the 'Giants' tour allows for numerous photo opportunities with the trees and your friends, family or club members.  Minimum group size is 10. (your group does not have to be 10 but minimum reservations must meet 10 for the trip to operate, $49.44 per person, includes lunch.  Contact Mountain & River Adventures to RSVP. (800) 861-6553 - click here to make reservations  Trip leaves from Mountain & River Adventures: 11113 Kernville Rd., Kernville.

9am-4pm. Information Booths, Educational & Interactive Exhibits. Live hawks & owls, lizards & snakes!!! Displays of vultures, bird nests and eggs, condors, and local wildlife & plants. Kern River Preserve. FREE.

9am-4pm. U.S. Postal Service Turkey Vulture Cancellation: visit local Postmaster, Steve Kenton who will be on hand to sell specially stamped envelopes with Turkey Vulture Festival cancellation for collectors or personal use up to thirty days. Our Outreach Director, Alison Sheehey (aka Nature Ali) is the illustrator of this year's cancellation.

9am-4pm. Snakes & Lizards of the Kern River Valley. Visit with Herp-Ecology as they share some of the live, native snakes & lizards of the KRV. FREE.

10am-11:30am. Bird Walk at the Kern River Preserve. This is a wonderful introduction to birding and bird feeding. Viewing of the Preserve's hummingbird and seed feeders. FREE.

10am-noon. LIVE MUSIC with Archie Logsdon, folksinger and environmental activist. Bring your folding chair or blanket and sit down and enjoy. FREE.

10am-4pm. Children's Activities (Nature Crafts, Story Times w. Charlotte Goodson & Friends). Kern River Preserve, Weldon. FREE. DONATION.

NOON-2pm. LIVE MUSIC from Pat Seamount, Mike Gallagher and Terry Harris with "Out of the Blue" Kern Valley favorites will play acoustic folk, Irish, and traditional songs to delight the crowds. Bring your folding chair or blanket and sit down to enjoy this talented trio. Although this concert is FREE, Pat, Mike, and Terry intend that this is a fundraiser on behalf of the Kern River Preserve and the Turkey Vulture Festival so donations are heartily welcome. FREE.

12:30pm-1pm. Gardening with Native Plants Workshop. Marya Miller, local columnist, CNPS member and Friend of the Kern River Preserve, will present this new workshop on gardening with natives. Join her to learn about how to prepare for the fall planting season. Then plan to head to the CNPS plant sale on November 3rd at the environmental studies area at CSU Bakersfield.

1pm-3pm. WORKSHOPS:     Turkey Vulture and California Condor Workshop                                           Update on Restoration on the South Fork Kern                                           Kern and Southern Sierra Natural Diversity

2pm-4pm. LIVE MUSIC Jam with various local artists." FREE.

5pm-7pm. Arrival of Turkey Vultures at Their Night Roost. Meet at the Kern River Preserve, Weldon. The time of arrival and location varies, so plan to spend the full 2 hours. FREE.

6 pm - 9:30 pm. Birding Field Trip - Vulture Drop In / Owling. Scheduled leader Michael McQuerrey. Meet at the Kern River Preserve, Weldon at 5:45pm for orientation and carpooling. Fee: $20 per person. ($15 for current members of the Friends of the Kern River Preserve). RSVP to krpfriends@audubon.org and then bring registration form and fee to give to your leader on the evening of the trip.

SUNDAY, September 30th

FIELD TRIP DAY

6am-3pm. Birding Field Trip - Fall Migration in the East Kern Desert. Meet at the Kern River Preserve, Weldon at 5:55am for the trek to one of Kern County's premier fall migration birding locations, Galileo Hill. Scheduled leader Michael McQuerrey. With the drought year, many natural desert oases are dry this year, so Galileo Hill should be filled with all kinds of migrants and vagrants, depending on time, the trip may include a stop at California City. Bring lunch, drinks, hat, sun screen, binoculars, 2-way radio, $8 each for gas money to be given to your driver. Those in multi-passenger cars be prepared to drive, most driving on paved surfaces.  Carpool. Trip Limit. Fee: $45 per person. ($40 for current members of the Friends of the Kern River Preserve). RSVP to krpfriends@audubon.org and then bring registration form and fee to give to your leader on the morning of the trip.

7am-2pm. Birding Field Trip - Kern River Valley with Emphasis on Raptors. Meet at the Kern River Preserve, Weldon, at 6:55am. Scheduled Leader: John Schmitt, internationally known raptor expert. Study of Turkey Vultures included. Bring lunch, drinks, hat, sun screen, enthusiasm, binoculars, $6 each for gas money to be given to your driver. Carpool. Trip Limit. Fee: $45 per person. ($40 for current members of the Friends of the Kern River Preserve). RSVP to krpfriends@audubon.org and then bring registration form and fee to give to your leader on the morning of the trip.

7am-3pm. Nature Field Trip - Natural History of the Kern River Valley. Meet at the Kern River Preserve, Weldon, at 6:55am. Local naturalist Alison Sheehey will introduce you to the region. Learn the about wildlife, plants, Indigenous cultures and the geological history of the region. Travel around the valley with stops at local hotspots, small hikes are part of the trip. Bring lunch, drinks, hat, sun screen, enthusiasm, binoculars, (field guides, scopes if you have them), $6 each for gas money for drivers. Carpool. Trip Limit. Fee: $40 per person. ($35 for current members of the Friends of the Kern River Preserve). RSVP to krpfriends@audubon.org and then bring registration form and fee to give to your leader on the morning of the trip.

NEW IN 2007!!! 8:30am-noon. Field Trip - Nature Observation of Lake Isabella by Kayak with Mountain & River Adventures. An excellent choice for families, first timers, or kayakers who aren't out to tame the river. You will learn the ins and outs of touring kayaks surrounded by beautiful mountains and breathtaking scenery as you cruise along the shores of Lake Isabella. The South Fork Wildlife Area and Kern River Preserve are located nearby and provide numerous opportunities for bird watching and wildlife photography. Minimum group size is 4: Includes snack, equipment and instruction. $49.44 per person. Contact Mountain & River Adventures to RSVP. (800) 861-6553 - click here to make reservations. Trip leaves from Mountain & River Adventures: 11113 Kernville Rd., Kernville.  

9am-2pm. Field Trip - Trail of One Hundred Giants. This trip to the Giant Sequoia National Monument is run by Mountain & River Adventures. A docent narrates the drive to the Sequoias and on a walk along the paved trail. A picnic lunch is included in the fee and will be served in the forest. Along with learning all about the flora and fauna of this area, the 'Giants' tour allows for numerous photo opportunities with the trees and your friends, family or club members.  Minimum group size is 10. (your group does not have to be 10 but minimum reservations must meet 10 for the trip to operate, $49.44 per person, includes lunch.  Contact Mountain & River Adventures to RSVP. (800) 861-6553 - click here to make reservations  Trip leaves from Mountain & River Adventures: 11113 Kernville Rd., Kernville.

5pm-7pm. Arrival of Turkey Vultures at Their Night Roost. Meet at the Kern River Preserve, Weldon. The time of arrival and location varies, so plan to spend the full 2 hours. FREE.

MORE INFORMATION

The Kern River Valley Turkey Vulture Festival is an annual celebration of the fall migration of Turkey Vultures. From 1994-2006 from the beginning of September through the third week in October, an average of 25,000 have been seen flying over a single point in the South Fork Valley. The vulture count included only the birds that pass over this single observation point, five miles south of the Kern River Preserve. Many other vultures have been casually observed leaving via other routes in the Kern Valley and were not included in the census (speculation on fluctuations of numbers each year leads us to believe while the Kelso Valley is the preferred migration route, some years it is not the optimum and not used as much). This Pacific Flyway vulture migration is one of the five largest known in North America.

The Kern Valley Turkey Vulture Festival is sponsored by: Audubon–California, Friends of the Kern River Preserve, Kern River Valley Revitalization, Southern Sierra Research Station and TLH.

Field Trip & Workshop Leaders - Charlotte Goodson, Buz Lunsford, Michael McQuerrey, John Schmitt, Alison Sheehey, Ashley Sutton, Reed Tollefson.

Friends of the Kern River Preserve: Darrell Barnes, Dennis Dunning, Birdie Foster, Bill Foster, Gordon Hancock, Christine Hancock, Jeff King, Marya Miller, Sandra Wieser

Exhibitors: Friends of the Kern River Preserve, BLM, California Native Plant Society - Kern County Chapter, Charlotte Goodson's Children's Activities, FACT (CSU-Bakersfield Facility for Animal Care and Treatment), Friends of the Hatchery-DFG, Herp Ecology, Kern Audubon Society, Kern River Parkway Foundation, KV Solar Supply, Mojave Desert Resource and Conservation District, Mountain & River Adventures, Sequoia ForestKeepers, Sequoia National Forest, US Postal Service, WindWolves Preserve

FIELD TRIP AND OUTDOOR ACTIVITY INFORMATION

Weather: Weather in the Kern River Valley in late September and early October is usually spectacular (sunny, 65–80 degrees F daytime highs), but it can be variable. For your comfort, we suggest bringing water, snacks, a hat, sun screen, insect repellent, jacket for cool weather, and sturdy shoes (waterproof boots may be handy in riparian areas).

Field Trips: Carpooling is encouraged – be sure to start the day with a full tank of gas before heading out! Participants on long field trips should pack a lunch and drinks for the day. All field trips held rain or shine.

NOTE: Be advised that field trip leaders for indicated trips may change due to Festival and volunteer leaders' needs. Please choose trips based on trip description. You will almost certainly get the field trip leader of your choice, but there is no 100% guarantee.

Fees/Registration - Although no one will be turned away, there is minimum suggested $10.00 registration fee per adult for the Kern River Valley Turkey Vulture Festival. A donation box will be on the Friends of the Kern River Preserve information booth. There is no additional fee for the exhibit area, speakers/forums, and nature walks or workshops, but the Sunday field trips are mostly fee based and require an additional fee. All fee activities are limited to twenty or less participants...usually ten to fifteen. Print the REGISTRATION FORM page then...... bring your registration form and fees to the Kern River Preserve information booth on Saturday or Sunday and be prepared to pay your trip leader or at the information booth. Please email your preferred fee trip request ASAP to hold your space, please name the trip otherwise there will be no reservation created. No reservations are necessary for the free events. All fees go to support the Festival and are not refundable.

Make Checks Payable to: "KRVR–Vulture Fest" - please put your license number on the check.
Bring with you the morning of the Festival, pay your leader or at the Kern River Preserve booth.