Click here for a copy of the festival Field Trip Descriptons in a printable PDF format. Refer to Legend Below
or hover over the Icon for Icon Explanation Link to Schedules: Thursday Friday Saturday Family Nature Fair Sunday |
Meet for all walks and field trips at Aviary unless noted otherwise.
Time |
Activity |
Meal |
Guide |
Meet |
Fee |
| 5:30AM-4:00PM | Registration: | Reg.Tent |
$10 |
||
| 6am - noon | Photo Safari SOLD OUT |
Tom Whetten George Andrijko |
RDU | $30 | |
| 6:00AM-3:00PM | The BIG DAY Birding in Prescott   |
RDU | $50 | ||
| 6:00AM-4:00PM | Aubrey Valley FT  |
Con Solbodchikoff | RDU | $50 | |
| 6:00AM-4:00PM | Flagstaff
Wetlands FT |
BXL |
RDU |
$45 |
|
| 6:00AM-5:00PM | Grand Tour – Condors and Canyons  |
BXL |
Randy Miller |
RDU |
$90 |
| 7:00AM-11:00AM | Tavasci
Marsh Field Trip SOLD OUT |
RDU |
$30 |
||
| 7:00AM-11:00AM | Greenway
Walk |
RDU |
$30 |
||
| 7:00 AM-NOON | Bubbling
Ponds/Page Springs FTSOLD OUT |
Jim Logan |
RDU |
$30 |
|
| 7:00AM-2:00PM | Picture Canyon FT SOLD OUT |
BXL | Laura McGrath | RDU | $45 |
| 7:30 AM-NOON | Bent
River RanchFT SOLD OUT |
Kristen Rothrock |
RDU |
$30 |
|
| 7:00AM-2:00PM | Progressive Backyard
Birding FT SOLD OUT |
M |
RDU |
$50 |
|
| 7:00AM-3:00PM | Focus
on Flycatchers FTSOLD OUT |
BXL |
RDU |
$45 |
|
| 7:00AM-3:00PM | Along the Rio de Flag FT |
BXL | Laura McGrath | RDU | $45 |
| 8:00AM - 9:00AM | Workshop: Research & Wildlife  |
Zen Mocarski | Studio-S |
$5 |
|
| 8:00AM-10:00 AM | Armchair
Birding |
RDU |
$5 |
||
| 8:00AM-10:30AM | Beginning
Bird Walk for AdultsSOLD OUT |
RDU |
$15 |
||
| 8:00AM-1:00PM | Cadillac
Canoe Brunch FT SOLD OUT |
M |
Chip
Norton Host: Ron Mattia |
RDU |
$60 |
| 9:00AM - 5:00PM | Exhibits and Trade Show | BIRDY
BAZAAR |
Tent |
Free |
|
| 9:30AM - 11:00AM | Workshop: Hummingbirds |
Studio-S |
$10 |
||
| 9:00AM - noon | Special Workshop Monarch Migration | Gail Morris | CtwElem | Free | |
| 10:00AM-2:00PM | Family Nature Fair | ' |
FLYWAY |
Free |
|
| 10:00AM-11:30AM | Eating
'Wild' Walk SOLD OUT |
RDU |
$10 |
||
| 10:00AM - noon | Butterfly
Walk |
RDU |
$10 |
||
| 11:30AM-1:30PM | Lunch
and Learn: feathers- A little kowledge goes a long way |
BXL |
Studio-S |
$20 |
|
| 12:30PM-2:00PM | River Walk |
Jeanmarie Haney | RDU | $10 | |
| 2:00PM-3:00PM | Workshop: Landscaping for Wildlife |
Kazz Workizer |
Studio-S |
$5 |
|
| 3:00PM-5:00PM | Botanical
Walk |
RDU |
$10 |
||
| 3:30PM-4:30PM | Workshop:Raptor in AZ SOLD OUT |
Studio-S |
$5 |
||
| 7:00PM-9:00 PM | Owl
Prowl |
RDU |
$15 |
Click here for a copy of the festival Field Trip Descriptons in a printable PDF format.
Link to Schedules: Thursday Friday Saturday Family Nature Fair Sunday
= Intense birding
=Overnight- room included
= Accessible trip 
= drive on your own
Saturday Field Trips and Walk
Photography Safari SOLD OUT Tom Whetten and George Andrejko-from Arizona Game and Fish
Saturday, April 27
Departure: 6am Return: noon
Rating: 4 Cost: $ 30
You are off to a real adventure as these experts venture into areas known for great wildlife photography opportunities. Tom’s patience and wit will put you at ease while you take shots at Arizona’s watchable wildlife with your own camera. Tom and George use digital technology and will be giving you some great tips. You don’t want to miss Tom’s Wildlife Photography Seminar on Friday to prepare you for this trip.
The BIG DAY Birding in Prescott Field Trip Carl Tomoff
Saturday, April 27 Box lunch included
Departure: 6am Return: 3pm
Rating: 3 Cost: $50
Travel to the other side of Mingus Mountain to the mile-high Prescott area. Visit a variety of habitats including lakes, grassland, chaparral, woodlands, and ponderosa forest to see and listen to as many species as possible. Dr. Tomoff teaches natural history at Prescott College and is eager to share his knowledge and experience. This all-day excursion, designed for advanced and intermediate birders, includes a box lunch.
Aubrey Valley Ferret Field Trip Con Slobodchikoff
Saturday, April 27 Box lunch included
Departure: 6am Return: 3pm
Rating: 3 Cost: $45
This non-birding trip takes us to the state’s largest prairie dog town to learn all about efforts to save the endangered black-footed ferret. We will be traveling to the Aubrey Valley near Seligman. Your captivating guide has studied the language of prairie dogs and Game & Fish Department staff will explain the ferret program. This is an exciting new addition to our non-birding trips. Space is limited on this all day excursion.
Flagstaff Wetlands Field Trip 
Tom Linda
Saturday, April 27 Box lunch included
Departure: 6am Return: 4pm
Rating: 3 Cost: $45
The Grand Tour - Condors & Canyons Kathy Sullivan, Randy Miller, Paul Lindberg
Saturday, April 27 Box lunch included
Departure: 6am Return: 5pm
Rating: 2 Cost: $90
This is our “Grand” Tour - an all day trip to Grand Canyon National Park on a luxury bus to see the California condor. That’s not all. Geologist, Paul Lindberg will be along to explain the geologic landscape. Paul interprets the unique geology of the Canyon with a perspective that makes it interesting and understandable. We travel up the Mogollon Rim onto the Colorado Plateau and along the base of the San Francisco Peaks, the highest point in Arizona. Naturalist, Randy Miller will be along to narrate the natural landscape. Kathy Sullivan, Arizona Game and Fish Dept., will be your host for the Condor viewing. Don’t miss this awesome trip. It’s a no hassle way to see the condors at the canyon
Tavasci Marsh Field Trip SOLD OUT Bob Miller
Thursday, Friday, Saturday, Sunday, April 25, 26, 27, 28
Departure: 7am Return: 11am
Rating: 4 Cost: $30
We will leave in shuttle vans that will take us to nearby Tavasci Marsh where water and shore birds, raptors, and flycatchers abound. Includes lots of walking, a mile each way in and out, but worth every step. The marsh and adjoining Peck’s Lake and Verde River Greenway are part of Audubon’s Tuzigoot Important Birding Area. This is one of our most popular trips. Species may include northern harrier, Virginia rail, sora, double-crested cormorant, white-faced ibis and osprey. River otters have been spotted here in the past.
Greenway Walk Geoffrey Bland
Thursday, Friday, Saturday, Sunday, April 25, 26, 27, 28
Departure: 7am Return: 11am
Rating: 3 Cost: $30
One of the many reasons for holding the festival at Dead Horse Ranch State Park is its location in the heart of the Verde River’s riparian corridor. A walk along the Verde River Greenway will provide opportunities to spot riparian dependent species. An expert guide will enhance your experience. You should be able to see most of the species of the season on the park’s bird list including the common black-hawk that is known to nest here.
Bubbling Ponds at Page Springs Field Trip SOLD OUT Jim Logan
Saturday, Sunday, April 25, 26, 27, 28
Departure: 7am Return: noon
Rating: 3 Cost: $30
The Page Springs area is a favorite hangout for birds and birders alike. This trip will take you to one of the locals’ favorite hot spots on the banks of Oak Creek. Bubbling Ponds has been a project of the Northern Arizona Audubon with trails, invasive plant species eradication and habitat restoration and is part of the Lower Oak Creek Important Birding Area.
Picture Canyon on the Rio de Flag FT SOLD OUT Laura McGrath
Saturday, April 27 Box lunch included
Departure: 7am Return: 2pm
Rating: 3 Cost: $45
Picture Canyon is a beautiful canyon with excellent examples of Ancestral Puebloan rock art of the northern Sinaguan style dating back from 1050 – 1300 AD. The Rio de Flag drains the uplands around Flagstaff and this stretch is augmented by Wildcat Hill Wastewater Treatment Plant. The City of Flagstaff and Northern Arizona Audubon Society are developing this area as an Audubon Bird Sanctuary. Picture Canyon is important as a migration stop-over site for passerines in spring and fall. Currently there have been 155 species identified. Hopefuls for the bird walk include olive-sided flycatcher, greater pewee, Williamson’s sapsucker, western tanager and broad-tailed hummingbird. Box lunch included.
Progressive Backyard Birding with Doug 
SOLD OUT Doug Von Gausig
Saturday, April 27 Meal included
Departure: 7am Return: 2pm
Rating: 3 Cost: $50
Doug is our local guru on the Tavasci Marsh and proponent of the Verde River environment. He also is an avid birder, photographer and naturalist. Best of all, his home, perched on a ledge above the river, attracts wildlife and birds a-plenty. He has graciously offered to bring a small group to his home to bird his garden. (which has been known to be visited by a mountain lion and a broad-billed hummingbird.) After some feeder watching, we will visit two other private sites. At each stop we will look at different environments that are rich in birding opportunities and enjoy another course in our eating adventure. The second course is at Candlewood Retreat, a unique off-the-grid, sustainable and organic bed and breakfast designed and built by Rennie Radoccia, LEED accredited architect. Rennie will explain the concept for his home property. We will sample their organic cuisine and hike the canyon. We will end at a rich riparian home on the Verde River for dessert and our final birding destination.
Focus on Flycatchers FT SOLD OUT Homer Hansen
Saturday, April 27 Box lunch included
Departure: 7am Return: 3pm
Rating: 3 Cost: $45
This trip will take us into prime flycatcher country led by Homer Hansen of “Wings Over Willcox” fame. Species that might be seen include gray flycatcher and other “Empids,” black phoebe, Say’s phoebe, vermilion flycatcher, brown-crested flycatcher, ash-throated flycatcher, western kingbird, and Cassin’s kingbird. Box lunch is included. Homer will be presenting a workshop on Friday afternoon on the basics of flycatcher identification. We recommend you don’t miss his presentation to prepare you for this field trip.
Bent River Ranch FT SOLD OUT Kristen Rothrock
Saturday April 27
Departure: 7:30am Return: noon
Rating: 3 Cost $30
Just across the river from Tuzigoot National Monument, we will bird rich Verde River riparian habitat as guests of the Jordan family. The river bottom land, canal corridors and historic farm meadows are all part of Bent River Ranch. The bend in the river is how Tuzigoot got its name. Moderate walking and just 10 min. from the festival location.
Armchair / Feeder Birding 
Anita MacFarlane
Thursday, Friday, Saturday, Sunday, April 25, 26, 27, 28
Departure: 8am Return: 10am
Rating: 5 Cost: $5
Let the birds come to you. Bring your favorite camp chair, binoculars, a little refreshment, and just enjoy birding as the hours slip by. We will only have to walk a short distance on the Day Use Accessible Trail to a spot where feeders bring the birds up close. A knowledgeable guide will help identify species. The area is open for birding at any time but the guide will only be available during these hours. Donations to help cover feeder costs are appreciated.
Beginning Birding Walk for Adults SOLD OUT Kathe Anderson
Saturday, April 27
Departure: 8am Return: 10:30am
Rating: 2 Cost: $15
The best way to learn birding is to go with others. Not only do you learn identification skills but also how to bird effectively and ethically. This is a rare opportunity to go with a top birder at no cost. Let Kathe show you the basics that just might lead to a life-long love of birding and the outdoors. This is meant to start non-birders on the path to birding. Beginners only please.
| Cadillac Canoe Brunch Chip Norton/Host:Ron Mattia Saturday, Sunday, April 27, 28 Departure: 8am Return: 1pm SOLD OUT Rating: 3 Cost: $60 |
 |
On this, our signature trip, we will be taking canoes down the Verde River for a different perspective of the riparian habitat. We will beach the canoes at a private residence and be treated to a home-made brunch. Experienced paddlers pilot every canoe so you can sit back and enjoy the river’s surprises. There’s always the chance that you might get wet so wear shoes and clothes that can take the water. Shorts are recommended depending on weather. This trip is dependent upon the water flow. Weight limit - 200lbs.
Taste of Birding Marceline VandeWater
Saturday, April 27
Departure: 8am Return: 2pm
Rating 3 Cost: FREE
Eating “Wild” Walk SOLD OUT Patty West
Saturday, April 27
Departure: 10am Return: 11:30am
Rating: 3 Cost: $10
There’s a lot to munch on in nature. Learn the wild edible plants, both native and non-native, in a walk through the riparian and desert habitats in the park. Patty will also talk about how to process this natural garden for your dinner plate. This will be a 2-mile walk over various terrains. Sturdy shoes are recommended.
Butterfly Walk in the Park Adriane Grimaldi
Saturday, Sunday, April 27, 28
Departure: 10am Return: noon
Rating: 2 Cost: $10
Take a leisurely walk with Adriane Grimaldi, a volunteer from Boyce Thompson
Arboretum, to see the area’s butterflies. Learn about the life cycle
these beautiful insects and about the different varieties seen here. Adriane
will allow time for questions and answers and has handouts to take home. Be
sure to catch her workshop on “Building for Butterflies.
River Walk Jeanmarie Haney
Saturday, April 27
Departure: 12:30pm Return: 2pm
Rating: 2 Cost: $10
Always keeping an watchful eye on the river, we are excited to offer this walk along the banks of the Verde. Jeanmarie joins us from the Nature Conservancy to share the story of the Verde River, its past, its threats, its importance and its questionable future.
Botanical Walk Patty West
Saturday, April 27
Departure: 3pm Return: 5pm
Rating: 2 Cost: $10
A guided walk to identify many of the riparian and grassland species of plants and flowers found in the park. Learn arid plants’ secrets to survival and the challenge of invasive species. If the rains favor us, we could even experience a wealth of wildflowers. Please prepare for warm afternoon weather.
Park Owl Prowl Scott Woolbright
Saturday, April 27
Departure: 7pm Return: 9pm
Rating: 2 Cost: $15
Our second evening of owling in the park. We will attempt to spot the great-horned owl, the barn owl, and perhaps the western screech owl. They have all been seen here in the past. Bring along a flashlight as well as your binoculars.
Saturday Workshops & Seminars
Workshops and seminars have a fee and require registration. Both are being held in the Studio located in the far end of the park, unless noted otherwise. Check for any changes or additions and check in for all workshops at the registration tent. Participants will be shuttled to and from all workshops/seminars. There is no parking at the Studio or Cabin. Restroom facilities are located in the building.
Meet at the shuttle stop in the parking lot of the River Day Use Area near the Aviary 15 minutes PRIOR to the seminar or workshop.
Workshop: Research and Wildlife Zen Mocarski
Saturday, April 27 Location: Studio
8am - 9am Cost: $5
Zen Mocarski, with the Arizona Game and Fish Department is often asked: Why do you interfere with animals? Why can’t you just leave them alone? Humans have altered the landscape in a variety of ways; cars, roads, homes, fencing, renewable energy projects, and railroads are just a few of the barriers wildlife face today. Humans have already interfered and the time to manage wildlife is now. We can put a man on the moon, but continue to search for ways to get animals safely across the road. Cars are responsible for the death of over one million vertebrate animals each day while habitat loss is the leading cause of wildlife extinction followed by fragmentation. Research is helping to bridge the gap and provide wildlife safe passage, protecting both the animals and humans. Come learn how research of wildlife behavior has produced several innovative projects in Arizona.
Hummingbirds: The Most Magical Birds in the World Ross Hawkins
Saturday, April 27 Location: Studio
9:30 – 11am Cost: $10
Hummingbirds, the most universally loved birds in the world, have charisma and inspire devotion and enthusiasm. They are also magical: their dazzling appearance and ability to hover amaze us and seem to defy understanding. Dr. Ross Hawkins, Founder and Executive Director of The Hummingbird Society, presents an intimate look at these “glittering fragments of the rainbow,” as John James Audubon described them. Through images and stories he holds your attention as you begin to understand their unique relationship with flowers, their tiny, amazing nests, their ability to hover, their GPS-like memories, and their fearlessness of humans. Personal encounters with hummingbirds are often memorable, and so is this presentation.
The Lunch & Learn Series is designed to provide you with an intense, skill
oriented presentation over the lunch hour, so a box lunch will be provided.
Be sure to pick up your lunch and a drink at the Aviary before boarding the
shuttle to the Studio.
Lunch & Learn: Feathers-A little knowledge goes a long way. Kathe Anderson
Saturday, April 27 Location: Studio
11:30am – 1:30pm Cost: $20
Feathers seem obvious when it comes to birds but we often don’t realize how they work or their role in the life and survival of birds. Not only is this class fun and interesting but it will give you a deeper understanding of our feathered friends and the expression, birds of a feather. Kathe comes to us with years of experience in leading field trips and teaching classes.
Landscaping for Wildlife Kazz Workizer
Saturday, April 27 Location: Studio
2pm - 3pm Cost: $5
This program is perfect for our theme of backyard habitats. Kazz lives by example and created an attractive yet compelling place for birds and all wildlife. She loves to share her experience with those who would like to enjoy having interesting animals visit their yards. Simple tips that anyone can use, join Kazz as she shows you how it’s done.
Family Nature Fair (Click here to view a complete schedule about the Family Nature Fair.)
Saturday, April 27 Cost: Free
Walks starting at 8am Activities: 10am - 2pm
You don’t need to be registered for the festival to attend. Just bring the kids and enjoy. Check in at the children’s registration booth for a complete schedule, nametags, and 10 free activity tickets per child. Additional tickets can be purchased for fifty cents each. We will be crafting bird feeders, building birdhouses, and playing games that make learning fun. Special presentations geared to the family will enlighten you. Live animals will delight the curious. Everyone is welcome to this “wild” family outing.
Special Workshop Gail Morris
Saturday, April 27 Location: Cottonwood Elementary
9am - noon Cost: FREE
Join Gail as she presents this special workshop for teachers, educators or anyone interested in learning
more about the Monarch in Arizona. We move outside the park for this presentation at the Cottonwood
Elementary School on Mingus Ave just a few blocks from the park. This has been a very popular, well
attended event at other venues and we are excited to be able to offer it here at the Birdyverde for our
participants.
“Chasing the Monarch Migration through Arizona – what we’ve learned and the questions that
remain”
The monarch is often considered the jewel of the butterfly world but little is known about their migration in
the western United States. It was once believed that Arizona was too hot and too dry for monarchs. But
instead, could Arizona be the western migration gateway? Join us to learn about what we’ve untangled
about the migration and breeding behavior of the monarch population in Arizona, the importance of native
milkweed, and the many questions still remaining.
Gail Morris is the Coordinator of the SW Monarch Study http://swmonarchs.org
and the Monarch Watch Conservation Specialist for Arizona and the West http://monarchwatch.org/
cs. She also serves on the Board of Directors of the Monarch Butterfly Fund supporting research and
development in the Monarch Butterfly Biosphere Reserve in Mexico. http://www.monarchbutterflyfund.org
Click here for a copy of the festival Field Trip Descriptons in a printable PDF format.
| Mission: The Verde Valley Birding & Nature Festival provides a unique recreational experience to anyone interested in the natural world and fosters awareness of the importance of habitat for the enrichment of all life in the Verde Valley. |
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