Verde Valley Birding

Verde Valley Birding and Nature Festival
April 24 – 27, 2014
Dead Horse Ranch State Park
Cottonwood, AZ

   Cover image for How to be a better birder
Birding Books Available at Yavapai College Library, Verde Valley.

 

 

The Verde Valley Birding and Nature Festival began as a small local event in 2001. Very quickly it became a partnership of volunteers from Dead Horse State Park, the Arizona State Parks, Cottonwood Chamber of Commerce and the Arizona Audubon Society. Each year the event has grown through sponsorships and partnerships with local and state agencies, community businesses, and citizen volunteers and participants.

Attendees travel from as far away as Alaska and Vermont to spend their time watching and counting birds migrating through Arizona to their summer habitats in North America. In 2013, participants sighted and recorded 198 species of birds.

The mission as stated on the VVBNF website is: The Verde Valley Birding and 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.

Cover image for Birds of the American Southwest

Offerings at the festival this year include:

  • Field trips and walks – 18 events with costs from free to $65, some include transportation and lunch
  • Workshops – 4 events with costs from $5 to $25
  • Keynote Speaker – Greg Miller will speak about how and when he began birding, doing “A Big Year” in 1998, the book “A Big Year” by Mark Obmascik, and consulting on the film based on the book. Cost is $20
  • Verde Birding Trail – map highlighting some of the best spots to see birds in the Verde Valley
  • Vendors and Exhibits

 

By Sheri
By Sheri