2007 First place photo: Scenic Texas
Category - David Plunkett
14th Annual Migration Celebration
April 11-13
By David Plunkett
Sea turtles, birds and other wildlife will
all be featured at the 14th Annual Migration
Celebration. This popular event takes place
April 11-13 at the San Bernard National
Wildlife Refuge, located on County Road 306,
Brazoria- see map below.
While birds and their spring migration
remain a key part of the event, this year
also features information and activities
about Kemp’s Ridley sea turtlesTexas
mammals, frog mutation studies, and reptiles
such as snakes and alligators.
Kemp’s Ridley sea turtles were in the news
in 2007 with 128 nests recorded on the Texas
coast, including Surfside and Bryan
beaches. Dr. Andre Landry with Texas A&M in
Galveston is an expert on sea turtles and
will be the principal speaker on Friday
night at RiverPlace in Freeport and also
will have a presentation on Saturday at the
San Bernard National Wildlife Refuge.
Friday night is a fundraising dinner but the
Saturday and Sunday activities for Migration
Celebration are free of charge.
Tickets for the Friday night fundraising
event at RiverPlace in Freeport are $20 for
attendees 12 and up, $10 for ages 6-12 and
children under six are free. Tickets are
available from the Brazosport Area Chamber
of Commerce (979-265-2505 or 888- 477-2505)
or contact David Plunkett (979/297-3322 or
doplunkett@sbcglobal.net).
Saturday is the big day for family-oriented
activities at the refuge. Feature
attractions include six different
presentations:
· John and Gloria Tveten - “Texas
Mammals-"Pronghorns to Pocket Mice"
· Dr. Jennifer Wilson - "Rails and
Grassland Bird Banding"
· Dr. Landry -Sea Turtles
· Ray Kirkwood -Whooping Cranes
· Marc Ealy- Area Reptiles/Slides
and Live Animals
· Dr. Brian Cain – Frog Mutation
Studies
Other Saturday activities include “Crabbing
for Kids”, tours of the refuge by van and
marsh buggies, kayaking on Cedar Creek, bird
banding demonstrations, interpretative
walks, a children’s Discovery Program and
many different exhibitors including the
Friends Of the River San Bernard,
the Sea Center with their touch
tank, Gulf Coast Wildlife Rescue, Gulf Coast
Bird Observatory, Brazoria Country
Woodcarvers and live sea turtles. Saturday
evening "Amazing Adventures" activities are
Night Rail Banding and a Night Walk at
Bobcat Woods.
Sunday’s “Amazing Adventures” will involve
smaller, more focused groups with hands-on
learning to explore biological relationships
at the refuges and in the Brazosport area.
These sessions include Birding by Ear,
Kayaking Cedar Creek, a two hour Marsh Buggy
Tour, Pond Life, Discovery of the Micro
World (Discovery Center at the Brazoria
National Wildlife Refuge) and Neotropical
Birding at Quintana.
Pre-registration is required for the
“Amazing Adventures” and can be done by
calling the Brazosport Area Chamber of
Commerce or signing up from the Migration
Celebration website. If space is still
available, registration will be accepted on
Friday and Saturday during the event.
Migration Celebration is a joint effort of
the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and the
Friends of the Brazoria Wildlife Refuges,
along with many of their other partners in
conservation.
To review the schedule of events and more
detailed information:
Maps
to Migration Celebration
Venues
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