Education

This tour has all the excitement of the other fly-in tours in the area, but visitors will be able to view the Sandhill Cranes (and other birds) from the comfort of a viewing shelter. Seating is provided and maps, charts, and pictorials are on display. Also, visitors will be treated to a presentation by Department of Fish and Wildlife docents.

The Woodbridge Ecological Reserve is one of the few locations where Sandhill Cranes consistently roost in the Delta. At dusk, in large groups that can number from several hundred to several thousand, the cranes converge on the South Unit’s flooded fields for the night. CDFW Docents will give a presentation on the cranes in a private viewing area. The cranes determine end times for evening tours.

Serious birders won’t want to miss this walk through the Tall Forest at the Cosumnes River Preserve. Dr. John Trochet, a well-known field ornithologist, will lead you deep into one of the finest riparian habitats left in California. There you will see a rich variety of up to 90 resident and seasonal bird species.

If you have never experienced an early morning fly-out, you won’t want to miss this. Sandhill Cranes begin their day as the sun starts to rise and you’ll want to be there to see it. Best of all, Dr. Gary Ivey will be there to share his knowledge and answer your questions.

If you would like to improve your photography skills while capturing the beauty of wild birds, this is the tour for you. Join Jim Dunn for a morning foray at the Cosumnes River Preserve to discuss equipment options for wild bird photography and learn some of the key skills and techniques to get good photographs. You will have a chance to practice your skills at one of the best birding areas in northern California.

Bring your binoculars and enjoy a leisurely walk on flat ground through the old growth riparian habitat at Lodi Lake Nature Trail with a local birding expert.

If you have never had the opportunity to visit with Dr. Gary Ivey about Sandhill Cranes, you won’t want to miss this tour. Join Gary on a bus ride around the delta to see cranes feeding in the fields.and watch them during the evening fly-in.

This paid workshop and field trip is focused on Nature drawing. With guidance from John Muir Laws and his Wild Wonder Foundation, explore new ways of looking at nature while recording your observations in words and images. Following the workshop, apply the techniques of nature drawing in an exploration of the Cosumnes River Preserve .

Join your guides on a rare walking tour of model wildlife habitat areas and adjoining vineyards, where you will see a variety of bird species and possibly even local mammals. The tour will culminate in a visit to the family winery where adults can peruse the many fine vintages that have been personally nurtured by the family from the soil to the bottle. Wine tasting on your own.

A volunteer naturalist will guide you to areas that are best for viewing. The species you might see include Swainson’s Hawks, Red Tailed Hawks, American Kestrels, Red-Shouldered Hawks, and many others. Be sure to bring your binoculars and scopes. Over 250 species of birds frequent the Cosumnes River Preserve during the year, so no mater what, you will have a day to remember.

The Festival Exhibit Hall is open to all Festival attendees, free of charge, from 10:00 am to 4:00 pm on Saturday, November 4th and 10:00 am to 4:00 pm on Sunday, November 5th. The Hall houses commercial vendors, public agencies, non-profit agencies, education organizations and activities that focus on Sandhill Cranes, and the diverse wildlife and their habitats found in the Lodi area.

Join Native Bird Connections for an intimate look at the behaviors, life experiences, and personal stories of several birds of prey. See hawks and owls up close and learn their unique stories. This presentation repeats on Saturday at 1:40 PM.

In this introduction to Sandhill Cranes, learn about their life history, behavior, migration routes, and the importance of the California Delta to cranes along the Pacific Flyway. Learn more about the California version of a great migration and the habitats that support this awesome, and very reliable, natural phenomenon.

Get inspired and join artists from the Lodi Community Art Center to create your own mini painting on paper or canvas to take home.  Supplies and encouragement provided, open to all ages. Also on Saturday from noon to 3 PM.

With instant information as to where birds are precisely being found, identification apps for your phone that can immediately identify birds either by sound recordings or downloaded photos, and the ability to communicate with friends and other birders so easily, it's an easy statement to make.  But is the quality of birding truly better than in years past?  Are bird sightings as significant now as in the recent past?  David has been an active birder for over 50 years.  He will address this, using San Joaquin County and the neighboring areas from the coast to the mountains as points of reference.

Join master carvers from the Pacific Flyway Decoy Association to learn how to carve a bird from wood. All the necessary materials, including a study guide and carving knives, will be provided.

Dr. Gary Ivey has studied cranes for over 30 years. He will speak about the Sandhill Crane populations that breed and winter in California and the broader Pacific Flyway. He will discuss the behavior, range and biology of the three subspecies that use the flyway and also their conservation needs.

Join Native Bird Connections for an intimate look at the behaviors, life experiences, and personal stories of several birds of prey. See hawks and owls up close and learn their unique stories. This presentation is also at 10 AM on Saturday.

Congruence, With Sandhill Cranes of the Pacific Flyway, by Robert Steelquist, presents the three major populations of Sandhill Cranes of the West Coast with both the intimacy of observation and the expansiveness of geographic scope of their wintering, migrating and breeding ranges.

THIS IS YOUR OPPORTUNITY TO SEE COSUMNES RIVER PRESERVE UP CLOSE AND PERSONAL. Since this is a small group tour, you will have open conversations with the Preserve's biologists and get all your questions answered. The Cosumnes River Preserve is the finest Valley Oak riparian forest and wetland in California.

Bats play an essential role in the environment and are often misunderstood.  Join Corky Quirk with NorCal Bats to learn more about these winged wonders: how they fly, how they catch insects and how they use sonar.  As part of the program, you will also meet several live bats, all native species. 

Leave the driving to us! This tour combines a crane fly-in with birding on Staten Island, a premier Nature Conservancy/Conservation Farms and Ranches location, to learn what the birds already know - this is one of the best places in the Delta to spend the winter.

The Woodbridge Ecological Reserve is one of the few locations where Sandhill Cranes consistently roost in the Delta. At dusk, in large groups that can number from several hundred to several thousand, the cranes converge on the South Unit’s flooded fields for the night. CDFW Docents will give a presentation on the cranes in a private viewing area. The cranes determine end times for evening tours.

The Woodbridge Ecological Reserve is one of the few locations where Sandhill Cranes consistently roost in the Delta. At dusk, in large groups that can number from several hundred to several thousand, the cranes converge on the South Unit’s flooded fields for the night. CDFW Docents will give a presentation on the cranes in a private viewing area. The cranes determine end times for evening tours.