Outdoor

Join Paul Tebbel at a private location to view Sandhill Cranes as they fly from their feeding grounds to their roosting marsh at the Woodbridge Ecological Reserve. You won't want to miss this. Paul is widely known as one of the most knowledgeable people in the country, when it comes to Sandhill Cranes.

Avoid the crowds and listen as experienced volunteer docents from the Department of Fish and Wildlife share the natural history of the cranes.

Avoid the crowds and listen as experienced volunteer docents from the Department of Fish and Wildlife share the natural history of the cranes.

Stroll picturesque vineyards and an old-growth riparian forest along the Mokelumne River with renowned local birder David Yee (who knows this area like his own home).

Turner Road Vintners continues to be a destination highlight among Festival goers. Its innovative eco-friendly water reclamation ponds have created a natural habitat for a variety of birds.

At the family-friendly Durst Winery, join local birding experts in the quest to expand the bird list crafted especially for this tour in a mature rural landscape while enjoying a glass of Cassandra’s vintage and complimentary cookies.

Join Headwaters Kayak staff for an enjoyable paddle along the Mokelumne River. The tour will be guided by locally renowned naturalist, Jay Bell.

Jointly managed by 9 private and government agencies, the Cosumnes River Preserve is the finest Valley Oak riparian forest and wetland in California. Explore this key link on the Pacific Flyway and learn why its management is considered a model in conservation partnerships.

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.

Join Mokelumne River bird experts, Liz West and Joanne Katanic, on a short hike along the River

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.

Join us for a two and a half mile walk along the Mokelumne River levee on Staten Island to see how agriculture and migrating birds can live in harmony. Sally Shanks farmed this area for many years and will highlight agricultural practices that enhance wildlife habitat. From the vantage point of the levee, which is not open to the public, you will see a wide variety of migrating birds in diverse settings. There will be opportunities to see cranes in areas where they feed.

This year we have a unique opportunity to experience 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.

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.

Jointly managed by 9 private and government agencies, the Cosumnes River Preserve is the finest Valley Oak riparian forest and wetland in California. Explore this key link on the Pacific Flyway and learn why its management is considered a model in conservation partnerships.

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.

Jim Dunn was the Festival’s 2015-featured photographer and one of the Festival’s most popular presenters.  He says, “Birds in the wild are an intriguing subject for any photographer.  Making beautiful photographs of wild birds places requirements on the photographer and his or her equipment that are very different.“ 

Join a local naturalist and fifth-generation viticulturist, Aaron Lange, on a rare walking tour of their wildlife habitat areas and adjoining vineyards, where you will see a variety of bird species and possibly even Sandhill Cranes moving overhead.  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. 

Avoid the crowds and listen as experienced volunteer docents from the Department of Fish and Wildlife share the natural history of the cranes.

Avoid the crowds and listen as experienced volunteer docents from the Department of Fish and Wildlife share the natural history of the cranes.