Lodi

Join Lodi Boathouse staff for an enjoyable paddle along the Mokelumne River. The tour will be guided by an experienced boathouse staff member. This is a great way to enjoy a day on the water while you learn about the flora and fauna found along the Mokelumne River.

Join this year’s Featured Artist, Jennifer Anderson, for a lively demonstration of two timeless printmaking techniques: drypoint relief printing and drypoint intaglio. Using her portable tabletop etching press, she’ll walk you through the steps of each process – from carving and inking a woodcut to pulling a print from a hand-drawn drypoint plate.

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.

This introduction to photographing wild birds will focus on Sandhill Cranes.  Topics include basics of birding, ethical considerations, predicting bird behavior, and locations for observing and photographing.  Jennifer and Walt will cover basic cameras, lenses, and other accessories.  Basic camera settings, best times of day, dealing with wind and weather conditions will be discussed.  Photographing birds in flight and birds that are stationary, as well as photographing birds in your backyard. 

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.

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.

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. 

Bring your questions for Dr. Jay Lund and Dr. Greg Golet who will present a broad look at the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta - winter home for thousands of Pacific Flyway Sandhill Cranes.  They will discuss the impact of a changing climate on this remarkable region, followed by audience questions.

In the Delta, water interacts with land and forms soil in a complex process. Human use of water and land contains a nest of complex pressures. These connections and complexities play out daily.  This talk will explore many of these connections and complexities with a focus on how they relate to the birds that make the Delta their home.

Learn more about the California version of a great migration and the habitats that support this awesome, and very reliable, natural phenomenon.

Haiku is an ancient poetry form originating in Japan and now enjoyed and written world-wide. It is well known for its focus on nature and the natural world, and its brevity—each poem a bare 17 syllables, a single breath of observation, a word-sketch, a poetic field-note.

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.

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.

Learn origami crane folding from our volunteer “experts”.  This activity is FREE … and everyone is welcomed to give it a try.  Stop by to learn more about the cultural significance of origami cranes and the history of this unique Japanese art form. 

Learn origami crane folding from our volunteer “experts”.  This activity is FREE … and everyone is welcomed to give it a try.  Stop by to learn more about the cultural significance of origami cranes and the history of this unique Japanese art form. 

Stop by for hands on exploration that gives people of all ages the opportunity to expand their knowledge … and have fun doing it. San Joaquin Audubon Society shares a collection of artifacts and equipment to offer a closer look, and a better understanding, of cranes and their adaptations.

Stop by for hands on exploration that gives people of all ages the opportunity to expand their knowledge … and have fun doing it. San Joaquin Audubon Society shares a collection of artifacts and equipment to offer a closer look, and a better understanding, of cranes and their adaptations.

Gabe Kerschner with Wild Things! returns with some of their special animals for this fun and educational program.  In past years he has shared a mountain lion, brown bear, raccoon, Golden Eagle, Barn Owl, rattlesnake, and other rescued animals that could not be returned to the wild.

Gabe Kerschner with Wild Things! returns with some of their special animals for this fun and educational program.  In past years he has shared a mountain lion, brown bear, raccoon, Golden Eagle, Barn Owl, rattlesnake, and other rescued animals that could not be returned to the wild.

Join Chris Llewellyn and Jessica Furtado, Education Specialists from the Sacramento Zoo, to learn about Western Pond Turtle conservation currently work being done locally. Threatened by habitat loss, pollution, invasive species and urbanization, the Western Pond Turtle is currently being considered for listing as threatened under the federal Endangered Species Act.  With declining numbers - up to 99% in some areas - recovery efforts are urgent. Learn how everyone can help to prevent this species’ population decline and ensure their survival.

Did you know there is a nesting pair of Bald Eagles at Lake Natoma? Meet Kathy Kayner, a wildlife photographer and an amazing storyteller, to learn about a pair of Bald Eagles that have been nesting on the American River Parkway within the Folsom Lake State Recreation Area. The Bald Eagle family consists of an adult pair, “Mama and Papa”, who have, since 2017, successfully hatched 21 eaglets from a nest in a gray pine tree that overlooks Lake Natoma.

Dr. Ivey’s presentation will focus on issues facing the Sandhill Crane populations that winter in California’s Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta, sharing insights from his extensive research.  He will discuss the behavior, distribution, biology, and conservation requirements of the three Sandhill Crane subspecies in the Pacific Flyway that we see locally.

Welcome back Denis and James Kurata, who will perform this ancient form of Japanese music that has been a Festival highlight for 25 years.

Each fall and winter, thousands of Sandhill Cranes migrate along the Pacific Flyway and make a seasonal stop in California’s Central Valley—especially around Lodi. These elegant birds are known for their distinctive calls, graceful courtship dances, and easily recognizable features.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.