Wild Tahoe at Taylor Creek June 4-5
Posted on May 29, 2011
Filed Under Birding at Tahoe, South Tahoe Events
Learn about native plants, birds and animals at the “Wild Tahoe Weekend” presented by the USFS on June 4 and 5, starting with the 2nd annual Lake Tahoe Bird Festival on Saturday.
Sunday goes wild.
The events will take place 10am-4pm each day and include bird walks, a species spotlight, crafts, live birds, a kid zone, a raffle, music and food.
The fun-filled activities will be held at the Taylor Creek Visitor Center located three miles north of the Highway 89/50 junction in South Lake Tahoe. The 2nd annual Lake Tahoe Bird Festival kicks off the weekend events on Saturday, June 4th at 10am presented by the Lake Tahoe Basin Management Unit and Tahoe Institute for Natural Science (TINS).The bird festival will provide an opportunity for all ages to learn about migratory birds and how local scientists are working for their benefit. Aspiring birdwatchers can learn about the latest binoculars and spotting scopes, and homeowners can get tips on dealing with those pesky woodpeckers.
The events will take place from 10 a.m. until 4 p.m. each day and include bird walks, a species spotlight, crafts, live birds, a kid zone, a raffle, music and food. Sponsors for the weekend’s activities include California Trout, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and the South Tahoe High School Generation Green Club.
Off-site, there will be FREE guided bird hikes to Spooner Lake, Cove East Restoration area, and Blackwood Canyon from approximately 8:00 – 10:30. Walks are free, but space is limited and preregistration is required. For walk registration, contact Will Richardson at (530) 587-6895 or e-mail will@tinsweb.org.
Saturday, June 4 – 2nd Annual Lake Tahoe Bird Festival – 10am to 4pm
- 10:30 a.m. Bird Walk (45 minutes)
- 11 a.m. Feeding and Landscaping presented by McBride’s & Will
- 11:30 a.m. Bird Walk (45 minutes)
- 12 p.m. Migration Talk presented by PRBO
- 12:30 p.m. Bird Walk (45 minutes) presented by TINS
- 1 p.m. Optic’s talk presented by Cabela’s
- 1:30 p.m. Bird Walk (45 minutes)
- 2 p.m. Species Spotlight Owls by FS biologist Rena Escobedo
- 2:30 p.m. to 3 p.m. Falconer
- 3:30 p.m. Raffle
Sunday, June 5 – Festival of Native Species – 10am to 4pm
- 10 a.m. Birding
- 10:30 a.m. Native Fish Release
- 11 a.m. Aspen and wildlife talk
- 11:30 a.m. Planting native Tahoe yellow cress
- 11:30 a.m. Bison Band
- 12 p.m. Migration Talk presented by PRBO
- 12:30 p.m. Parade and Play
- 1 p.m. Aquatic Invasive Species presentation
- 1 p.m. Bison Band
- 1:30 p.m. Amphibian Walk
- 2 p.m. Tahoe Yellow Cress planting
- 2 p.m. Wildlife Talk
- 3 p.m. Bison Band
The Tahoe Institute for Natural Science (TINS) is a science, education, and outreach organization with a long-term goal of bringing a world-class interpretive nature center and educational facility to the Lake Tahoe area.
TINS engages in multiple science, education, and outreach programs to promote greater appreciation, understanding, and stewardship of the natural resources of the Tahoe region. Local bird experts Will Richardson and Kirk Hardie founded TINS in 2010.
Will has been working and birding in the Tahoe area sinc
e 1994. Originally a seasonal Tahoe resident (spending summers running crews for the Point Reyes Bird Observatory elsewhere in California, and falls working for PRBO on the Farallon Islands off the coast of San Francisco), Will finally settled in Truckee in 2001, and has been intensively studying the region’s natural history and ecosystems ever since. He is currently working on a status and distribution guide for the birds of the Lake Tahoe basin, but his interests span all taxa: he has authored papers on chipmunks, butterflies, and his own discovery of the Tahoe basin’s second species of salamander.
Will received his Ph.D. in Ecology, Evolution, and Conservation Biology from the University of Nevada, Reno, studying bird communities in Sierra Nevada aspen habitats. He’s never not birding, but he also attempts to squeeze in backcountry skiing, climbing, sea-kayaking, Ulitmate Frisbee, and the occasional gig with his bands Üncle Rïco and Bison.
Kirk grew up in Sacramento, California and spent most winter weekends skiing in the Tahoe region. He has been an environmental educator in Idaho, Oregon, California, and Nevada, highlighting the beauty of birds in the natural world, among many other topics. In 2009, he received his Master of Science degree in Biology from the University of Nevada, Reno, where he developed a four-week high school curriculum based on the ecology of the Great Basin. His background in field ornithology has included research projects with Gunnison Sage Grouse and Lewis’ Woodpeckers, in addition to co-leading international birding trips. Kirk also teaches Field Ornithology as an adjunct faculty member at Sierra Nevada College in Incline Village, NV.
His favorite pastimes are hiking, biking, snowboarding, and snowshoeing.
