FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE, Sent 2/21/2017
By Kathy Bricker, Secretary, Mackinac Straits Raptor Watch
231-627-4830
Mackinaw City
Registration is well underway for the second Mackinaw Raptor Fest,
according to Kathy Bricker, Secretary of the Mackinac Straits Raptor
Watch. She welcomes people to come learn more about birds and their
twice-a-year migration at this event April 7 to 9
at the Mackinaw City Public School.
The Mackinaw Raptor Fest provides an entertaining and educational
showcase to promote public awareness and knowledge of raptors and
waterbirds and the significance of Mackinaw City and the Straits of
Mackinac during migration. It promotes positive public
attitudes towards raptors and waterbirds and their importance to the
environment. It aims to become an internationally renowned annual
festival that will generate ongoing ecotourism revenue for the Mackinaw
City/Cheboygan/Petoskey/Harbor Springs area, new
sponsorship for research on raptors and waterbirds, and net proceeds to
further that research.
“Last year,” Bricker explains, “many more people wanted to attend
than we could accommodate. So we have moved the banquet and keynote
speech to a larger venue.” Bricker believes the Fest may draw up to 120
people from around Michigan and nearby states. Already,
60 volunteers have offered to help with advance preparations, sign-in,
site set-up, food service, outdoor guidance to birders and
photographers, and other needs.
The keynote banquet speaker on Saturday April 8 will be researcher
Mark Martell. From Duluth, Minnesota, Martell will regale people with
stories about Golden Eagles, close relatives of the more widely-known
Bald Eagle. In 2015 Martell, the foremost researcher
of eastern Golden Eagles, praised MSRW for recording more Golden Eagles
than any other hawk count site east of the Mississippi River. MSRW
counted 374 in 2015 and 349 in 2016.
Daytime plenary sessions at the Mackinaw Raptor Fest will teach
people how to identify hawks in flight, with instructional film
excerpts, and will introduce participants in person to live birds of
prey. Break-out session topics include Raptor Migration in
the Midwest, Peregrine Falcons in Michigan, Use of Hawk Migration Data,
Bird Photography, Owl Migration in the Straits, Loon Research, and the
documentary film Uncommon Loon by Jeff Lange of Petoskey.
“April 7 to 9 promises to combine the fun of birding and learning
about birds with camaraderie and great food.” Bricker invites people to
learn more and register at
www.mackinawraptorfest.org.
“It gets even better,” Bricker adds. "Besides the Mackinaw Raptor
Fest, MSRW will improve other outreach about hawks and owls in 2017,
thanks to the generosity of the Petoskey Harbor Springs Area Community
Foundation. The PHSACF has pledged $7,000 for special
programming and publicity to build on the enthusiastic public reaction
to our avian resources. Birds comprise the feathered component of the
natural inheritance under our generation's care, and are every bit as
vulnerable as they look. Their future depends
directly on our appreciation and actions.”
In 2016, MSRW recorded over 1,500 guest visits to the hawk, owl, and
waterbird research sites, while several hundred more people attended
programs and field trips. Support from PHSACF will help ensure that such
people, including youth, come away with a greater
awareness and understanding of birds. The Petoskey Area Visitors Bureau
also gave generously toward the 2017 educational work of MSRW,
recognizing the potential of birds to attract visitors to northern lower
Michigan. Additional Fest Sponsors are joining in
2017.
MSRW Chair Ed Pike, sums up: “Since MSRW was created in 2014, we have
proven that the Straits of Mackinac ranks among the top migration
funnels in the country for birds of prey. It's vital to continue this
research to monitor changes over time. We also have
tapped into the fastest-growing pastime in the U.S.: birdwatching. Bird
research, education, and conservation dovetail perfectly, because
people must experience and understand natural resources in order to
value and protect them.” To directly support the research
or education work, MSRW accepts tax-deductible donations via the
website or by check.
Posts
