17th Annual Northwoods Birds & Wildlife Festival

Join us in celebrating International Migratory Bird Day and the amazing natural diversity of our Northwoods region with our 17th Annual Northwoods Birds & Wildlife Festival! 

Due to public health and safety concerns, the Discovery Center has made a few changes to this fun and engaging event, but your participation is still very much necessary.  The Festival offers over eight hours of online programming by local naturalists and natural resource experts, as well as in-person field trips to local birding and wildlife hotspots and Bird Banding Demonstrations.  Registration is OPEN!  BONUS - all registrants will be automatically entered into a raffle to win a gift basket provided by JJ's Acres!  Raffle drawing on Saturday, June 5th.  

Virtual Programs include: 

• Water Birds of Wisconsin by John Bates, local Naturalist and Author of many publications including "Our Living Ancestors, the History and Ecology of Old-growth Forests in Wisconsin"
• Nature's Unsung Heroes by Emily Stone, Cable Natural History Museum Naturalist and Author of "Natural Connections" 
• Wildlife and Management of the Little Turtle Flowage by Jenna Malinowski, WI DNR Wildlife Biologist
• Zooplankton! by Carol Warden, WI DNR AIS Specialist
• Native Plant Gardening for Pollinators by Quita Sheehan, Vilas County Conservation Specialist 
• Baffling & Breathtaking Bogs - Introduction to Bog Ecology by Annie McDonnell, NLDC Naturalist
• The Wonderful World of Wild Rice by Emily Heald, NLDC Water Program Coordinator
• Understanding Black Bears by Licia Johnson, NLDC Education Director & Naturalist
• The Snowy Owl, The Tundra Ghost by Annie McDonnell, NLDC Naturalist 

In-person Field Trips include (additional registration fees apply to field trips):

• Friday & Saturday, 7-10am: Bird Banding Demonstrations with Bruce Bacon
• Friday, 7-9am: Presque Isle Ponds & Pipke Park Birding and Widlife Walk with Donna Roche & Amy Sheldon 
• Friday, 1-3:30pm: Trout Lake Eco Pontoon Tour with John Heusinkveld
• Saturday, 7-9am: Birding the Manitowish Waters Bike Trails with John Bates (walking) 
• Saturday, 7-9am: Birds and Wildlife of Van Vliet Hemlocks Hike with Licia Johnson
• Saturday, 10am-12:30pm: Star Lake Nature Trail Hike with John Heusinkveld

Registrants will receive an email on June 4th with a link to the festival website, and access to all of the above listed pre-recorded virtual programs.  The link will be active for two weeks so participants can watch the programs at their convenience.  All of the pre-recorded online content will be provided to all registered participants.  Due to the ongoing pandemic, the NLDC has precautions in place for the in-person field trip programs, masks will be required, and registration limits are in place according to CDC and Public Health guidelines.  All field trip registrations are first come, first serve, and may have an extra fee associated with the program.  If a field trip you are interested in is full, you will be added to the waiting list and the NLDC will strive to accomodate as many field trip registrations as possible.  All questions can be directed to Annie McDonnell, annie@discoverycenter.net, (715) 543-2085. 

THANK YOU Festival Sponsors: JJ's Acres of Woodruff, Manitowish Waters Chamber of Commerce