2013 Thornapple Woodpecker Festival

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1 2013 Thornapple Woodpecker Festival Festival Information: Headquarters: Middleville Village Hall, 100 E Main Street, Middleville MI. Middleville is located 15 miles south of Grand Rapids just east off of M37. Registration: Online registration is available on the website: or through the Facebook page at

Thornapple Woodpecker Festival April 26-27, 2013 The paved Paul Henry -Thornapple Trail follows the Thornapple River and has been called the most beautiful railtrail in Michigan.

2 Thornapple Woodpecker Festival April 26-27, 2013 The paved Paul Henry -Thornapple Trail follows the Thornapple River and has been called the most beautiful railtrail in Michigan. The area has an established population of the rare Red-headed Woodpecker as well as all the other six eastern US woodpeckers. To celebrate this and help raise funds for further trail development, the "third annual" Thornapple Woodpecker Festival will be held April 26-27, 2013, with headquarters at the Village Hall in Middleville, Michigan. s s are scheduled throughout the event on topics of interest to birders of all levels. All workshops will be held in the Middleville Village Hall. Sanctuary Tours Guided Sanctuary birding tours with transportation provided will be offered to Maher Audubon Sanctuary, Otis Audubon Sanctuary and Wildwood Trails Park. Tours leave from Village Hall. Bird Walks Guided bird walks along the Paul Henry Thornapple Trail will be offered throughout the two day event. These walks will leave from the Gazebo at the Middleville Village Hall. Art Show and Crafters Local artists will share their talents at the art show housed at the historic train depot in downtown Middleville. Crafters will offer items for sale in the green space next to the Village Hall. Golf Car Bird Trips Guided golf car bird trips along the Paul Henry Thornapple Trail will be offered throughout the two day event. Trips leave from the Gazebo at Village Hall and last approximately two hours. Woodpecker Soirée and Ball Join us Friday evening for a festive event at the Middle Villa Inn. Evening activities will include local beer and wine tasting, a silent auction, a light meal, a key note speaker and, of course, the Woodpecker Ball, with music provided by The Forest Evans Quartet.

Tour Descriptions: Bird Hike with Brian Ellis: Join Brian Ellis as John James Audubon for a lively, informative Bird walk along the Paul Henry Thornapple Trail.

Topics: How to Lead a Bird Hike: with Brian Ellis Hosting Eastern Bluebirds and other Cavity Nesting Birds: with Jonathan Morgan Computer Aids to Birding: with Cal Lamoreaux Benefits of Native

3 Tour Descriptions: Bird Hike with Brian Ellis: Join Brian Ellis as John James Audubon for a lively, informative Bird walk along the Paul Henry Thornapple Trail. This tour will leave from the Gazebo behind the Village hall in downtown Middleville. Topics: How to Lead a Bird Hike: with Brian Ellis Hosting Eastern Bluebirds and other Cavity Nesting Birds: with Jonathan Morgan Computer Aids to Birding: with Cal Lamoreaux Benefits of Native Plants: with Michael Bruggink Sketching and Journaling: with Brian Ellis Accessing the North Country Trail: with Larry Pio Asian Woodpeckers: with Pam Rasmussen Maher Audubon Sanctuary Tour: Maher Sanctuary is owned and maintained by the Grand Rapids Audubon Club. It is an 80 acre nature preserve located in northeast Barry County. The sanctuary contains a series of wetlands, fields and woods. An extensive boardwalk runs throughout the sanctuary. A variety of wetland and woodland birds nest here and migrants pass through. Common Yellowthroat, Chipping Sparrow and Swamp Sparrow are summer residents. Nests have been found of Yellow Warbler and Gray Catbird. Yellow-breasted Chats have been found near the marl pond, Screech Owls have been found and Common Snipe may be found winnowing over wetlands in Spring. A pair of Pileated Woodpeckers was spotted last year. This tour will leave from the Village Hall in Middleville via the Barry County Trolley. Otis Audubon Sanctuary Tour: Otis Farm Bird Sanctuary is owned and maintained by the Michigan Audubon Society. It is adjacent to the Globally Important Bird Area, Barry State Game Area, which recognizes critical habitat for Cerulean Warblers. The 128 acre bird sanctuary hosts rolling fields, mature forests, expansive marshland, a trout stream, kettle hole marshes, and several springs. Featured species include; Pileated Woodpecker, Red-headed Woodpecker, Grasshopper Sparrow, Henslow s Sparrow, Warblers, Bald Eagle, Osprey and Sandhill Crane. These Tours will leave from the Village Hall in Middleville via the Barry County Transit Bus. Wildwood Trails Park Tour: Wildwood Trails Park is hidden in the heart of a housing and retail development. The 20 acre park features 1.45 miles of rustic walking trails through a white pine stand, hardwoods and open meadows. The trails are unpaved and the park functions essentially as a natural open space. This tour will leave from the Village Hall in Middleville via The Barry County Trolley. s of Paul Henry Thornapple Trail: Climb aboard a six-passenger golf car for a ride down the PHTT. Birders will be stationed along the route to assist with bird identification.

4 Speaker Bios John J Audubon, as Presented by Brian Ellis Our featured key note speaker, workshop presenter and tour guide this year is Brian Fox Ellis. Brian is an internationally renowned storyteller, author and naturalist. He has been a featured speaker at regional and international conferences on environmental concerns, including several International Migratory Bird Day events, The International Wetlands Conservation Conference, National Nonpoint Source Pollution Conference and the North American Prairie Conservation Conference. He is the Artistic Director for Prairie Folklore Theatre, a unique theater company that celebrates ecology and history through original musical theater. Brian is the author of fourteen books, including the critically acclaimed Learning From the Land: Teaching Ecology Through Stories and Activities, (Libraries Unlimited, 1997). His children s picture book, The Web at Dragonfly Pond, (Dawn Publications, 2006), has won the National Conservation Education Book of the year award from the Izaak Walton League. Many of his stories are also available on one of twelve award winning CDs. Professor, Pamela C. Rasmussen, MSU Pamela C. Rasmussen is a prominent American ornithologist and expert on Asian birds. She was formerly a research associate at the Smithsonian Institution in Washington, D.C., and is currently at Michigan State University. She is associated with other major centers of research in the United States and the United Kingdom. She recently completed the second edition of the two-volume Birds of South Asia: The Ripley Guide. Along with writing that authoritative book, Rasmussen also has pioneered work to document and catalog bird vocalizations from around the world. At MSU, Rasmussen founded the Avian Vocalization Center, a database providing free downloads of bird sounds of more than 4,000 species around the world, including sonograms, photos, and maps of their habitat. Jonathan Morgan: Jonathan is a wildlife photographer and Licensed Wildlife Rehabilitator. His photographs have been published in Birder s World, Birdscopes, and Birds and Blooms. Jonathan will be speaking on behalf of the Michigan Bluebird Society. Michael Bruggink: Michael is the Vice President of River City Wild Ones. Wild Ones is a not-for-profit environmental education and advocacy organization that promotes environmentally sound landscaping and preservation, restoration and establishment of native plant communities. Larry Pio: Larry is the President, Newsletter Editor, and a Trail Adopter with the Chief Noonday Chapter of the North Country Trail Association. The North Country Trail is America s longest National Scenic Trail stretching 4600 miles from New York State to North Dakota, linking 7 states, 10 National Forests and more than 150 public lands. The North Country Trail provides year-round recreation opportunities as it traverses America s north country and unites our red plaid nation. Cal Lamoreaux: Cal is a Life Member and past board member of the Michigan Audubon Society, and a member of both the Kalamazoo and Grand Rapids Audubon Clubs. Cal has led many field trips for Scout, Audubon, and North Country Trail groups on birding as well as wildflowers. Cal is a founder of the Michigan Paddling Council and the Thornapple Trail Association. He is a lifelong student of Natural History, which includes birds, mammals, plants, wild foods, limnology, astronomy, geology, mineralogy, and meteorology.

5 Festival Schedule (free* )indicates free event, but registration is required. ($) indicates paid event, and registration is required. Friday, Apr 26 9:00 am-11:00 am How to Lead a Guided Bird Walk, with Brian Ellis $25 Noon- 5:00 pm Craft Show outdoors, next to Village Hall free, no registration Noon- 4:00 pm Nature Art Show in Old Train Depot Building free, no registration 12:30 pm-2:30 pm Guided birding walk with John James Audubon $20 12:45 pm-2:45 pm Guided golf car birding trip $10 1:00 pm- 2:00 pm Hosting Bluebirds & Other Cavity Nesters, Jonathan Morgan $15 1:00 pm- 4:00 pm Otis Sanctuary tour $25 1:30 pm- 4:30 pm Maher Sanctuary tour $25 2:00 pm-3:00 pm Computer Aids to Birding, Cal Lamoreaux $15 2:30 pm-3:30 pm Wildwood Trails tour free* 2:45 pm-4:45 pm Guided Walk on PHTT free* 3:00 pm-4:00 pm Native & Invasive Plants, Mike Bruggink $15 3:00 pm-5:00 pm Guided golf car birding trip $10 6:00 pm-10:30 pm Woodpecker Soirée at Middle Villa $35 Sat, Apr 28 8:00 am-10:00 am Guided birding walk with John James Audubon $20 8:15 am- 10:15 am Guided golf car birding trip $10 9:00 am-5:00 pm Craft Show outdoors, next to Village Hall free, no registration 9:00 am-4:00 pm Nature Art Show in Old Train Depot Building free, no registration 9:00 am-12:00 pm Maher Sanctuary tour $25 9:30 am-12:30 pm Otis Sanctuary tour $25 10:00 am-11:00 am Wildwood Trails tour free* 10:15 am-12:15 pm Guided birding walk free* 10:30 am-12:30 pm Guided golf car birding trip $10 11:00 am-12:00 pm Sketching & Journaling with Brian Ellis. $15 12:45 pm-2:45 pm Guided golf car birding trip $10 1:00 pm-4:00 pm Otis Sanctuary tour $25 1:00 pm-2:00 pm : Accessing Nature on the North Country Trail, Larry Pio $15 1:30 pm-3:30 pm Guided birding walk with John James Audubon $20 1:30 pm-4:30 pm Maher Sanctuary tour $25 2:00 pm-3:00 pm Asian Woodpeckers, Pam Rasmussen $15 2:30 pm-3:30 pm Wildwood Trails tour free* 3:00 pm-5:00 pm Guided golf car birding trip $10

6 2013 Thornapple Woodpecker Festival Friday, April 26, 2013 Day at A Glance 8:00 AM 9:00 AM 10:00 AM 11:00 AM 12:00 PM 1:00 PM 2:00 PM 3:00 PM 4:00 PM 5:00 PM 6:00 10:30 Registration Open How to Lead a Guided Bird Hike with Brian Ellis Limit 40 $25 each Hosting Eastern Bluebirds and Other Cavity- Nesting Birds. Limit 50 $15 Computer Aids to Birding Limit 50 $15 12:45-2:45 Guided PHTT Walk w/ Brian Ellis as Audubon Limit 10 $20 each 12:30-2:30 Native and Invasive Plants Limit 50 $15 3:00-5:00 Guided Walk on PHTT Limit 10 FREE 2:45-4:45 Guided Maher Sanctuary Tour Trolley Transportation - Limit 35 $25/ea 1:30-4:30 Guided Tour of Wildwood Limit 30 FREE 2:30-3:30 Otis Sanctuary Guided Tour Bus Transportation - Limit 25 $25 each 1:00-4:00 Art Show in the Old Trail Depot $5 per Adult entry, $2 for student entry Noon 5:00 Exhibitors/Crafters in the open Green Space Limit 20 $25 per crafter Noon 5:00 Soirée Woodpecker $35/person Light Dinner Beer Tasting Wine Tasting Silent Auction Key Note Speaker Woodpecker Ball

7 2013 Thornapple Woodpecker Festival Saturday, April 27, 2013 Day at A Glance 8:00 AM 9:00 AM 10:00 AM 11:00 AM 12:00 PM 1:00 PM 2:00 PM 3:00 PM 4:00 PM Registration Open 8:15-10:15 Guided PHTT Walk w/ Brian Ellis as Audubon Limit 10 $20 each 8:00-10:00 Sketching/ Journaling with Brian Ellis Limit 50 $15 10:30-12:30 Guided Walk on PHTT Limit 10 FREE 10:15-12:15 Guided Maher Sanctuary Tour Trolley Transportation - Limit 35 $25/ea 9:00-12:00 Guided Tour of Wildwood Limit 30 FREE 10:00-11:00 Otis Sanctuary Guided Tour Bus Transportation - Limit 25 $25 each 9:30-12:30 Art Show in the Old Trail Depot Accessing Nature on the North Country Trail with Larry Pio Limit 50 $15 12:45-2:45 Asian Woodpeckers with Pam Rasmussen Limit 50 $15 Guided PHTT Walk w/ Brian Ellis as Audubon Limit 10 $20 each 1:30-3:30 3:00-5:00 Guided Maher Sanctuary Tour Trolley Transportation - Limit 35 $25/ea 1:30-4:30 Guided Tour of Wildwood Limit 30 FREE 2:30-3:30 Otis Sanctuary Guided Tour Bus Transportation - Limit 25 $25 each 1:00-4:00 $5 per Adult entry, $2 for student entry 9:00 4:00 Exhibitors/Crafters in the open Green Space Limit 20 $25 per crafter 9:00-5:00

2018 Ladd Marsh Bird Festival Field Trips Register at under the Bird Festival tab

2018 Ladd Marsh Bird Festival Field Trips Register at under the Bird Festival tab Friday, May 18th Field Trips Birds and Botany of the Ponderosa Pine Forest #1 Friday, May 18th, 2018, 6:30 AM 12:30 PM; $30 per participant Led by naturalists, Mike and Susan Daugherty, and Kent Coe, botanist