Yakima River Canyon Bird Festival showcases central Washington's natural wonders this May

Join the Kittitas Environmental Education Network (KEEN), Paul Bannick, and other bird watchers from May 12-14 for the first annual Yakima River Canyon Bird Fest.

The Yakima River Canyon stretches from Ellensburg to Selah, and is home to wildlife like bighorn sheep and bald eagles. In the spring, wildflowers bloom along the hillsides and the river swells with snowmelt. This May, songbirds won’t be the only migrants to pass through the canyon – birders from around the Pacific Northwest and beyond are coming to KEEN’s first annual Bird Fest. KEEN, the Kittitas Environmental Education Network, is hosting the event, based out of Helen McCabe State Park, the second weekend in May.

The event includes keynote speaker Paul Bannick, workshops, social networking, kids’ activities and plenty of bird watching. Paul Bannick is a Washington native and author of two books: “The Owl and the Woodpecker” and “Owl: A Year in the Lives of North American Owls.” Bannick was an enterprising naturalist even as a child, when he would chase after animals and share hand-drawn pictures of his most recent discoveries. He worked as a software developer for fifteen years after graduating from University of Washington, but in 2001 Bannick returned to his childhood passions. An unexpected face-to-face encounter with an owl led him to photograph every owl (and woodpecker) species in the West, and then in North America. In addition to his keynote lecture over dinner at the Canyon River Ranch Lodge, Bannick will be sharing his photography expertise in a workshop.

Other workshops include birding by ear, avian illustration, mist-netting, and falconry. Local experts will lead groups in listening to bird calls and identifying species based on their sounds, and a professional illustrator will provide tips for capturing birds on canvas at Gallery One in Ellensburg. Mist-netting is a way scientists catch birds to place bands around their legs to study them, and a master bander will be giving hands-on time with the technique at the Umtanum Recreation Site in the Yakima Canyon. Also at Umtanum, the Washington Falconer’s Association will be demonstrating the art of caring for and hunting with birds of prey.

Attendees of the Umtanum workshops can also take advantage of KEEN’s Get Intimate with the Shrub Steppe (GISS) event. GISS is a one-day event held on Saturday, May 13, and provides a broader look at the Yakima River Canyon environment, from snakes to flowers to rock formations. Kids of all ages can collect bugs, handle snakes, and learn about their surroundings at GISS, and are also welcome at Bird Fest Central at Helen McCabe state park, where KEEN has habitat restoration activities planned.

For more information about the Yakima River Canyon Bird Fest, visit ycic.org/yakima-river-canyon-bird-fest. KEEN is dedicated to connecting community to nature, and sharing the wonders of the Yakima River Canyon.