Feather Fest - August 6, 2022
10:00 am to 4:30 pm
All activities in Nature Explore and free with museum admission.
Feeling bird-brained? That’s a good thing! Join us to spy some frequent flyers, use tools to simulate birds’ eating habits, practice your calls and warbles, and meet a favorite feathered friend. Discover the fascinating world of birds, and be inspired to paint and sculpt some avian artwork of your own.
Scheduled Activities:
10:00 -12:00 pm - Make & Take Art— Bird Illustrations
A local artist will lead a how-to-draw demo on the various forms and proportions of songbirds, and then you can try your own! Learn to add shading and texture to bring the drawings to life!
10:45 am - Bird Story Time
11:30 am - Guided Birding Walk
Learn how to use binoculars as you join a museum educator on a guided nature walk to search our grounds for birds and their nests.
12:15 - 2:15 pm - Make & Take Art— Clay Nest and Egg Sculptures
Create your own bird nest and eggs using self-hardening clay, paint, and raffia. Eggs and nests from the EcoTarium’s collection will be on display for inspiration!
1:00 pm - Meet a Chicken!
Join our zoo team and get to know one of the EcoTarium’s feathered residents!
1:45 pm - Guided Birding Walk
Learn how to use binoculars as you join a museum educator on a guided nature walk to search our grounds for birds and their nests.
2:30 pm - Owl Keeper Chat (at the Owl Habitat)
Meet the EcoTarium’s resident Barred Owls and learn from our zoo team what it’s like to take care of them!
Ongoing Activities:
Take the Bird Beak Challenge
How would you catch a fly, crack a nut, or bite a berry with no hands? Test your skills using common tools such as simulated bird beaks. Discover which beaks work best for scooping, sipping, cracking, and tearing all the foods birds need to survive.
Avian Investigations & Fantastic Feet
Use magnifying glasses to examine local and exotic feathers and nests from the EcoTarium’s collection. Investigate bird feet meant for swimming, seizing, climbing, and hopping, then design the feet you’d want if you had wings!
Whose Hoot is Who?
Bird songs are all around us…but how do you know what you’re hearing? Learn whose hoot is who in this listening-based program.
Sponsored by:
