The 2.2 near-native acres that comprise Tropical Audubon Society and its Steinberg Nature Center campus, 5530 Sunset Dr., will be the site of the eighth annual Bird Day, an engaging, educational afternoon and an enriching outdoor experience, on Saturday, Feb. 15, noon-4 p.m.
Featuring interactive games and prizes, the free Bird Day festival is designed for children and families, students, Scouts and naturalists of every age. Participants can learn how to identify birds, take part in owl pellet dissection and experience a microscopic view of the colorful world of feathers.
Bird Day celebrates the annual northbound flight of nearly 350 species of migratory birds stopping in South Florida on their return to North America from the Caribbean, Central and South America and Mexico. To help welcome the avian visitors, attendees can learn how to create an attractive “rest stop” in their own yards and get primed to participate in the “Great Backyard Bird Count” (taking place Feb. 15-17).
The larger role our region plays on the Atlantic Flyway will be illuminated by Cape Florida Bird Banding Station, South Florida Audubon Society, Audubon Everglades and the Environmentally Endangered Lands Program.
Great Backyard Bird Count Workshop: At 2 p.m., TAS Board member and field trip coordinator Brian Rapoza will host a Great Backyard Bird Count Workshop and Bird Walk in collaboration with Leica Store Miami. Bird watchers of every level can learn how to participate and contribute to the national tally.
Bonus: Explore the trails that thread the site’s Tropical Hardwood Hammock and Pine Rockland habitats; tour the historic 1932 Doc Thomas House that serves as TAS headquarters.
Presenting Sponsor is Leica Store Miami;
Partners are Cape Florida Bird Banding Station, Environmentally Endangered Lands Program, PhoebesBirding, South Florida Audubon Society, Audubon Everglades;
Community ponsors are Miami’s Community Newspapers, INYBN.com, Riviera Presbyterian.
Limited free parking is available via SW 55th Avenue auto entry gate; free parking at Riviera Presbyterian Church; various meter, garage and valet options within 1-3 blocks; Metrorail service to South Miami.
Tropical Audubon Society works to conserve and restore natural South Florida ecosystems, focusing on birds, other wildlife and their habitats through advocacy and education for the benefit of biological diversity and humanity itself. Tropical Audubon Society facilitates its Mission via Conservation, Education, Historic Preservation and Recreation.
To host a private event at the Steinberg Nature Center campus, in the shady picnic grove, under the iconic chickee or in the historic doc Thomas House, contact events@tropicalaudubon.org.
