The 2.2-acre “green island” that comprises Tropical Audubon Society and its Steinberg Nature Center campus, 5530 Sunset Dr., will be the site of the fifth annual Bird Day, an engaging, educational afternoon filled with activities for children and families.
Featuring interactive games and prizes, and led by a host of bird experts, the free Bird Day festival is an enriching experience for young children seeking an outdoor adventure, as well as being a perfect venue for school ecology clubs and Scout troops. Participants can learn how to identify birds by their silhouettes, craft a Wildlife T-shirt ($5), take part in Owl Pellet dissection, craft Piping Plover “chicks,” and experience a microscopic view of the colorful world of feathers.
The mid-winter date also celebrates the annual northbound “flight” of nearly 350 species of migratory birds stopping off in South Florida on their return to North American nesting habitats from non-breeding grounds in the Caribbean, South America and Mexico.
Though South Florida’s shrinking Open Space is increasingly under threat, the region remains a prime refueling station for birds migrating on the North/South Atlantic Flyway. Bird Day will highlight those species that stop over on our peninsula, and will illustrate South Florida’s role in worldwide bird conservation.
As part of the programming, attendees can learn how to create a welcoming “rest stop” for the feathered visitors in their own yards. Native plants also will be available for purchase.
Additionally, nature lovers can explore the trails that thread the restored Tropical Hardwood Hammock and Pine Rockland habitats; history buffs can tour the 1932 Doc Thomas House, which serves as TAS headquarters and was recently designated a “Florida Heritage Site.”
There is limited free parking via 55th Avenue auto entry gate; nearby metered parking, as well as various garage and valet parking options within blocks. Metrorail service iss available to the South Miami Station.
