Driftless Area Education and Visitors Center to host Driftless Birding Fest

The Driftless Area Education and Visitors Center in Lansing will host the Driftless Birding Fest Friday and Saturday, November 13 and 14. The Driftless Birding Fest will include speakers, exhibits, and guided and self-guided field trips to area birding hotspots. The self-guided field trips will include the Brownsville, MN overlook, Stoddard, WI overlook, New Albin’s Army Road, Red Oak Road near Harpers Ferry and the Ferryville, WI overlook.

Friday, November 13 from 6-8 p.m. “Raptors of Iowa” will be presented at the Driftless Area Education and Visitors Center. Following the presentation there will be an Owl prowl to find and hear owls on the bluffs surrounding the nature center.

Saturday, November 14 a guided field trip will leave the Driftless Area Education and Visitors Center at 6 a.m. to travel to the Brownsville Shady Maple Overlook and return around 11 a.m. Binoculars, spotting scopes and bird identification will be provided during the guided field trip.

Transportation to the overlook will not be provided in order to practice social distancing. It is asked that groups or families follow the guide in their personal vehicle. Also that Saturday, a presentation on the “Shorebirds of Iowa” will be held at the Driftless Area Education and Visitors Center at 1:30 p.m.

Self-guided field trips are available any time during the weekend. From 9-11 a.m. there will be area birders at the Ferryville Riverview Park answering questions and helping visitors. Maps and directions to each site will be available from 8 a.m.-4:30 p.m. Monday-Friday the week prior to the Driftless Birding Festival at the Driftless Area Education and Visitors Center. Maps will also be available November 14 at the Driftless Area Education and Visitors Center in Lansing from 12-4 p.m.

The presentations at the Driftless Area Education and Visitors Center and the guided field trip will be conducted by Kelly McKay from BioEco Research and Monitoring Center. He will be assisted by Mark Roberts from the Clinton County Conservation Board and Brian Ritter from Nahant Marsh Education Center. Funding for the speakers has been provided by the Resource Enhancement and Protection-Conservation Education Program (REAP-CEP).

The Driftless Birding Festival is free of charge to attend but for those planning on attending, preregistration would be appreciated. To pre-register for any or all of the presentations and/or the guided field trip call 563-538-0403.  

The Driftless Area Education and Visitors Center is located at 1944 Columbus Road, Lansing. It is operated by the Allamakee County Conservation Board (ACCB). For more information on this program or any ACCB program, contact the center at 563-538-0403 or follow the Allamakee County Conservation on social media.