North Coast Nature Festival
Friday, April 24 • 7 & 9 p.m. (presentation repeated)
Saturday , April 25 • 10 a.m. - 5 p.m. &
Evening Presentation 7 p.m.
Sunday, April 26 • 10 a.m. - 5 p.m.
Rocky River Nature Center
Rocky River Reservation • North Olmsted
FREE!
North Coast Nature Festival
Put a little "spring" in your step and head over to Cleveland Metroparks North Coast Nature Festival. Celebrate the earth's reawakening at this free weekend festival for nature lovers, featuring "The Nature & Art Show" with wildlife art exhibits, organizational exhibits and other nature-minded vendors exhibiting and selling on Saturday and Sunday.
The event also features guest speakers, hikes, a day-long field trip (offsite), live animal programs, children's activities, and more! The festivities take place on both Saturday and Sunday from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. - plus special evening presentations on Friday and Saturday nights. For more information, call 440-734-6660.
Friday, April 24 • 7 & 9 p.m. (Presentation Repeated)
Speaker Bill Thompson, III – The Perils and Pit Falls of Birding
A humorous narrative about the many mistakes, accidents, and embarrassing situations Bill Thompson III, has experienced in his 30+ years as a bird watcher. He urges the audience to avoid these same perils and pitfalls and even offers tips for how to do so. This light-hearted talk pokes fun at how we bird watchers have our own language, dress code, and food preferences. It's guaranteed to generate laughs or Bill will clean the binoculars of everyone present.
Conference Room – Digital Photography Scavenger Hunt Check-In
11:30 a.m.
Family Bird Walk
11:30 a.m.
Trailside Theater – Musical Fun
12:30 p.m.
Classroom Presentation – Native Ecosystems for Sustainable Landscaping
(Bob Kehres)
1 p.m.
Conference Room – Digital Photography Scavenger Hunt Return for Prize
1 p.m.
Steelhead Fishing Techniques Demonstration on the River
(Mike Durkalec)
1 p.m.
Trailside Theater
Live Animal Program
Back to the Wild – Saturday
Lake Erie Nature & Science Center – Sunday
1:30 p.m.
Family Garlic Mustard Pull Hike
2 p.m.
Classroom Presentation – No Child Left Inside: Birds as a Doorway into Nature (Bill Thompson, III)
2 p.m.
Conference Room
Digital Photography Scavenger Hunt Check-In Conference Room
2 p.m.
Pond Dipping for kids
2:30 p.m.
Trailside Theater – Musical Fun
3 p.m.
Family Wildflower Walk
3:30 p.m.
Trailside Theater – Live Animal Program
Back to the Wild – Saturday
Lake Erie Nature & Science Center – Sunday
3:30 p.m.
Classroom Presentation
Breaking Birding News!
Ken Gober
Saturday Only
3:30 p.m.
Classroom Presentation
Life Lessons of Birds
Jen Brumfield Sunday Only
4 p.m.
Conference Room
Digital Photography Scavenger Hunt Return for Prize
7 p.m.
Wetlands and Amphibians hike registration required
Saturday Only
Other activities (10 a.m. – 5 p.m., Saturday & Sunday):
Year of the River display, Digital Photo Scavenger Hunt, kids' crafts, interactive videos, refreshments for purchase, and more!
Digital Photo Scavenger Hunt
Bring your camera phones or your digital cameras! Take only pictures as you or your team venture to find the items on the list. Morning check-in is at 11 a.m. and 1 p.m. is the return for prize and the afternoon check-in is at 2 p.m. and 4 p.m. is the return for the prize.
Ages: All
Terrain: trails
BIRDING THE NORTH COAST
Saturday, April 25; 6 a.m. – 5 p.m.
$40 (includes transportation, stop at the nature festival, leadership, lunch, and snacks).
Join local birders Ken Gober and Bill Deininger for a day-long exploration of some of the best birding hot spots in Greater Cleveland, including: Headlands Beach State Park in Lake County and Sandy Ridge Reservation in Lorain County. We hope to see a wave of colorful Neotropical migrants that includes Prothonotary and Black-throated Green Warblers, flycatchers, gnatcatchers, Blue-headed Vireos, and more. Red-headed Woodpeckers, Sandhill Cranes, and Bald Eagles are all possibilities on this full day in the field. At 3 p.m. we’ll stop at Rocky River Nature Center to report our sightings to “North Coast Nature Festival” participants. Binoculars required. Spotting scopes highly recommended. Space is limited to 16 participants. Registration begins April 1st; to register, call 440-734-6660.
Calling All Kids 12 and Under!
Print out and color in the pileated woodpecker coloring page and redeem the finished coloring page at The Big Show Catering concession stand at the North Coast Nature Festival event for a FREE treat! And, redeem the attached coupon to EarthWords Nature Shop and pay only $1 for Cleveland Metroparks coloring book at the North Coast Nature Festival event!
"THE NATURE & ART SHOW"
Exhibitors and vendors at “The Nature & Art Show"
Back to the Wild – Saturday Only
Lake Erie Nature Science Center – Sunday Only
Begin Designs
Black Swamp Bird Observatory
Burdz-I Nature Photography
Dodd Camera
Eagle Optics
Earth Art Pottery
EarthWatch Ohio
Eco Deco Ceramics
Environmental Photography - Mary “Mimi” Sandmann
Glass Frames - Faye Steranus
Institute of the Great Outdoors
Jennifer Lee Studios
Jewelry by Barbara Garman
Las Gralarias Foundation
Leave No Trace
National Wildlife Federation
Nature Paintings - Jackie Hixon
Nature Paintings – Mary Ryan
Northern Ohio Association of Herpetologists
Northeast Ohio Sierra Club
Ohio Prairie Nursery
Pens, Etc.
Photographer – Kelly Berkheimer
Rag Bags
Rocky River Watershed
Quilts – Sara Cooley
Shooting Star Photography & The Bat Farm
Slate Paintings – Anne Frost
SW Camera Club
The Fleece Shop
This N That
Western Reserve Wild Ones
Wild Birds Unlimited
Year of the River
Featured Speakers:
Mike Durkalec
Mike Durkalec is a noted local angler and conservationist who grew up fishing and otherwise exploring all things aquatic around northeast Ohio. Mike holds a B.S. in Biology from Baldwin Wallace College and a M.S. in Fisheries Management from O.S.U. and has a diverse background in the environmental consulting/testing and fishing industries. He currently serves as Cleveland Metroparks Aquatic Biologist where he is responsible for the park’s fisheries and aquatic research programs, as well as serving as Adjunct Biology Faculty at Cuyahoga Community College. At the Festival Mike will be discussing the highlight local fishing opportunities, as well as giving on the water demonstrations using some specialized steelhead fishing gear.
Bob Kehres
Bob Kehres is the founder of Ohio Prairie Nursery which started in 1998. Bob and his wife, Sandy, co-own the business which has grown steadily. Ohio Prairie Nursery is now Ohio’s largest native seed supplier providing seed for wetland, prairie, habitat creation, erosion control, and home-owner markets. Kehres has been working with and studying native plants and native grassland ecosystems for many years. He enjoys presenting around the state on topics that include native plants and Ohio prairies, stormwater control for watershed protection, and sustainable landscaping through the use of native plants.
Bill Thompson, III
Bill Thompson, III is the editor of Bird Watcher's Digest, the magazine founded by his parents 30 years ago, in 1978. He is the author of many books about birds and nature, including, most recently The Young Birder's Guide to Birds of Eastern North America, part of the Peterson Field Guide Series from Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing. Thompson has lead birding trips all across North America and has spoken or performed at more than 50 birding and nature festivals.
In 2008 Bill was awarded a Service Citizen Award from the U.S Fish & Wildlife Service for his contributions in making the National Wildlife Refuge system more bird and birder-friendly. He was also awarded the Robert Ridgley Award for Excellence in Ornithological Publications from the American Birding Association.
Born in Pella, Iowa, Bill encountered his spark bird there at the age of 8, when a snowy owl flew into the Thompson family's front yard. His favorite bird is the red-headed woodpecker.
Ken Gober
Ken Gober worked for Cleveland Metroparks as a Naturalist and Nature Center Manager for more than 31 years before retiring in 2008. He is a founding member of the National Association for Interpretation (NAI), a professional organization for park naturalists and professionals, and has held elected offices and committee chair positions in NAI. Gober has been awarded NAI’s Distinguished Professional Interpreter, Master Interpretive Manager, and Meritorious Service awards, and has completed NAI’s Certified Interpretive Guide program. He coordinates and keeps records for the largest and longest-running series of organized Birdwalks (occurring at 20 separate locations throughout northeast Ohio each spring since 1934). Gober’s hobbies include birdwatching, nature photography and videography, and visiting Alaska.
Jen Brumfield
Jennifer Brumfield's zest for birds and birding sparked from day one through her father's love for natural science. Her colored pencil and graphic pen illustrations have appeared in hundreds of natural history publications across the country, including the ABA's Birding magazine. She is currently a scientific illustrator and naturalist with Cleveland Metroparks, birding tour guide with Tropical Birding, and a Birding Optics Prostaff Rep with Nikon. She and Gabe Leidy run dozens of specialty birding tours - under the name Local Patch Birding - that target hotspots in the Greater Cleveland Region and beyond. Jennifer, 26, currently resides in Medina, Ohio.
PARKING INFO
Visitors can park at Rocky River Nature Center, Cedar Point Picnic Area and Lagoon Picnic Area - shuttle buses will be available.
