Mayor Williams, an avid birder himself, announced a Mayoral Proclamation recognizing International Migratory Bird Day in the District. He was accompanied by Service Director Jamie Rappaport Clark, who helped him kick off the National Zoo festival. Dozens of other agencies and conservation organizations and thousands of citizens will participate in the festival this weekend.
The festival, running Saturday, May 6, 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. and Sunday, May 7, 11 a.m. to 3 p.m., is one of hundreds of events to be celebrated across the U.S., Mexico, and Canada, in honor of the 8th Annual International Migratory Bird Day.
Clark pointed to the successful recovery of the peregrine falcon, which this year=s migratory bird day celebrates, as an example of how partnerships among citizens, wildlife agencies and conservation organizations can make a difference for birds. She also noted that the District has taken action to help both birds and people by cleaning and landscaping city parks and working to restore the Anacostia River.
"International Migratory Bird Day recognizes conservation partnerships like those that made the peregrines recovery possible. Im proud to join Mayor Williams and the District in their efforts to make our nations capital a bird-friendly city," Clark said.
"Washington, D.C. isnt just a city of monuments. We are also a city of trees, and yes, wildlife," said Mayor Williams. "Every year, we are proud to welcome migratory birds back to the region.
"Migratory birds are a reminder of the fragile life cycle that we must strive to protect. I hope District residents, especially children, take this time to witness the wonders of nature that birds provide us."
The free, public National Zoo festival includes live entertainment, interactive displays, special appearances by costumed characters and live birds of prey, Latin American food vendors, and games, arts, and crafts. These activities, collectively in celebration and support of migratory birds and their conservation, provide the public with a fun way to learn more about such topics as bird watching, habitat requirements for migratory birds, and various ways citizens can protect and support birds in their own backyards.
International Migratory Bird Day is the hallmark event of Partners in Flight, an international coalition created in 1990 that includes the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, other federal and state wildlife agencies, conservation groups, academic institutions, corporations, and private citizens dedicated to reversing declines in migratory bird populations. The National Zoo festival this year is sponsored by members of Partners in Flight, including the Smithsonian Migratory Bird Center, Department of Defense Legacy Resource Management Program, Environmental Protection Agency, U.S. Forest Service, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, National Fish and Wildlife Foundation, Bureau of Land Management, and The Nature Conservancy=s Wings of the Americas Program.
This year, International Migratory Bird Day is marked by another exciting partnership. Thanks to an agreement with the American Zoo and Aquarium Association, the National Zoo is one of almost 100 zoos and aquariums hosting a related event this year.
"The support of AZA has resulted in a significant addition of International Migratory Bird Day events, reaching hundreds of thousands of additional people in North America," said Clark.
In addition to zoo and aquarium events, International Migratory Bird Day observations will be held at dozens of National Wildlife Refuges, national parks and forests, as well as city and state parks, bird sanctuaries and other nature reserves. Many of these events can be found in a registry on the International Migratory Bird Day web site at http://birds.fws.gov/imbd.html. Additional information on migratory bird management issues can be found on the Services home page at http://www.fws.gov.
The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service is the principal Federal agency responsible for conserving, protecting and enhancing fish, wildlife and plants and their habitats for the continuing benefit of the American people. The Service manages the 93-million-acre National Wildlife Refuge System which encompasses more than 520 national wildlife refuges, thousands of small wetlands and other special management areas. It also operates 66 national fish hatcheries, 64 fishery resource offices and 78 ecological services field stations. The agency enforces Federal wildlife laws, administers the Endangered Species Act, manages migratory bird populations, restores nationally significant fisheries, conserves and restores wildlife habitat such as wetlands, and helps foreign governments with their conservation efforts. It also oversees the Federal Aid program that distributes hundreds of millions of dollars in excise taxes on fishing and hunting equipment to state fish and wildlife agencies.
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