This years celebration of International Migratory Bird Day will be held at the Anchorage Zoo on May 11th from 10 a.m. till 5 p.m. (The Zoo itself will be open from 9:00 a.m. until 6:00 p.m.) It's a great opportunity to get out of the house and reaffirm your connection with the natural world at a time when all of nature is on the verge of its magical annual flowering!
As always, the event is designed to provide a full day of entertaining and educational family activities, all focused on the migratory bird species that are, even now, winging their way back into our lives for another wonderful northern summer. As usual, as well, the Zoo is rolling back prices for this one-day event. In honor of Mothers Day, all moms will get in for free. And to encourage recycling, the Zoo will offer $2.00 off the adult admission rate for non-moms who bring in an old cell phone to be recycled.
The good people of Bird Treatment and Learning Center will have a number of live birds on hand to charm and inform young and old alike. These birds (once injured but now healed, though unable to be released into the wild) are always a hit; theyre real avian troupers, always ready to perform for enthusiastic audiences. Therell be games, activities, and prizes for kids offered throughout the day, and the wild bird release (always a must-see) is scheduled to take place at 4:30 p.m. near the Zoo coffee shop. Wheelchairs and signing interpreters will be available to make the event accessible to all.
The organizing theme of this years International Migratory Bird Day events is "Tundra to Tropics," and will be reflected in an interactive shorebird migration game. Additional information is available on the Alaska Zoos website at: http://alaskazoo.org/events.htm.
So whether your goal is to gather information or enjoy an inexpensive day with your family at the Alaska Zoo to celebrate the arrival of another spring, mark your calendars. Anchorage has been enjoying this annual event for years, and the 2008 Migratory Bird Day celebration looks to be the best yet.
