In conjunction with the annual Heron Festival, which is taking place this weekend, bird and nature art will be on display at the Lake County Arts Council”s Main Street Gallery.
The Heron Festival Art Show will feature an opening reception, 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. Friday, April 27, at the Main Street Gallery, 325 N. Main St. in Lakeport. Guests are invited to mingle with artists and enjoy wine and hors d”oeuvres. Bird and nature art will remain on display at the gallery for the entire weekend of the Heron Festival.
The Heron Festival takes place Saturday, April 28, and Sunday, April 29, at Clear Lake State Park, 5300 Soda Bay Rd. near Kelseyville. Keynote speaker Phillip L. Greene, an internationally-known photographer, will make a presentation on the nesting cycle of herons, 10 a.m. and 2:30 p.m. Saturday, in the Visitor Center Auditorium.
Greene is a world-renowned photographer of herons and egrets and has had his work featured in museums around the world, including the California Academy of Science and the British Museum. He has been published in Country Living, Aperture, California Wild, and Bay Nature, and his photos also were used to illustrate the Annotated Atlas and Implications for the Conservation of Heron and Egret Nesting Colonies in the San Francisco Bay Area (Audubon Canyon Ranch). He was instrumental in establishing the Marin Islands National Wildlife Refuge, having helped secure a $1 million Land and Water Conservation Grant for purchase of the islands with a presentation he gave in front of the House of Representatives. His photographs were entered into the Congressional Record.
The annual Heron Festival, with a Spring Wildflower Brunch, is presented by the Redbud Audubon Society and the Clear Lake State Park Interpretive Association. The family-oriented event features pontoon boat tours, birding and nature walks, exhibits, nature talks and children”s activities.
The Spring Wildflower Brunch will be held from 9 a.m. to noon Saturday and features “Fill Your Own Omelet.” The cost for brunch is $12. Advance brunch reservations and payment are requested and may be made online by visiting www.heronfestival.org or by calling (800) 525-3743.
From 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. both Saturday and Sunday, pontoon boat excursions will leave from the Clear Lake State Park marina and take visitors along the shoreline of Clear Lake to view nesting herons, egrets, grebes, and other shorebirds. Boat trips are expected to last 90 minutes in length. Experienced Audubon birding guides will accompany each boat to share information about the birds and wildlife seen on each trip. A donation of $15 per person is requested; advance reservations are required and may be made by visiting www.heronfestival.org or by calling (800) 525-3743.
The Clear Lake State Park Visitor Center will be open from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., also on Saturday and Sunday, featuring interpretive displays of Lake County”s natural and cultural resources. The Visitor Center Auditorium will feature speakers, slide shows and videos on local birds and wildlife.
Admission to Clear Lake State Park is free during Heron Festival weekend. Except for the boat rides and brunch, all other festival activities are free. Camping sites are available through the State Park reservation system.
For more information about all festival events, call (800) 525-3743 or visit www.heronfestival.org.
