With more than 100 participants, HRVMN volunteers are calling the first Salty Bird Festival a hit!

Aimed at getting kids in the community excited about living in such an incredible biodiversity hot spot, the first ever Salty Bird Festival (September 22, 2024) had HRVMN volunteers lined up next to the famous Saltville Well Fields (DWR Bird and Wildlife Trail number MCM 02) to offer education about bird species, bird songs, bird habitat, bird bones, bird books, bird crafts, bird everything!

We were especially grateful for event partners that included the Saltville Public Library, Museum of the Middle Appalachians. and the Smyth County Chamber of Commerce.

Plans are underway for the second annual Salty Bird Festival on October 4, 2024. There is discussion of expanding the event to include a lecture for adults on Friday evening, and a community bird walk on Sunday morning. STAY TUNED FOR DETAILS!

Participants kept a running list of birds seen during the event. We were especially excited about a Yello-billed Cuckoo who posed in the parking lot for a good look!

Volunteer Jill Henderson had a fun game to help learn about bird songs. See that Blue Jay taped to her tent? Kids were encouraged to check off Bingo card squares with birds and if they checked off at least three, they could go to the Saltville Public Library booth for a free book and they could get a door prize from the Salty Bird welcome tent!

So many young families attended!

HRVMN volunteer Katie Cordle got to show some tiny birders how to use a spotting scope on a Great Egret who happily posed for the event!

Showing us his bird book, this little fella’s great grandmother is the namesake for the trail at the Well Fields: The Helen Barbrow Trail.

Cody Stevenson is an E&H grad working at the Museum of the Middle Appalachians. He used his amazing digital art skills to create a poster that shows how birds evolved from dinosaurs!

We were lucky to have area partners who would share information with visitors. Jeremy Stout from the Steele Creek Nature Center brought bones and fossils and cool information and the kids loved it! (So did the adults!)

The festival was truly a family affair! And visitors included community members wishing to learn more and even well-known experts in the bird and environmental studies community.

A budding birder!

HRVMN volunteer Sandy Chambers got into the fun by creating her own bird costume for the event! We’re not sure what species she is…maybe a Yellow-billed Fringed Pipit. Dr. Vernon Hicks drove down from Kentucky to enjoy the event!

E&H Student Anna Woodall got the joy of wrapping up the day by showing us the clicker that proved we had more than 100 participants over the course of the morning!