Nikon and The Brevard Nature Alliance present the Space Coast Birding & Wildlife Festival Brevard Community College, Titusville Campus 1311 North U.S. Highway 1, Titusville January 23 - 28, 2008 -- Titusville, Florida A celebration of birds and wildlife.     eMail

Activities for Families

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Although all of the Festival activities are suitable for young people, many stand out as being especially attractive for kids. Youth under 16 years of age are admitted free to all seminars, $5.00 workshops and keynote presentations when accompanied by a paying adult.

Please see the Field Trips, Seminars, Workshops and Photography descriptions and the Schedule of Activities for dates, times and locations. Field Trips will require registration and payment for the trip charge when applicable, as there are seating limits and associated transportation costs.

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| Raptor Project | Bird Feeder | Hands-On Wildlife Safari | Birds of Prey | Bird-Banding | Owl Pellets | House of Dreams |
| Enchanted Forest Activities: Plants | Wildlife | Reptiles | Biodiversity | Bats |
| Field Trips & Seminars |

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Raptor Project See the world's largest collection of traveling winged predators! Location: BCC Gymnatorium Stage. Free Show times: Jan 24 - 12:00pm & 2:00pm, Jan 25 - 9:30am & 2:00pm & 3:30pm, Jan 26 - 10:00am & 2:00pm & 3:30pm.

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Make Your Own Bird Feeder Ace Hardware is furnishing the hangers, birdseed and donated liter bottles for this project. You will be able to help your child with placing the hanger in the bottle, filling with birdseed and finding a good spot for hanging in a tree at home. Supplies are located on the table across from the Festival Registration Table. FREE

Sponsored by: Titusville, FL

Hands-On Wildlife Safari The mission of Hands-On Wildlife Safari is to help preserve the Earth's diversity through the use of "hands-on" education, enlightenment and entertainment. They have added worldwide affected wildlife to their programs, offering a broader wildlife experience and larger presentation topic base with Florida panther, North American bobcat and African spotted serval cat, along with other reptiles and birds from all over the world.

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Our Motto is "Education + Experience = Conservation." We believe that as much as 60% more information is retained when a tactile experience is involved along with good education. Our programs combine the facts that our wildlife educators give you … then add being close to one of the world's most impressive and endangered species, the Florida panther, or touching the glossy scales of a Florida king snake for the first time, or hearing the many verbalizations of the spirited and beautiful North American bobcat. You will walk away with the gift of being surprisingly educated while having an experience that you will never forget.
www.handsonwildlife.org • www.fpl.com
Jan. 25 & 26, 10:00am-5:00pm: In front of the Gymnatorium; Free

Audubon Center for Birds of Prey

Take a special "Behind the Scenes" tour of Florida Audubon's Center for Birds of Prey (ACBOP). The largest raptor rehabilitation facility east of the Mississippi, the ACBOP specializes in the rescue, medical care, rehabilitation and release of more than 600 sick, injured and orphaned raptors each year, including Bald Eagles, hawks, owls, kites, falcons and vultures. Recognized nationally as one of the premier facilities for Bald Eagle care, the center has rehabilitated and released 289 eagles back to the Florida skies since opening in 1979. Many of the non-releasable birds are housed at the center in large aviaries or in the open-air "bird garden," where the glove-trained education birds spend their days. This state-of-the-art facility includes a lab and x-ray equipment to aid in diagnosing and treating patients, a clinic equipped with indoor caging to accommodate raptors of all sizes, rehabilitation mews and three flight barns. In addition, there is extensive native landscaping and a butterfly garden to enjoy. Education is an important mission of all Audubon Centers. Take advantage of an opportunity to get up close and personal with our nation's symbol, the majestic Bald Eagle, or to marvel at the remarkable ears of a Barred Owl.
You must drive yourself. The Center is located near Orlando at 1101 Audubon Way, Maitland, FL 32751. Call 407-644-0190 for directions.
www.audubonofflorida.org/who_centers_CBOP.html
Jan. 24 and 27, 9:00am-11:30am; $5.00/person -- pay at the Center

Bird Banding Demo

Richard Poole
Wekiva Basin Banding Station
Bird banding is a universal and indispensable technique for studying the movement, survival and behavior of birds. Individual identification of birds makes possible studies of dispersal and migration, behavior and social structure, life span and survival rate, reproductive success and population growth. A master bird bander, Richard works at the Wekiva Basin Banding Station, the longest continuously running bird banding station in Florida. Richard will bring two mist nets to set up in two locations. home.cfl.rr.com/wekivabirdband • www.pwrc.usgs.gov/bbl/
Jan. 25; 9:00am-4:00pm; Merritt Island NWR Visitor Center; Free
Jan. 26; 11:30am-4:00pm; Enchanted Forest Sanctuary; Free

Dissection of Barn Owl Pellets or "What's for Dinner?"

Presenters: Richard Raid & Jason Martin University of Florida Barn Owl Project Coordinators This workshop is nature's version of CSI! Have you ever wondered what sort of prey raptors capture and feed on? Due to the alkaline nature of a Barn Owl's stomach, many of the bones, fur and chitinous parts of a Barn Owl's prey are left undigested. Such remains are routinely regurgitated through the mouth in the form of a compact pellet. By collecting and dissecting these pellets, researchers can find out exactly what these marvelous raptors have been eating.

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Discover for yourself why Barn Owls have frequently been termed the most beneficial bird on the planet. This workshop will enable each adventurous participant to dissect his or her very own owl pellet(s), discovering what lies inside. Then, by comparing skeletal remains utilizing bone charts, you will be able to figure out exactly what a Barn Owl eats. With a bit of collaborative sleuthing, participants may even discover what type of ecosystem is inhabited by the owls that spit up these pellets. Think picking through owl regurgitation is disgusting? Think again! Believe it or not, pellet dissection is a favorite lesson at many schools throughout the nation. Adults, but especially kids of all ages, will find this workshop highly entertaining and informative. Sterilized owl pellets, dissecting tools and bone charts will be furnished to all participants free of charge.
erec.ifas.ufl.edu/barnowl/owlindex.htm • www.pentaximaging.com
Requires pre-registration
Jan 26, 8:30am-10:00am: BCC Outside Gazebo; Free

House of Dreams: If You Build It, They Will Come!

Presenters: Richard Raid & Jason Martin University of Florida Barn Owl Project Coordinators Barn Owls, as can be deciphered from their very name, love man-made structures. Referred to as "cavity nesters," Barn Owls take readily to nesting boxes. This workshop will display and discuss a number of Barn Owl nesting box designs constructed of assorted materials. Additionally, tips on nesting box placement will be provided to enhance the likelihood of colonization. Nesting box display models and schematics for a number of other owl species, namely Eastern Screech-Owls, Barred Owls and Burrowing Owls, will be available for those whose land may be better suited for those particular species.

Sponsored by: Durable, reliable optics and cameras

The workshop will also provide participants interested in assisting these wonderful raptors with an opportunity to get personally involved. Volunteers will construct nesting boxes on site for future placement throughout the state. Tools and construction materials will be supplied by the University of Florida's Barn Owl Project. Adults take note: This workshop represents an ideal opportunity for kids who love to work with tools. Help them acquire the "sense of contribution" that you gain in knowing that you have donated time and effort for a worthy cause.
erec.ifas.ufl.edu/barnowl/owlindex.htm • www.pentaximaging.com
Requires pre-registration
Jan 26, 11:00am-12:30pm: BCC Outside Gazebo; Free

Family Activities at the Enchanted Forest

Hosted by the Brevard County Environmentally Endangered Lands Program and Friends of the Enchanted Forest

Titusville's 428-acre Enchanted Forest Sanctuary is the flagship property for the Brevard County Environmentally Endangered Lands (EEL) Program. Preserving a significant sample of the natural communities that originated and remain in this region, the incredible diversity of this area is found throughout the Sanctuary's varied habitats, which include xeric oak scrub, mature hardwood forests, wetlands and pine flatwoods. In one of the few places in Central Florida where subtropical and temperate plant species are found together, visitors can also see the exposed layers of coquina rock that form the Atlantic Coastal Ridge.
www.brevardparks.com/eel • www.enchantedforestfriends.org

All Activities take place at the Enchanted Forest. Meet at the Education Center.
Directions: Go south on U.S. 1 through Titusville. About a mile south of town, go west on SR 405. The entrance is on the right, about 1/3 mile west of U.S. 1.
Jan 26, 11:30am-5:00pm
Pre-registration is required for each activity.

Plants and Their Uses Through History from Ancient to Modern Times

Presenters: Dr. Jay Barnhart and Jim Stahl
Friends of the Enchanted Forest
Learn to identify many of the various native plants found in the Sanctuary as well as practical information regarding their values and uses through the centuries. Your leisurely guided walk will begin on the well-named Biodiversity Loop Trail, which passes through dry scrub areas as it gently ascends to the sandy, higher elevation known as the Atlantic Coastal Ridge. From there it descends to humid wetlands and across a boardwalk that passes over a swampy ecosystem where the black topsoil is known as Tomoka muck. This will bring us to the beginning of the Magnolia Loop Trail, where we will continue under a dense mature forest canopy of impressively large southern magnolias and stately old oak trees. Traveling these diverse ecosystems will hopefully introduce you to many of our treasured Enchanted Forest Sanctuary plants as we provide some interesting stories associated with them. Your interpreters for this session will be trail guide volunteer and avid mushroom hobbyist Dr. Jay Barnhart and retired land manager and biologist Jim Stahl.
Jan 26, 12:00pm-2:30pm: Limited to 20 registrants; Free

Forest Wildlife

Presenter: Joanie Faulls
EEL Enchanted Forest Sanctuary Steward
Some of the wildlife at the Enchanted Forest Sanctuary include butterflies, dragonflies, tree frogs, gopher tortoises, scrub lizards, eagles, bobcat, Florida mice and white-tailed deer. Come hike the trails to look for wildlife, their tracks and other signs of their presence.
Jan 26, 1:00pm-2:00pm: Limited to 20 registrants; Free

Reptiles

Presenter: Paul Schlueb
Friends of the Enchanted Forest
Explore the fascinating and often misunderstood world of reptiles. The presentation will cover reptile classification and physiology, stressing their ecological importance. Learn about various endangered species and what you can do to help reptile conservation. Learn about exotic and invasive species. Some of our interesting local species will be showcased for observation. Information will be presented on venomous species, trying to dispel the many myths that surround these strange creatures.
Jan 26, 2:00pm-3:00pm: Limited to 20 registrants; Free

What is Biodiversity?

Presenters: Certified Guides from the Membership of the Friends of the Enchanted Forest
Explore three unique ecosystems. Learn about the plant and animals that live in the Sanctuary and thus contribute to the biodiversity of the area. The adaptations of these plants and animals will also be discussed and compared. How do animals that live in the hot, sunny xeric oak scrub ecosystem find water? How do plants that survive in the flooded hydric hammock ecosystem adapt to their surroundings? Join us for this guided hike to find out. Interactive educational activities will be conducted along the trail with the entire group.
Jan 26, 3:00pm-4:00pm: Up to 3 guided hikes, each limited to 20 registrants; Free

Beneficial Bats

Presenter: Shari Blissett-Clark
EEL North Region Land Management Technician
Take a journey into the amazing world of bats and learn the truth about these fascinating mammals. Discussions will "bust" popular myths and misconceptions surrounding bats, such as blindness, blood drinking and disease risks. Learn about the real behavior of bats and why they are crucial to a healthy environment and beneficial to mankind.
Jan 26, 4:00pm-5:00pm: Limited to 20 registrants; Free

Field Trips & Seminars

* Beginning Birding: Jan 24 8:30am-12:30pmJan 26 1:00pm-5:00pm * Special Tour of Audubon Center for Birds of Prey: Jan 24 & 27, 9:00am-11:30pm * Dicerandra Scrub Sanctuary Walk: Jan 24, 9:00am-12:00pm * Afternoon Hayride MINWR: Jan 26, 2:00pm-5:30pm * Historical Sites of Canaveral National Seashore Field Trip: Jan 25, 8:30am-5:00pm * Florida Scrub-Jays, class and field trip: Jan 25 & 26, 8:00am-12:30pm * Dissection of Barn Owl Pellets or "What's For Dinner?": Jan 26, 8:30am-10:00am * Owl House of Dreams: If You Build It, They Will Come!: Jan 26, 11:00am-12:30pm * Ancient & Modern Mariners Field Trip: Jan 26, 8:00am-5:00pm * Enchanted Forest Family Activities: Jan 26, 12:00pm-5:00pm Plants and Their Uses through History Forest Wildlife Reptiles What is Biodiversity? Beneficial Bats Hands-On Wildlife Safari: Jan 25 & 26, 10:00am-5:00pm Bird Banding: Jan 25, Merritt Island NWR Visitor Center: 9:00am-4:00pm Jan 26, Enchanted Forest: 11:30am-4:00pm * Activities that require pre-registration

World of Bats • Eagles in Florida • Barn Owls: Farmer's Friend, Teacher's Pet • A New World for Gopher Tortoises • Penguins of the World • South Georgia - Island of Ice and Penguins • Life of Birds • Parrots of South Florida • Interpretations of Nature • Beautiful Birds/Beautiful Music • Beautiful Nature/Beautiful Music • Seabirds and Marine Mammals of Monterey Bay • Madagascar • Threatened & Endangered Birds of Florida • The Valdes Peninsula, Its Birds and Mammals • The Windover Site: A Glimpse of Life in Florida 7,000 Years Ago • Canada's Arctic • The Yukon, Northwest Territories and the Dempster Highway • The Unique Galapagos Islands: A Real Alive Museum • Wildlife of the Brazilian Pantanal and Cerrado

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