A Celebration of Birds, with Raven Tree Wild Bird and Nature Shop, was terrific! In it’s third year, the event grew by leaps and bounds. This partnership with Raven Tree is a great way to get folks out into Sisson Meadow and to connect people with the wild birds of our community. This year’s bird house decorating contest has 83 entries with 59 coming from youth 13 years old and younger (all the way down to 2 years old). Mt. Shasta Trail Association volunteers, Raven Tree and materials donations from the Siskiyou Opportunity Center made that possible by assembling 90 bird house for kids. Tom Ravizza made blank birdhouses for adult artists to paint and enter, so we had some gorgeous handpainted houses. There was so much creativity in this year’s contest that it was fun for everyone involved – from folks stopping into the shop, people who bid in the auction, judges in the contest and family members who stopped in to admire the work of their loved ones.
The guided bird walk of Sisson Meadow on September 22nd was made all the more fun by having Jim and Debbie Parker join Kendra Bainbridge (of Raven Tree) in leading the walk. The Parkers are serious birders with extensive knowledge, so the folks on the walk were able to learn a lot about bird habit, behavior and communities. The Parkers posted a list of birds seen in the meadow that morning on eBird, along with Debbie’s photos of some of those birds. Be sure to check it out, then head over to Sisson Meadow to see what you can spot.
A small group of children joined in for nature-based craft activities in the meadow. They made Monarch Butterfly flip books and milkweed seed balls. We’re already looking forward to next year’s event and imagining ways to grow and improve. It’s all about connection people of all ages to nature, so it’s easy to be inspired.
Siskiyou Land Trust thanks each person who was involved in this event – from building bird houses to bidding in the auction. Big thanks to Glenn Harvey – volunteer extraordinaire – for organizing the bird house kit building day. We love connecting with community and it takes a lot of support to make this event. Thank you!
And a huge, gigantic, heart-felt thank you to Kendra Bainbridge for her vision, enthusiasm, creativity and dedication to A Celebration of Birds. We’re so grateful to work with you.
