11th Annual Snow Goose Festival: January 28-31, 2010
Free Events and Activities for the Whole Family: Saturday, Jan. 30

An owl at the exhibits.

This year we will feature an eclectic assortment of interesting maps from around the North Valley and beyond. Get the bird’s eye view of our local landscape features. Stroll through maps in the CHFC hallway and let your curiosity take you on a tour.

This beautifully filmed video shows many of the migratory birds that come from as far away as Siberia and the Arctic Circle to make their homes in Sacramento Valley's wetlands each winter. Included are Snow and Ross's Geese, Sandhill Cranes, White Fronted Geese, Canada Geese, and Tundra Swans." Filmed by Henry Ganzler.

Local duck callers will be available for training and coaching before the contest. This is for youth up to 16 years old. Calls will be available for youths.

A Northwest Pacific Native People’s story, The "Loon’s Necklace" tells how the Loon got its distinctive band around its neck.

Nature crafts and other special activities for children of all ages will be taking place throughout the weekend. Learn bird identification, make a bird call, attend a birding investigation lab, take a closer look at feathers, get banded like a bird and much, much more!

Touch a snake or get close to a lizard! Join Department of Fish and Game’s Steve Brightwell as he shares very interesting facts about some of Butte County’s most amazing reptiles.

Enjoy a storytelling event, when Adrienne Scott and Heather McCafferty, of CSU Chico’s Valene L. Smith Museum of Anthropology give a dramatic re-telling of this Northwest Pacific tale. Afterward, children can make a "loons necklace" to take home to remember the loon’s gift to her people.

Learn the basics about Binoculars and Spotting Scopes for bird watching! What do the numbers mean? Isn't higher power always better? This will be a "show and tell" discussion about the differences in size, quality, and construction of optics so that you can make a good choice for your needs and budget. Sample optics will be available from numerous manufacturers to illustrate.