"Gathering of Wings" Banquet & Silent Auction

Banquet & Silent Auction

Saturday, January 28, 2017
5:30 pm - 10 pm
Bell Memorial Union Auditorium
CSU, Chico
Corner of 2nd Street and Chestnut Street, Chico, CA

Cost per person: $39 Adult, $25 Youth (17 years and younger) and students with ID
Beer & Wine (no host)

Don’t miss the biggest event of the Snow Goose Festival, our Gathering of Wings Banquet. This treasured evening is a mix of great food, great company and great entertainment and is anticipated by many as the one chance per year they have to visit and catch up with fellow birders and friends in the community. Join field trip leaders, workshop presenters and all our hard-working committee members and volunteers in celebrating this special evening.

Keynote Speaker:
Alvaro Jaramillo

Birding is a ton of fun, it gets you outside, you meet great people, you see gorgeous birds, and it works your brain!  Much of the brain exercise is about learning and recognizing, in other words identifying birds.  Most bird identification lectures focus on field marks and the specifics of separating species A from species B.  But few ask exactly how we identify birds.  What is our brain going through in order to do this?  How does our brain get tripped up during bird identification – ever encountered the "leaf bird," the "branch bird," or the worse one of all, "the plastic bag snowy owl?"  Why do experts identify birds almost without thinking, while the rest of us need to struggle?  Are they different than the rest of us, or are there tricks?  Truth is that bird identification is pretty tricky stuff, but our brain is wired to shortcut much of the thinking involved in doing it. The trick is training yourself to do it like a pro.  And that is the aim of this presentation – a lighthearted but informative explanation of how the heck they do it.  In turn we also realize how birding is for everyone, and a great addition to anyone’s life.

Alvaro Jaramillo was born in Chile but began birding in Toronto, Canada, where he lived as a youth.  He was trained in ecology and evolution with a particular interest in bird behavior.  He is the author of the Birds of Chile, an authoritative yet portable field guide to Chile's birds.  He recently wrote the American Birding Association Field Guide to the Birds of California.  Alvaro writes the “Identify Yourself” column in Bird Watcher's Digest.  He also runs a birding and nature tour company Alvaro's Adventures, where the focus is to have fun, learn a thing or two, and truly enjoy nature.  Alvaro lives with his family in Half Moon Bay, California.

He is also the author of many books, including Birds of Chile, American Birding Association Field Guide to Birds of California, New World Blackbirds The Icterids.

Alvaro Jaramillo will be available for book signings after his keynote address.

Silent Auction

Silent auction begins at 5:30 pm

The vibrant Silent Auction tables will accompany us while we dine at the BMU and will include a variety of exquisite items including works of art, wine, and services. Your financial participation directly affects our ability to ensure that the Snow Goose Festival remains the North State's premier birding event, so enjoy the evening bidding for an event or item that you love. You won't be disappointed!

Interested in donating an item or service to our auction? Please contact our office at 345-1865 or email info@snowgoosefestival.org.

Download donation letter and form here.