[mou] fall birding festival Nov. 7-9

[Jim Williams]

The 2nd Annual Rivers & Bluffs Fall Birding Festival
November, 7-9, 2003....Check it out this year!
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Co-sponsored by - - - 12 organizations, corporations and agencies.
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Only=A04 clicks of=A0your mouse are necessary=A0to obtain=A0online
information=A0needed to=A0appreciate and register for=A0this=A0fun-packed event=A0wit=
h
field trips in Minnesota, Wisconsin,=A0and Iowa=A0for=A0close up views of
thousands of elegant Tundra Swans, and literally hundreds of thousands of
ducks and geese.=20
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First, click=A0=A0http://www.lansingiowa.com . At the top of=A0this homepage,
click on "Upcoming Events."=A0Then=A0click "Rivers & Bluffs Fall Birding
Festival." Clicking our ad takes you to=A0a=A0brochure=A0showing=A0our fun-filled
agenda, other festival details, and the registration form to print out and
return. It couldn't be much=A0easier.
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The Nov. 7-9=A0Rivers & Bluffs Fall Birding Festival=A0emphasizes FUN TIMES
learning to "Identify, Enjoy and Understand All Birds Around Us."
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Explore one of Mother Nature's best kept secrets -=A0beautiful and=A0majestic
Bluff Overlooks, and the biologically rich Mississippi River ecosystem -
from festival headquarters at Lansing, Iowa, a quite, picturesque, and
enjoyable community, located just 11 miles south of the Minnesota border.
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This year we have more to offer and are better organized than in our
inaugural year when 175 participants from 39 cities in 4 states enjoyed our
river town hospitality. There will definitely be good diversity and
extremely large numbers of birds to enjoy. Indoor introductory bird program=
s
are stronger, and our community will again "roll out the red carpet" with
fine field trip leaders, excellent food, numerous door
prizes, live music, tours of our Museum of River History and Big River
Forge, etc. Linda Thomas, Wild Birds Unlimited, Ames, IA, will present two
programs on how to create a backyard paradise for birds and other
wildlife.=A0A new addition this year will be=A0boat tours to see waterfowl up
close and personal. The 20-passenger Mississippi Explorer will take up to 3
trips on Saturday P.M. and another 3 trips on Sunday A.M. if there is
sufficient interest.
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A=A0$5 registration fee makes our festival the best bargain among birding
festivals. PLEASE REGISTER EARLY. Importantly, when seating capacity is
reached at our Community Center, we=A0won't be able to allow anyone else to
attend. We=A0also must know how many people to expect for the great meals we
will=A0enjoy together at our best restaurants; and how we can allocate time
for our boat tours. (Boat tours are a cost that cannot be covered by the
minimal registration fee.)
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In addition to the information shown on=A0our brochure, we will also have
numerous door prizes, a silent auction for a number of donated items, and a
quick live auction Saturday evening between our meal together and special
live music by Jon Stravers and the Big Blue Sky Band. Funds raise=A0at the
auction will go to a wetland conservation project to benefit birds and all
wildlife.
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Be sure to bring family and friends with you to enjoy=A0a weekend=A0of fun
together in an unspoiled area filled with Tundra Swans, Bald Eagles, and
many other species.
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Please FORWARD=A0this message=A0via email, snail mail, or smoke signal, to
birdwatchers and other nature lovers=A0that you know,=A0who=A0may wish to attend.
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If you have questions that we haven't covered here, please don't hesitate t=
o
email me.
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Thank you for your interest.
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Ric
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Ric Zarwell
Important Bird Areas (IBA) Coordinator
Audubon Iowa
P.O. Box 299
Lansing, Iowa 52151
zarxzar@salamander.com
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Iowa IBA Website:
www.iowabirds.org/IBA
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Mission: "To bring MORE people to nature through birding;
and especially, to move MORE birders to effective conservation action."
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SHOW UP.... SPEAK UP.... ANTE UP.... For Birds and Habitats

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forward by Jim Williams, Wayzata