GEORGE COUTY TO PARTICIPATE IN ANNUAL WILD WING FESTIVAL

Courtsey of George County Times
Special events are planned in George County and along the Mississippi Gulf Coast during the 2007 Wild Wing River and Nature Festival, which begins today (April 13).
Events scheduled for the Lucedale area will be held on Friday ad Saturday, April 20 and 21. The Friday event will be a BirdSong Identification session, from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. This event is free, and will be held at the Lucedale Fine Arts Building.
Expert birder Daniel Edelstein will reveal the secrets of identifying birds by their song. Beginning with a basic understanding of the ecology of bird songs and calls, the program (which includes a dynamic slide show featuring images of birds and recordings of their songs/calls) proceeds to introduce the different kinds and patterns of birds vocalizations-songs, calls, sub-song, whisper song, repertoires, mimicry- and the reasons researchers believe they are used.
Edelstein will allow attendants to hear typical songs as well as distinguish difficult-to-identify songs from sound-alike birds and groups of birds.
Then on Saturday, Edelstein will lead in a field trip to test participants' skills and learn bird song Identification. The trip will be to the Charles Deaton Nature Preserve, owned and managed by the Nature Conservancy.
Saturday events include a ribbon cutting and nature walk at the Havard Nature Trail and Greenway at Depot Creek in Lucedale. This event is free, also, and will be held from 9-11 a.m.
Included at the Greenway Nature Walk will be a guided tour of the area's unique opportunity for outdoor recreation. A book signing by Pascagoula native Laura Hildick Burge, author of “Singing River Story,” is planned.
In addition, Joe McGee, from Mississippi Museum of Natural Science, will provide a hands-on display about turtles, snakes and reptiles of the Pascagoula Rive Basin. Music will be provided by Rochambeaux in the City Park adjacent to the Greenway, from noon to 3 p.m.
Another planned event in George County will be an Egret Rookery Tour, which will be held at the Herman Murrah Preserve on Saturday, April 21 from 7:30 to 10:30 a.m. There is a 15-person limit. Call (601)947-3111 for more details. Call (229)872-2769 for reservations; there will be a $25 fee.

ALONG THE GULF COAST
Among events planned along the Gulf Coast are:
**Friday, April 13 – Sunset Dinner Cruise on the Escatawpa, Moss Point, 5 to 8 p.m., $100. Limit 20.
**Saturday and Sunday, April 14 and 15, Wings Along the Bayou, Gautier City Park, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., free to public. Includes boat trips, seminar on “Backyard Habitat for Wildlife,” guided Wildflower Walk, birding and lecture on Mississippi sandhill cranes.
**Tuesday, April 17, Horn Island Naturalist ad Birding Tour, Ocean Springs, 1 to 8 p.m., $110. Limit 25. Explore the connection between art and nature ae Mary Anderson Pickard, daughter of renowned natural artist Walter Anderson, leads the tour to Horn Island aboard a Biloxi Schooner sailing vessel. On the island, naturalist-guided walk planed to learn about the barrier island or join local birding groups.
**Wednesday, April 18, Creole Bayou Heritage Tour, Pelican Landing Conference Center, Moss Point, 8:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m., $75, Limit 6. A natural and cultural heritage tour of Creole Bayou on the Pascagoula River to view natural habitats of the abundant flora and fauna of the area, including several threatened and endangered species. Water fowl and migratory birds like brown pelicans, ospreys, herons, egrets, even bald eagles- are often seen on these excursions along with American alligators and other wildlife.
Other events are planned along the Gulf Coast, see http://www.wildwingfestival.com/for a complete schedule of events or call Leah Bray at (228) 826-3032 for more details.