Join us for a guided walking-tour of the refuge. The birding tour will take place around the Visitor Center and Observation Building where you might see a variety of ducks, geese, cranes, and other waterfowl. The tour will last approximately 1-2 hours.

No reservations are required.

Meet at the Visitor Center at 8:00 AM

Please bring binoculars and dress for any potential weather.

Join us for a morning bird walk at Wheeler National Wildlife Refuge!

We will meet at the outdoor classroom in the Visitor Center parking lot at 11 a.m. to walk around the property and enjoy spotting some of the resident winter birds, including Sandhill Cranes and, if we are lucky, Endangered Whooping Cranes. Anyone is welcome to join this free hour-long event – registration is not required. Please dress appropriately for the weather!

This program is provided by the International Crane Foundation in partnership with the Wheeler Wildlife Refuge Association.

In partnership with the International Crane Foundation, we’re excited to invite you to a community litter cleanup event for our wintering Whooping Cranes and Sandhill Cranes on Nov. 9, or Jan. 4 or 18, 2025, from 8 to 10 a.m. Together, we will remove trash that has made its way into crane habitats to help keep our wetlands safe for cranes and other waterbirds.  

This event is open to all ages; however, minors must be accompanied by their parents or a legal guardian. Please come dressed for the weather and working outdoors near water. Snacks, water, and work gloves will be provided, but you can bring your own. Volunteers will also receive a gift from the International Crane Foundation as a token of our gratitude!

Pre-registration is encouraged. To get involved, please contact Olivia Burkholz or David Young at 256-350-6639. They will also confirm the cleanup location within the Wheeler National Wildlife Refuge before the event.

Join us for a morning bird walk at Wheeler National Wildlife Refuge!

We will meet at the outdoor classroom in the Visitor Center parking lot at 11 a.m. to walk around the property and enjoy spotting some of the resident winter birds, including Sandhill Cranes and, if we are lucky, Endangered Whooping Cranes. Anyone is welcome to join this free hour-long event – registration is not required. Please dress appropriately for the weather!

This program is provided by the International Crane Foundation in partnership with the Wheeler Wildlife Refuge Association.

Join us for a guided walking-tour of the refuge. The birding tour will take place around the Visitor Center and Observation Building where you might see a variety of ducks, geese, cranes, and other waterfowl. The tour will last approximately 1-2 hours.

No reservations are required.

Meet at the Visitor Center at 8:00 AM

Please bring binoculars and dress for any potential weather.

Christopher Joe will be kicking off our FOC 2025 with a guided bird walk! There is no registration and the event will be first come, first served.

Alabama Center for the Arts - Performing Arts Building (Recital Hall)

"Thank you, Rachel" is a new play by Carol Cook Puckett about Rachel Carson. Rachel Carson was a biologist, spirited idealist, and the author of "Silent Spring."

Featuring the Fiddleworms with special guests including Kelvin Holly, Jay Burgess, Gary Baker, Jimmy Nutt, Dave Anderson, Taylor Grace, Mike Dillon, Marty Lewis, James LeBlanc, Marie Lewey, Cindy Walker, G Mane, Cissy Ashley Guinn, Brad Guinn, Drew White, Ricky Burkes, Scott Campbell, Eddie Martin, Connor, Nick Franks, Lenny LeBlanc, Gary Nichols, Rob Aldridge, Natasha Paige Nix, Bay Simpson, Daniel Crisler, Michael Ledbetter, Angela Hacker, Jamie Barrier, Lucie Tiger, Monkee Wammack, Red Mouth, Doug Stokes, Trey Nichols,  Steve Vickery, Scott Todd, Halley Phillips, Carla Russell, Microwave Dave, and the Decatur High School Marching Band. 

Click here to purchase your tickets

Wings to Soar's mission is to create awareness about the vital role birds of prey play in the natural world. In this interactive outreach program, environmental education reaches new heights! In this free-flying raptor program, the
audience has a unique opportunity to view birds of prey up close.

Alabama Center for the Arts - Performing Arts Building - Recital Hall

 BATTY ABOUT BATS presented by Vicky Beckham Smith of A-Z ANIMALS consists of a power point presentation that covers myths about bats, their adaptations, their feeding strategies along with the eco-services they provide to us, the various food they eat, prey and predator relationships, and various places they live and roost.  It also covers the difference between micro and mega bats. There are various mounted bats, life size silhouettes as well as live bats that will be used during the presentation. Vicky holds USDA, USFWS and state permits that allow her to house and use the bats for educational purposes.

Alabama Center for the Arts - Visual Arts Building - Room 113

Join us for a nature-inspired painting party during Festival of the Cranes weekend on Sat., Jan. 11, 2025!

We provide the supplies, and you provide the inspiration. Each participant will receive a canvas panel on which to paint their favorite animal, plant, or insect, and we’ll have paint and brushes onsite for everyone to borrow. We can’t wait to see what you create!

Open to children from 4 to 99! Free and open to the public.

Storyteller Brian “Fox” Ellis portrays Audubon in a dynamic performance that engages listeners in scientific inquiry and natural history, art appreciation, and ornithology. Come spend an hour in the studio of one of America’s greatest naturalists and wildlife artists. Listen to tales of his adventures in the wilds of America!

Alabama Center for the Arts - Visual Arts Building - Room 118

Christopher Joe presents “Building Tourism Through Small Ecotourism Projects”

Alabama Center for the Arts - Performing Arts Building - Recital Hall

Cave Life of Wheeler NWR: An Underappreciated and Unique Biodiversity

Dr. Niemiller is the head of the Cave Bio Lab at UAH, which employs field, laboratory, and computational approaches to study the ecology, evolution, and conservation of life in caves and other subterranean habitats. Current research includes population surveys and status assessments of state and federally-listed cave and groundwater species throughout the United States and Alaska, developing environmental DNA approaches for population monitoring and community studies of groundwater life, and genetic and genomic studies of cave and groundwater fauna, among others.

Princess Theatre Center for the Performing Arts

Andrew J. Caven, Vice President – North America Programs, International Crane Foundation

An issue of scale: building coalitions to address wetland habitat connectivity challenges in the Great Plains using a flagship species

We find ourselves in the midst of the 6th major extinction in world history, notwithstanding significant investments in native species conservation. One of the major drivers of this decline is a reduction in the extent and quality of habitat for native wildlife and vascular plant species. The Great Plains of North America are no exception and represent one of the most transformed landscapes in the world.

Alabama Center for the Arts - Performing Arts Building - Recital Hall

Auburn’s Dinosaur Egg: A Short and Long Tale

About 83 million years ago, an almost completely developed dinosaur died. Still encased in its egg, it somehow got washed out to sea, sank, and was buried. In 1970, Prescott Atkinson, then 17 years old, was looking for fossils west of Selma when he found the egg sitting on a pedestal of clay. In the over 50 years since then, the egg has traveled around Alabama and to France to unlock its mysteries. It is one of the rarest things in the world as it is the only ornithomimid egg; it is shaped more like a duck egg, while most dinosaur eggs are elongated. It is heavily textured, and it is among the thickest eggs ever found despite also being one of the smallest dinosaur eggs. As the eastern US’s only intact dinosaur egg, it unlocks just a bit of what is a very poorly known time in our area. The short life and the long history of the egg will be discussed.

Alabama Center for the Arts - Visual Arts Building - Room 118

Hidden Heroes: The Role of Citizen Scientists in Studies of Avian Reproduction

Robyn will discuss how ordinary people around the world contribute important bird observations to long-term databases. These contributions help scientists understand how environmental changes affect bird populations. Specifically focusing on North America's nesting birds over the past six decades, Robyn will highlight the pivotal role of citizen scientists in this research. She also offers practical tips on how everyone can make a difference in supporting bird conservation in their daily lives.

 “Birds Tell Their Own Stories: Connecting the Public to Bird Conservation Challenges”

Alabama Center for the Arts - Performing Arts Building - Recital Hall

DRUG DISCOVERY IN ANTARCTIC SEAS

Explore the exciting field of marine natural product drug discovery and efforts to find new chemicals to cure a variety of human diseases from Antarctic marine animals.

Alabama Center for the Arts - Visual Arts Building - Room 118

Southern Exposure Films (Janice Barrett)

Alabama Center for the Arts - Visual Arts Building - Room 113

Wings to Soar's mission is to create awareness about the vital role birds of prey play in the natural world. In this interactive outreach program, environmental education reaches new heights! In this free-flying raptor program, the
audience has a unique opportunity to view birds of prey up close.

Alabama Center for the Arts - Performing Arts Building (Recital Hall)

"Thank you, Rachel" is a new play by Carol Cook Puckett about Rachel Carson. Rachel Carson was a biologist, spirited idealist, and the author of "Silent Spring."

Alabama Center for the Arts - Visual Arts Building - Room 118

Cave Life of Wheeler NWR: An Underappreciated and Unique Biodiversity

Dr. Niemiller is the head of the Cave Bio Lab at UAH, which employs field, laboratory, and computational approaches to study the ecology, evolution, and conservation of life in caves and other subterranean habitats. Current research includes population surveys and status assessments of state and federally-listed cave and groundwater species throughout the United States and Alaska, developing environmental DNA approaches for population monitoring and community studies of groundwater life, and genetic and genomic studies of cave and groundwater fauna, among others.

Wings to Soar's mission is to create awareness about the vital role birds of prey play in the natural world. In this interactive outreach program, environmental education reaches new heights! In this free-flying raptor program, the
audience has a unique opportunity to view birds of prey up close.

Alabama Center for the Arts - Performing Arts Building - Recital Hall

 BATTY ABOUT BATS presented by Vicky Beckham Smith of A-Z ANIMALS consists of a power point presentation that covers myths about bats, their adaptations, their feeding strategies along with the eco-services they provide to us, the various food they eat, prey and predator relationships, and various places they live and roost.  It also covers the difference between micro and mega bats. There are various mounted bats, life size silhouettes as well as live bats that will be used during the presentation. Vicky holds USDA, USFWS and state permits that allow her to house and use the bats for educational purposes.

Hidden Heroes: The Role of Citizen Scientists in Studies of Avian Reproduction

Robyn will discuss how ordinary people around the world contribute important bird observations to long-term databases. These contributions help scientists understand how environmental changes affect bird populations. Specifically focusing on North America's nesting birds over the past six decades, Robyn will highlight the pivotal role of citizen scientists in this research. She also offers practical tips on how everyone can make a difference in supporting bird conservation in their daily lives.

Alabama Center for the Arts - Visual Arts Building - Room 118

Fish Under Alabama: How Fish Came to Live in Caves

Some of the most inhospitable environments are caves. With no light, any cave organism relies on food that comes from the outside. Despite these conditions, fish have moved into caves many times all over the world. For a long time, we believed that cave organisms had to have small distributions because their lack of eyes and pigments would mean that they would not be able to survive outside of their dark environments. However, one of Alabama’s two cavefishes, the Southern Cavefish, is distributed across Alabama, Georgia, Tennessee, Kentucky, and Alabama. Turns out that the underground world is a lot more complex than we had thought.

Alabama Center for the Arts - Performing Arts Building - Recital Hall

Jimmy Stiles Herpetologist and Nature Lover:  Mr.  Stiles will share information about the reptiles and amphibians of Alabama.  This hands-on experience is always a hit!

Storyteller Brian “Fox” Ellis portrays Audubon in a dynamic performance that engages listeners in scientific inquiry and natural history, art appreciation, and ornithology. Come spend an hour in the studio of one of America’s greatest naturalists and wildlife artists. Listen to tales of his adventures in the wilds of America!

Alabama Center for the Arts - Visual Arts Building - Room 118

DIVING UNDER ANTARCTIC ICE

Through his spectacular images, Dr. McClintock takes you SCUBA diving in sub-freezing waters and introduces you to the bountiful sea life in the most fascinating and challenging seas in the world.

Alabama Center for the Arts - Performing Arts Building - Recital Hall

 "Enhancing Reintroduction Efforts in Southern Ground Hornbills Through Cross-Disciplinary Knowledge”  

Wings to Soar's mission is to create awareness about the vital role birds of prey play in the natural world. In this interactive outreach program, environmental education reaches new heights! In this free-flying raptor program, the
audience has a unique opportunity to view birds of prey up close.

Alabama Center for the Arts - Performing Arts Building - Recital Hall

Jimmy Stiles Herpetologist and Nature Lover:  Mr.  Stiles will share information about the reptiles and amphibians of Alabama.  This hands-on experience is always a hit!

Alabama Center for the Arts - Performing Arts Building (Recital Hall)

"Thank you, Rachel" is a new play by Carol Cook Puckett about Rachel Carson. Rachel Carson was a biologist, spirited idealist, and the author of "Silent Spring."

In partnership with the International Crane Foundation, we’re excited to invite you to a community litter cleanup event for our wintering Whooping Cranes and Sandhill Cranes on Nov. 9, or Jan. 4 or 18, 2025, from 8 to 10 a.m. Together, we will remove trash that has made its way into crane habitats to help keep our wetlands safe for cranes and other waterbirds.  

This event is open to all ages; however, minors must be accompanied by their parents or a legal guardian. Please come dressed for the weather and working outdoors near water. Snacks, water, and work gloves will be provided, but you can bring your own. Volunteers will also receive a gift from the International Crane Foundation as a token of our gratitude!

Pre-registration is encouraged. To get involved, please contact Olivia Burkholz or David Young at 256-350-6639. They will also confirm the cleanup location within the Wheeler National Wildlife Refuge before the event.

Join us for a morning bird walk at Wheeler National Wildlife Refuge!

We will meet at the outdoor classroom in the Visitor Center parking lot at 11 a.m. to walk around the property and enjoy spotting some of the resident winter birds, including Sandhill Cranes and, if we are lucky, Endangered Whooping Cranes. Anyone is welcome to join this free hour-long event – registration is not required. Please dress appropriately for the weather!

This program is provided by the International Crane Foundation in partnership with the Wheeler Wildlife Refuge Association.

Join us for a guided walking-tour of the refuge. The birding tour will take place around the Visitor Center and Observation Building where you might see a variety of ducks, geese, cranes, and other waterfowl. The tour will last approximately 1-2 hours.

No reservations are required.

Meet at the Visitor Center at 8:00 AM

Please bring binoculars and dress for any potential weather.

Join us for a morning bird walk at Wheeler National Wildlife Refuge!

We will meet at the outdoor classroom in the Visitor Center parking lot at 11 a.m. to walk around the property and enjoy spotting some of the resident winter birds, including Sandhill Cranes and, if we are lucky, Endangered Whooping Cranes. Anyone is welcome to join this free hour-long event – registration is not required. Please dress appropriately for the weather!

This program is provided by the International Crane Foundation in partnership with the Wheeler Wildlife Refuge Association.

Join us for a morning bird walk at Wheeler National Wildlife Refuge!

We will meet at the outdoor classroom in the Visitor Center parking lot at 11 a.m. to walk around the property and enjoy spotting some of the resident winter birds, including Sandhill Cranes and, if we are lucky, Endangered Whooping Cranes. Anyone is welcome to join this free hour-long event – registration is not required. Please dress appropriately for the weather!

This program is provided by the International Crane Foundation in partnership with the Wheeler Wildlife Refuge Association.

Join us for a guided walking-tour of the refuge. The birding tour will take place around the Visitor Center and Observation Building where you might see a variety of ducks, geese, cranes, and other waterfowl. The tour will last approximately 1-2 hours.

No reservations are required.

Meet at the Visitor Center at 8:00 AM

Please bring binoculars and dress for any potential weather.

Join us for a morning bird walk at Wheeler National Wildlife Refuge!

We will meet at the outdoor classroom in the Visitor Center parking lot at 11 a.m. to walk around the property and enjoy spotting some of the resident winter birds, including Sandhill Cranes and, if we are lucky, Endangered Whooping Cranes. Anyone is welcome to join this free hour-long event – registration is not required. Please dress appropriately for the weather!

This program is provided by the International Crane Foundation in partnership with the Wheeler Wildlife Refuge Association.

Join us for a morning bird walk at Wheeler National Wildlife Refuge!

We will meet at the outdoor classroom in the Visitor Center parking lot at 11 a.m. to walk around the property and enjoy spotting some of the resident winter birds, including Sandhill Cranes and, if we are lucky, Endangered Whooping Cranes. Anyone is welcome to join this free hour-long event – registration is not required. Please dress appropriately for the weather!

This program is provided by the International Crane Foundation in partnership with the Wheeler Wildlife Refuge Association.

Join us for a guided walking-tour of the refuge. The birding tour will take place around the Visitor Center and Observation Building where you might see a variety of ducks, geese, cranes, and other waterfowl. The tour will last approximately 1-2 hours.

No reservations are required.

Meet at the Visitor Center at 8:00 AM

Please bring binoculars and dress for any potential weather.

Join us for a morning bird walk at Wheeler National Wildlife Refuge!

We will meet at the outdoor classroom in the Visitor Center parking lot at 11 a.m. to walk around the property and enjoy spotting some of the resident winter birds, including Sandhill Cranes and, if we are lucky, Endangered Whooping Cranes. Anyone is welcome to join this free hour-long event – registration is not required. Please dress appropriately for the weather!

This program is provided by the International Crane Foundation in partnership with the Wheeler Wildlife Refuge Association.

Join us for a morning bird walk at Wheeler National Wildlife Refuge!

We will meet at the outdoor classroom in the Visitor Center parking lot at 11 a.m. to walk around the property and enjoy spotting some of the resident winter birds, including Sandhill Cranes and, if we are lucky, Endangered Whooping Cranes. Anyone is welcome to join this free hour-long event – registration is not required. Please dress appropriately for the weather!

This program is provided by the International Crane Foundation in partnership with the Wheeler Wildlife Refuge Association.

Join us for a morning bird walk at Wheeler National Wildlife Refuge!

We will meet at the outdoor classroom in the Visitor Center parking lot at 11 a.m. to walk around the property and enjoy spotting some of the resident winter birds, including Sandhill Cranes and, if we are lucky, Endangered Whooping Cranes. Anyone is welcome to join this free hour-long event – registration is not required. Please dress appropriately for the weather!

This program is provided by the International Crane Foundation in partnership with the Wheeler Wildlife Refuge Association.