A Weekend of Wildlife Watching and Fun!
The Fins, Feathers and Flowers Weekend at Lakepoint Resort State Park is scheduled for February 16-18, 2018. Similar to the Eagle Awareness Weekends held at Lake Guntersville, the program offers a variety of activities for wildlife watchers. The weekend is a cooperative effort of the Alabama Department of Conservation and Natural Resources (ADCNR) State Parks Division and the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service. The park is located adjacent to Eufaula National Wildlife Refuge in Eufaula, Ala.
Fins, Feathers and Flowers 2018 begins Friday afternoon with a Conservation Fair prior to the evening social, welcome session and field trip sign-ups. Also Friday evening, John Trent, ADCNR Nongame Wildlife Biologist, will present a program entitled “eBird: A Benefit to Birders and Science.”
The Saturday morning session begins with a field trip to the refuge followed by breakfast at the lodge. Bird viewing outings at the park and refuge are also planned for Saturday afternoon. Saturday evening Ryan Shurette from the US Forest Service will deliver the keynote speech entitled “The Ecology and Management of the Red Cockaded Woodpecker.” Sunday events include an early bird coffee, buffet breakfast and a field trip to the Wehle Land Conservation Center in Midway, Ala.
Additionally, the 2018 Alabama Waterfowl Stamp Art Contest will take place in conjunction with the Fins, Feathers and Flowers event. All eligible entries will be on display at Lakepoint State Park beginning Friday, February 16. Three judges from the fields of art, ornithology and wildlife conservation will select the winning waterfowl art the following day at 1 p.m. The Alabama Wildlife Center will conduct a live birds of prey show prior to the judging. The media and public are invited to attend.
Eufaula National Wildlife Refuge provides ideal viewing locations for ducks, geese, water birds, shorebirds, song birds, small mammals and a tremendous variety of other wildlife species. The refuge was created primarily to provide feeding and resting habitat for waterfowl migrating through the Tennessee Valley to the Gulf Coast.
Lakepoint is offering a Fins, Feathers and Flowers overnight package that includes lodging for three days and two nights and attendance at the social, cookout, breakfast, lectures, field trips and other presentations. Rates are $202 for single occupancy and $262 for double occupancy. For more information and reservations, call 334-687-8011 or visit www.alapark.com/lakepoint-state-park.
The Alabama State Parks Division relies on visitor fees and the support of other partners like local communities to fund the majority of their operations. To learn more about Alabama State Parks, visit www.alapark.com.
Fins, Feathers and Flowers attendees are likely to see a wide variety shorebirds and waterfowl including resident wood ducks.
Photo by Billy Pope, ADCNR
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