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Sunday Family Fun Day Sponsored by Ogeechee Audubon Society
Come join in the fun and be utterly fascinated by all that the Colonial Coast Birding & Nature Festival has to offer during our special “Sunday Family Fun Day”. This day of special events will close out the 3-day extravaganza of scenic trips, wildlife shows, nature seminars, exhibits, arts & crafts, and much, much more. While organized field trips are going on at various natural areas of the coast during the day, the Jekyll Island Convention Center will serve as the gathering place for all kinds of free, family-oriented activities and exhibits that help celebrate our state’s amazing wildlife. There’s something for every age and interest!
To shorebirds the beach is a feeding ground, a place to rest, and for a few, a place to raise their chicks. It is teeming with life in places one may never think to look, so join this class and learn how birds go about utilizing the beach. Probe the sands as the birds do, take a close look at what at they’re feeding on, and create your own shorebird nest.	Explore the Living Beach Presenter: Georgia Graves Sunday - 8:00 AM – 9:45 AM
Sea Turtles of the Southeast Coast Presenter: Georgia Graves Sunday: 10:30 AM – 11:45 AM	What weighs about 300 lbs, lives in the ocean, but uses the beach to lay around 400-600 eggs between May and early August, has been around for about 6 million years, and needs your help? If you guessed the Loggerhead Sea Turtle, you’re right! Learn why the Georgia coast is so important to these magnificent animals, and what you can do to help them.
Be wowed by the high-speed action of a raptor flight demonstration. Experienced falconers fly several species of birds of prey and explain the various adaptations that make this group of birds so intriguing. But, birds aren’t all Steve has to show you. Come see all of his unique critters!	A Raptor Show with Steve Hein – Georgia Southern University’s Center for Wildlife Education & Lamar Q. Ball Raptor Center Presenter: Steve Hein Sunday: 12:30 PM – 1:30 PM
Beginning Birding 9:00 AM – 1:00 PM (Walks begin every hour on the hour in “The Rookery”)	What is this birding all about? Join your leader who will demonstrate how to use binoculars and lead participants on a short walk to experience first hand how you can live in the moment while using all of your senses to look for birds.
Sunset Wildlife Watch and Owl Prowl - Laura S. Walker State Park Leaders: Sheila Willis - Native American-Naturalist Talks & Tours June LaRoque - Okefenokee Bird Club Sunday: 6:45 pm - 8:30 pm Fee: $3 State Park Entry Fee (pay at park entrance gate)	End the day at beautiful Laura S. Walker State Park near Waycross where Sheila Willis of Native American-Naturalist Talks & Tours and June LaRoque of the Okefenokee Bird Club will guide participants along the shores of Laura Walker Lake. Wading birds will be heading to their roosts for the night while other animals such as owls and alligators start to become active. Participants will meet guides at the park office where a $3 per car entry fee will need to be paid. Bring a flashlight! Recommended Needs: optical equipment, flashlights, cameras, and water. Limited bench seating will be available, but you are welcome to provide your own folding chairs. Trip Rigor: Easy - limited, easy walking on dirt paths. Restrooms are available in various locations. Directions: Laura S. Walker State Park is located 9 miles southeast of Waycross on GA Hwy. 177. From Jekyll Island: Take causeway to U.S. Hwy 17 and turn left (17 South). Continue past the I-95 interchange to the intersection of U.S. Hwy 82. Take Hwy. 82 west towards Waycross and continue for 47 miles. Turn left onto Hwy. 177 and continue to park entrance. Travel time is approximately 1 hour.

 

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Sheila Willis, of Waycross, Georgia, is the founder of Native American-Naturalist Talks & Tours, holds a B.S. in Biology and has over 30 years experience as a park ranger-naturalist in all types of parks and refuges around the country. Of Cherokee descent, Sheila has also served as a lecturer and field trip leader on nature and Native American culture for multiple educational facilities throughout the South. She has worked as a biologist for a variety of agencies and conducted private bird and botanical tours. Sheila has held leadership positions in many conservation, cultural, & tourism organizations and is the long-time director of the Christmas Bird Counts for the Okefenokee Swamp and Cumberland Island areas. She is an avid photographer and writer with many noteworthy contributions to her credit.

Whether Lydia Thompson is talking about, banding, or drawing birds her major focus is to intertwine her bird studies and her art. After graduating from Mississippi State University, she worked in advertising. Realizing that advertising was not for her, she took a year to travel and learn about birds and drawing. From that time she has traveled throughout the United States, Canada and Mexico, finally settling in the Golden Isles of coastal Georgia. Here, she continues with her studies of birds and the art of intaglio print. She is a popular columnist for the Jekyll Golden Islander, and preservation and conservation of birds and their habitats are her major concerns..

June LaRoque, now of Waycross, Georgia, is a retired teacher and dedicated local activist in many South Georgia organizations. She is highly-involved member of the Okefenokee Bird Club who has participated in many of their Christmas Bird Counts. June is also one of the original officers in the new Friends of Laura S. Walker State Park group, and many of the programs and projects that have been developed to benefit the local park owe their success to the contributions of this enthusiastic and talented nature-lover. Additionally, she has received her Master Gardener's certificate and thus she enjoys spending time with the plants and helping create native wildflower gardens.

Georgia Graves is an award-winning environmental educator. Growing up on the Georgia coast inspired her love of the sea. That, coupled with her love of animals as well as her drive to protect and ensure longevity of their habitats, was inspirational in defining her goal as an educator, which is to instill the desire in each of her students to preserve all habitats on our planet for both wildlife and humans. Today, Georgia is a sought-after, independent marine science educator/consultant. She is a familiar sight in the field, surrounded by children and adults as they eagerly uncover the mysteries of the ocean and estuaries, whether hidden in the water, under the grains of sand, or within the mucky mud that so many critters call home. She works with a variety of groups, including schools, nature centers, tourism groups and elderhostels.