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some Bay Area
Variety
Raptors
make visit to Galveston as part of FeatherFest April 3-6 at Saengerfest Park
submitted by Sue Reed
GALVESTON ISLAND, Texas—Raptors, otherwise known as birds of prey, will
ascend on Saengerfest Park, 23rd and Strand, April 3-6 as a free activity
included as part of FeatherFest 2008. Jonathan Wood’s Raptor Project
features eagles, hawks, falcons and owls and is touted to be the best raptor
show in the United States.
Jonathan Wood, a Master Falconer and Wildlife Rehabilitation expert, brings
unique insights, observations and humor to his nationally acclaimed shows.
His show celebrates the majesty of winged predators and features 15-20 live
raptors from diverse habitats at each wildlife education presentation. This
show is seen by more than 10 million people through nearly 1,000 educational
programs on an annual basis.
At 16, Wood was already a recognized ornithologist and wildlife
photographer. He was the inspiration for the character Jon Wood in the novel
“Frightful’s Mountain” by award winning author Jean Craighead George. Wood
grew up in the National Seashore Wilderness of New York’s Fire Island and
his fascination with raptors lured him to begin training falcons at 12 years
old. Today he works with more than 100 birds between his winter home in
Padre Island/Corpus Christi and primary home in The Catskills, NY. He and
his family tour constantly in a large RV that serves as home, office and
traveling bird exhibit, averaging about 500 shows per year.
“This is the sixth festival and we wanted to do something new and special
and to try to engage the public who may not otherwise be attending
FeatherFest,” said President of Galveston Island Nature Tourism Council and
Chairperson for FeatherFest 2008 Morton Voller. “I saw the Raptor Show at a
festival in Florida two years ago and I have wanted to bring Jon to
Galveston ever since.”
Jonathan Wood’s Raptor Project is sponsored by Galveston Island Nature
Tourism Council. Saengerfest Park is located in The Historic Downtown Strand
District. Exhibition times are 10 a.m., noon and 3 p.m. Thursday through
Saturday and 10:30 a.m. and 12:30 p.m. on Sunday.
FeatherFest celebrates the birds and nature of the Upper Texas Coast during
the springtime, with four days of expert led workshops and field trips by
bus, boat and kayak as well as social events. This year’s keynote dinner
speaker is Kenn Kaufman, one of the best known naturalists in the United
States. For more information, visit the website:
www.galvestonfeatherfest.com
. see photos of the
Raptors
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