Grays Harbor Shorebird and Nature Festival
Start planning to attend the next festival: April 25 - 27, 2025
Grays Harbor Shorebird and Nature Festival
2025 Grays Harbor Shorebird and Nature Festival
Schedule of Events (please watch for changes)
|
A shuttle bus is available between Hoquiam Middle School (200 Spencer St., Hoquiam) and the beginning of the Sandpiper Trail at Grays Harbor National Wildlife Refuge (NWR) on Saturday and Sunday from 9:00am to 4:00pm. The ride takes approximately 15 minutes. (Suggested donation $1 per ride)
Friday, April 25:
Events located at Refuge Headquarters on Airport Way 7:30 a.m. – 5 p.m. Guided Tour: Southern Estuary, stopping at Tokeland, Westport, and Bottle Beach Guides: Bruce LaBar and Marcus Roening Advance Registration Required 8 a.m. – 5 p.m. Guided Tour: Northern Estuary, Ocean Shores Guides: Rob Chrisler & Ken Brown Advance Registration Required 4 - 6:30 p.m. Festival information and registration at Hoquiam Middle School Free Friday Evening Activities are Located at Hoquiam High School 6:45 – 7:30 pm Dessert Reception at Hoquiam High School Free 7:30-9 pm Keynote Speaker: John Prucich, the Falconer Hoquiam High School Theater - $20 Saturday, April 26: Events located at Hoquiam Middle School 8:30 a.m. – 5 p.m. Shuttle buses between Hoquiam Middle School and Grays Harbor NWR 9 am – 5 pm Shorebird Festival Fun Fair Activities and crafts, vendors, exhibitors, speakers, information Hoquiam Middle School gymnasium - Free 9:45-10:45 am Supporting Snowy Plovers: Ecology, Conservation, and Collaborationwith Kaden Coty, researcher funded by Pacific County Marine Resource Committee Hoquiam Middle School - Free 10 am to 11 pm Guided Walk: Explore Bottle Beach State Park Bottle Beach State Park - with Lisa Whalen Meet at Bottle Beach parking lot - Free & BILINGUAL (Spanish) 10 – 11 am Guided Walk: Chehalis River Surge Plain Natural Area Preserve Where: Preacher’s Slough Trailhead, Chehalis River Surge Plain Guide: Washington Department of Natural Resources staff (Kelly Sullivan) Free 10 – noon Guided Walk: Researching Shorebirds at Grays Harbor National Wildlife Refuge. Meet at Sandpiper Trail. Bring scopes and binoculars, if you have them. with Marian Bailey, retired USFWS biologist; and USFWS volunteer Jerry Broaddus - Free 11:30 – 2:30 Guided Walk: Viewing Shorebirds - Grays Harbor National Wildlife Refuge. Meet at Sandpiper Trail. Bring scopes and binoculars, if you have them. Guided by USFWS staff and volunteers - Free 1 – 2 p.m. Speaker: Chehalis River Basin Land Trust Where: Hoquiam Middle School - Free 1 - 3 p.m. LIVE BIRDS! with John Prucich, the Falconer Hoquiam Middle School gymnasium Free 2 – 3 pm Guided Walk: Chehalis River Surge Plain Natural Area Preserve Where: Preacher’s Slough Trailhead, Chehalis River Surge Plain Guide: Washington Department of Natural Resources staff (Kelly Sullivan) Free 2:30 – 3:30 pm Using Your Photos for Conservation and Research with Diana McPherson, photographer, Hoquiam Middle School - Free 2:45 – 3:45 pm The Fascinating Lives of Five Washington Shorebirds with Dave Slater, retired biologist - Hoquiam Middle School - Free 5:30 – 6:30 pm Social mixer before Fundraising Dinner, with performance by Olympia Chorus Events on Emerson. Parking on street. Buy your own beverages 6:30 – 7:30 pm Festival Fundraising Dinner followed by speaker: Maria Ruth, author Catered by Ann Marie, Events on Emerson. Parking on street. Advance Registration Required 7:30 – 8:30 pm Guest speaker: Maria Ruth, author at Events on Emerson. Parking on street. Does not include dinner Fee: $20 at the door or by advance registration Sunday, April 27: Events located at Hoquiam Middle School 8:30 a.m. – 5 p.m. Shuttle buses between Hoquiam Middle School and Grays Harbor NWR 7:30 am - 5 pm Guided Tour: Southern Estuary, stopping at Tokeland, Westport, and Bottle Beach - Guided by Bruce LaBar and Marcus Roening Advance Registration Required 9 am – 4 pm Shorebird Festival Fun Fair Activities and crafts, vendors, exhibitors, speakers, information Hoquiam Middle School gymnasium - Free 9:15–10:15 am Microplastics in Grays Harbor: an interactive presentation. Bring in your own water samples for testing! Speakers: Bruce Rittenhouse, Grays Harbor Chapter of Surfrider Foundation; and Lee First, Twin Harbors Waterkeepers Hoquiam Middle School - Free 10 – 11 am Guided Walk: Chehalis River Surge Plain Natural Area Preserve Where: Preacher’s Slough Trailhead, Chehalis River Surge Plain Guide: Washington Department of Natural Resources staff (Kelly Sullivan) Free 11 am – noon Poster Contest Awards Ceremony, with Leiko Yamauchi, Shorebird Education Program at Hoquiam Middle School gymnasium Free Noon – 1 pm Wildlife Wise: A conversation about sharing our spaces,Wolf Haven presentation with Wolf Haven staff Hoquiam Middle School Free 1:15 – 2:15 pm Tires, Tires, Everywhere! What’s the problem?, with Lee First, Twin Harbors Waterkeepers, Hoquiam Middle School - Free 2 – 3 pm Guided Walk: Chehalis River Surge Plain Guided by Washington Department of Natural Resources staff (Kelly Sullivan) - Free 2 – 3 p.m. What’s Washed In: Seabirds and Citizen Science with Julia Parrish, Hoquiam Middle School - Free |
Supporting Snowy Plovers: Ecology, Conservation, and Collaboration
Wade into the world of the western snowy plover with this engaging and informative session covering:
Ideal for everyone from casual beachcombers to serious birders, this session equips you with everything you need to spot, understand, and help protect these vulnerable shorebirds. Bio: Kaden Coty is a snowy plover biologist with the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife, focusing on conservation efforts in Pacific and Grays Harbor counties. His work combines scientific research and public outreach to protect shorebirds and their critical habitats. In late 2024, Kaden was awarded a grant from the Pacific County Marine Resource Committee to develop a collaborative database of banded plover observations, aiming to enhance coordination among researchers and managers. This fall, he will continue his dedication to snowy plover conservation as a graduate student at San Jose State University. |