Bird City Oconto has several events planned for the summer, beginning with a program by Dave Halfmann, of the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources, about bald eagles at 10:30 a.m. Friday, June 13, at the Farnsworth Public Library, 715 Main St., Oconto.
A Storybook Walk is scheduled the following day. “We Planted a Tree” will be read at Bond Community Park, located at state Highway 22 across the Oconto River from Holtwood Park. Ribbon cutting at the park will be at 11 a.m. with the Storybook Walk to follow. Guests can enjoy the story and the new playground and learn why trees are important. The story is geared toward preschoolers and kindergarten children.
The Oconto Nature Festival will be held from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. Saturday, June 21, at Copper Culture State Park in Oconto. Admission to the park and festival is free. There will be educational booths, crafts, raptor shows, a chainsaw artist, guided nature walks, Oneida dancers and more.
A second Storybook Walk, featuring “Why Should I Protect Nature?” will take place Friday, July 25, at the Holtwood Sporting Complex. Ribbon cutting at the complex will be at 10:30 a.m. with the Storybook Walk to follow.
Joe Henry, an ecologist with the Wisconsin DNR, will present “From Orioles to Ocelots” at 6 p.m. Wednesday, Aug. 6, at Oconto City Hall. He will tell about the international conservation work to protect 54 of Wisconsin’s neotropical migrant birds in their wintering habitat on the Osa Peninsula in Costa Rica. Guests will learn about the wealth of biodiversity on the Osa Peninsula.
Bird City Oconto recently held two events. The first, on May 14, was a presentation by John Huff, DNR wildlife supervisor, about the history and wildlife of the Oconto Marsh. The presentation was followed by a trip to the marsh with the aid of buses from the Commission on Aging and volunteer drivers Russell Dreshek and Mike Hoppe.
From the viewing platform at the marsh, people could see a variety of birds while being serenaded by a chorus of spring peepers (small frogs). Among the birds observed were a black crowned night heron and one mystery bird, which Huff, after some research, determined was most likely an ibis, a rare sight in the Midwest.
The second recent event was the Storybook Walk grand opening, ribbon cutting and reading at Copper Culture State Park on May 16. The book “Blue Sky Bluebird” was read by Wendy Spice from the library staff and was related to the park’s active bluebird nesting boxes. Participants enjoyed the book and a piece of cake, made by Bonnie Furgette.
The book will remain at Copper Culture State Park through Labor Day weekend. Individuals are invited to go for a walk at the park, read the book and see and learn about eastern bluebirds.
Bird City Oconto sponsors are the Farnsworth Public Library, Oconto Kiwanis, Bluebird Restoration Association of Wisconsin (BRAW), Oconto Park and Recreation Department, Vital Signs and Venna Dreshek.
For more information about Bird City Oconto, go to cityofoconto.com/Bird_City.html, visit Facebook@birdcityoconto, or send an email to birdcityoconto@gmail.com.
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