Saturday April 21, 2018 at Circle Park Kernville and at the Kern River Preserve in Weldon, CA For more information please visit www.southernsierraresearch.org or kern.audubon.org
The clean, sharp smell of Great Basin Sage in the wind….a Scott’s Oriole perched atop of a Kern Joshua…..mixed flocks of warblers foraging in a huge cottonwood….the call of a Wren-tit bouncing over a dense stand of chaparral…the deep blue skies and towering pines of the Sierra Nevada….
It is not unusual to encounter these things as you travel around California. It is unusual however, to come across all of them within a few miles of one another – but that’s exactly what you can do in the Kern River Valley. Located at the southern edge of the Sierra Nevada, the Kern River Valley is a unique place. Five of California’s six bioregions (a region defined by characteristics of the natural environment rather than by man-made divisions) meet here in the Kern River Valley: Great Basin, Mojave Desert, Coastal Chaparral, Sierran Forest and California Grassland; including the largest remaining contiguous riparian forest in the state. With so many different habitats meeting in one place, plants and animals usually separated by many miles can be spotted within a short distance including 350 bird species, 138 butterfly species, 2,000+ species of plants, and the highest mammal diversity in the United States (115 species). The Kern River Valley Bioregions Festival is an annual event that celebrates the local unique biological diversity found in the valley.
Come join us to celebrate the uniqueness of the Kern River Valley!
EVENTS - will be headquartered in Kernville at Circle Park and at the Kern River Preserve in Weldon, CA. Walks are free and spaces for events are limited. Additional events may be added.
Sign up at Circle Park or to obtain more information for events please contact
Wendy Rannals at [email protected]
7:00 and 9:00 Guided bird identification walk at the Canebrake Ecological Reserve by John Stanek, Wildlife Biologist with the Southern Sierra Research Station. Meet at the Kern River Preserve headquarters at 7 am sharp.
7:00 and 9:00 Guided Bird walks at the Kern River Preserve, Weldon. Take a 1 mile walk through cottonwood-willow riparian forest and forest restoration plots along the South Fork Kern River. Each walk will take between one and two hours. Meet at the Kern River Preserve headquarters in Weldon.
7:30-10:00 Bird Banding Demonstration at the Kern River Preserve by Patti Wohner, Conservation Ecologist with the Southern Sierra Research Station. Meet at the Kern River Preserve Headquarters in Weldon. No dogs at the banding station please. No limit for participants or reservations required.
7:30-10:00 Guided bird identification walk at Tillie Creek Campground by John Schmitt, naturalist and professional wildlife artist.
9:00-10:00 Wildflower Hike Cannell Trail Wildflower Walk by Steve Anderson, Biologist USFS. Meet at Circle Park and caravan to the Cannell Trail. This will include hiking along a trail and the hills sides of Cannell Trail discussing and identifying flowers, types of brush and some historical features. Area subject to change, Participant total limited to 15.
10:00-11:00 “Valuing Nature’s Benefits - An Ecosystem Services Approach to Managing America’s Forests” Ecosystem services are the benefits people receive and value from nature, however, the linkage between natural resource management and societal benefit is not always clearly understood. Festival attendees are invited to come out for a fun, casual, and informative walk through a local forest. Along the walk participants will learn how to identify trees and plants commonly found in a forest ecosystem, learn about forest ecology, and have a chance to discuss current trends in forest policy, land management, and ultimately how humans both affect and receive value from forest ecosystems.
12:30-2:00 Keysville Historic mining walk and talk by Tim Kelly, Archaeologist USFS. Meet at Keysville road across from Main Dam Campground. Hiking up to 4 miles throughout the Keysville area making stops at various locations of historic features along the way. Participant total limited to 12.
6:30 pm Owl Prowl in the Greenhorn Mountains by Ernie Flores, Board President of Southern Sierra Research Station. Meet at the intersection between Rancheria Rd and 155 on the Greenhorn Summit near the USFS Summit Fire Station. Come enjoy searching for local owls, including Western Screech-Owl Northern Saw-whet Owl, Spotted Owl, and Northern Pygmy Owl with our own Owl enthusiast.
ACTIVITIES AND VENDORS – Information booths from USFS (defensible forest space), Kern River Environmental Magnet School, Kerncrest Audubon, California Native Plant Society, Southern Sierra Research Station, Keepers of the Kern, Panorama Vista Preserve, Terri Gallion– musician, Tübatulabal Native Americans, US Department of Fish & Wildlife, Wind Wolves Preserve, Friends of the Condor, Tule Elk Preserve, music by Archie Logsdon and others. There will also be a kid’s activity table and face painting.