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CLEAR LAKE STATE PARK – The 16th-annual Heron Festival and Wildflower Brunch, presented by the Redbud Audubon Society and the Clear Lake State Park Interpretive Association, will be held April 24 and 25 at Clear Lake State Park in Kelseyville.
The event is a fun, family-oriented weekend that features pontoon boat tours, birding and nature walks, exhibits, nature talks, and children’s activities.
The annual Wildflower Brunch, prepared by the Clear Lake State Park Interpretive Association, will be held on Saturday, April 24, from 9 a.m. to noon. It features a build-your-own omelet with choice of fillings, served with pastries, fruit, and coffee. The cost for the brunch is $15.
Advance brunch reservations and payment are requested and may be made online beginning March 1 by visiting www.heronfestival.org or by calling 707-263-8030.
On Saturday and Sunday, pontoon boat excursions will take visitors along the shoreline of Clear Lake to view nesting herons, egrets, grebes and other shorebirds.
The 90-minute boat trips will be offered hourly from 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. Experienced Audubon birding guides will accompany each boat to share information about the birds and wildlife seen on each trip.
The pontoon boat excursions will leave from the Clear Lake State Park marina; cost is $15 per. Advance reservations are required and may be made online after March 1 by visiting www.heronfestival.org or by phone at 707-263-8030.
The Visitor Center at Clear Lake State Park will be open from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Saturday and Sunday.
Throughout the weekend, the Visitor Center Auditorium will feature speaker presentations, slide shows, and videos on local birds and wildlife. Topics will range from the weekend’s featured herons, wildflowers, and hummingbirds.
The center features interpretive displays of Lake County’s natural and cultural resources including an erupting volcano, a Pomo Indian village, a mountain lion cave, and dioramas of the woodland and riparian habitats in the park. The gift shop offers educational and entertaining nature items.
Nature and bird walks will be led by local park docents and Audubon guides who are specialists in the park’s birds and wildlife. A nature fair with over 40 outdoor exhibit booths will present conservation and nature displays, educational materials, and nature-related arts and crafts.
Another highlight of the weekend, especially for children, is “Raptor Speak,” where live owls and other birds of prey join Curator Jenny Papkas from Native Bird Connections to offer an opportunity to see raptor behavior up close. Learn about these lively non-releasable raptors in a fun and informative talk and bird demonstration which is offered twice on Sunday.
Dr. Harry Lyons, Professor of Biology and Ecology at the Clear Lake Campus of Yuba College, offers an entertaining program on Sunday that mixes biology, music, and humor to tell the story of Clear Lake.
In “Myths and Music of Clear Lake,” Dr. Lyons gives the history and biology of the lake’s more than 2 million years of existence and the importance of its ecosystem to the birds, fish, and wildlife of Lake County.
During Heron Festival weekend, admission to Clear Lake State Park is free. Except for the boat rides and brunch, all other festival activities also are free.
Camping sites are available through the State Park reservation system. Local resort, motel, and bed-and-breakfast information is available through www.lakecounty.com or by calling 800-525-3743. For more information, visit www.heronfestival.org or call 707-263-8030.
For visitor information, contact the Lake County Visitor Information Center at 800-525-3743 or www.lakecounty.com .
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