Who Has a Birthday?
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Photograph by Brian Collett |
The first Naval Cemetery in the Pacific turns 152 in 2010. Check out some of the gravestones and do the math. Some of those Mare Island pioneers are getting up there! Learn more about how they came to Mare Island, who they were, and how Mare Island came to be their final resting place on guided tours of the cemetery with volunteers from the Mare Island Historic Park.
Who Needs a Home?
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Photograph by John
Klycinski |
The housing crisis touches the Flyway Festival. We are without a home following this year’s Festival. Help us find a new home by rallying with us to return to our original home on Mare Island, Building 505. Stop by the tables at the entrance to write your own letter to our Mayor and City Council and Congressman Miller asking them to help assure that the Festival has a permanent home and that we all have a place to visit to discover San Pablo Bay year-round. Visit the Festival website for a sample letter and contact information for our elected decision makers.
Who Else Needs a Home?
Salty, our Flyway Festival Honorary Host does. The Friends of San Pablo Bay National Wildlife Refuge have recently published “A Home for Salty”, a delightful children’s book about Salty, the salt marsh harvest mouse’s whimsical wish for a home where she can be safe and find food she likes. Written by Stephanie Stuve-Bodeen and illustrated by Diane Adams, A Home for Salty can easily find a home with you, too. Look for the book at the Friends’ booth at the Wildlife Expo and at Bookshop Benicia, the Don Edwards San Francisco Bay National Wildlife Refuge and soon at www.pickleweed.org A Home for Salty’s author and illustrator will team-up for a book-signing during the day Saturday.
What’s your favorite part of the Festival?
If you can’t say for sure, neither can we! But, we know you love trail hikes and boating. Let us know by sending us an email!
These Trails were made for Walking and these Rivers for Exploring
Mare Island is flat if you hadn’t noticed. So flat that the Spanish named it ‘Isle Plana’, flat island. That was before the mare tales started being told. And, there is more than one story about wily mares of Mare Island. We digress. Flat means pretty easy walking. That might be one reason the local Vaca Valley Volks chapter of the American Volkssport Association chose the Flyway Festival and Mare Island for its sanctioned 5k and 10k walks over the Festival weekend. Check in at the registration booth either day and get out and walk.
For the route info just click on the printable
5k & 10k Flyer (PDF
format; Adobe Acrobat Reader required) or pre-register using the
5k & 10k
Registration Form, fill it out
and mail or bring it with you - ready to go.
Part of the Volkswalk route goes along our Self-guided Wetland Walk with learning stations and birding guides along the route. Come to think of it, that’s Salty country! You probably won’t see her in person, but it will be a good way to imagine where she lives.
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Photograph by John Klycinski |
Join, one of the dozens of guided outings throughout the San Francisco Bay on land and even aboard boats along the Napa River. Glide with Napa River Adventures on their quiet and intimate 12 passenger electric boat along the northern stretch of the river where a flood control project has restored bird rich wetlands or launch from the Vallejo Marina aboard Dolphin Charters for an afternoon bird watching cruise up the river from Vallejo to southern Napa. Sound fun? You bet and we are so very excited that you will join us.
Weather can’t keep Flyway Festival folks indoors, so remember, our outings take place rain or shine and only very heavy rain cancels an outing. Come in from the great outdoors to visit the more than 75 exhibitors, presenters, and art, jewelry and birding supply vendors waiting to show you a good time at our Family Wildlife Expo. Visit the Bay Area Wetlands to Ridgetops Fine Art Exhibit and while you are in the neighborhood why not plan to purchase and bid on great nature and natural lands art? Your purchase of art, raffle tickets and your winning bids in our silent auction, all help keep our Festival wild and free.
Flyway Festival Art Exhibition, Paintout and Silent Art Auction
Photographers and painters of all ages and skills are invited to exhibit original work that depicts: local wildlife, San Francisco Bay regional landscape, and native habitats from San Francisco Bay to the ridgetops of Mt. Tamalpais and Mt. Diablo, especially wetlands, marshes, the San Francisco Bay Estuary and the Carquinez Strait. Fees: $20 for up to 3 entries. Entry Forms postmarked or submitted via email by January 31. Also! NorthBay Wetlands Regional Plein Air Paintout and Mare Island Shoreline Heritage Preserve Paintout: Register Saturday, Jan. 30 10am-1pm and Sun. Jan. 31, 10am-1pm. Paintout
Silent Auction during Festival hours and closes Sunday 2pm. $20 for
up to 3 entries (includes badge, map, and donated snacks/drinks).
Exhibition entries accepted through January 31. Entry forms on our website. For information call 707-649-0470 or 707-557-9816 or send an email.
Photographic Exhibit: “Images from the Islands of San Francisco Bay”
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Photograph by James A. Martin |
James A. Martin, Photographer and a past Flyway
Festival Honorary Host. James’ stunning photos of the 48
Islands in San Francisco Bay show their unique island ecology,
history and boost the environmental awareness of these isolated
lands. Catch his fascinating slide show given both days of the
Festival, based on his book published with Michael Lee that
continues to garner acclaim, most recently in a two-part series on
KPIX Channel 5 Eye on the Bay. They will offer a Festival rate and sign the 208 page full-color book bursting with 400 images of the natural and historical features of the 48 islands of San Francisco Bay. (www.IslandsofSFBay.com)
Can’t get enough of local plein air art?
In addition to our North Bay Wetlands and Wildlands Plein Air Paintout Show and Auction, be sure to visit the Benicia Plein Air Group booth in the Expo Hall for more exceptional regional art for sale. Look for generously donated art by many of our Festival fine artists and bid fiercely; keep the Flyway Festival wild and free!
Wildbird Shows
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Photograph by John Klycinski |
Returning both days will be Native Bird Connections which trains professionals who educate the public with non-releasable injured native birds. Look for live wild visitors from the Suisun Wildlife Center. Lindsay Wildlife Museum will exhibit a live song
bird and native CA animal mounts and specimens.
Over 70 Outings!
The Flyway Festival offers more than 70 Mare Island and Baywide trips to choose from–hikes, walks, outings, tours; even 11 cruises aboard Napa River Adventures’ electric-motor launch on the Napa River and Lake Hennessey and 2 Napa River cruises with expedition bird-watching specialists Dolphin Charters.
Silent Auction and Raffle
Many of our Flyway Festival Friends, vendors, non-profit organizations and agencies along with local and regional businesses, contribute to the silent auction–get great buys and support the Festival. The North Bay Wetlands Plein Air Paintout Silent Auction runs all weekend, too.
