2013 Calendar of Events

February 9 - 10, 2013

SATURDAY, February 9th

10:30 - 10:40am – “Embrace Your Inner Chicken” Chicken Parade, Downtown Edison

“Embrace Your Inner Chicken” in the kick-off parade for the Second Annual Edison Bird Festival! Dressing up or safely corralling live chickens is a plus. Parade will start at the Old Edison Inn on Cains Court and end at the bend in the road by the Longhorn Saloon.

10:45am - 3:00pm - Avian Artmaking with Natalile Niblack & Kris Ekstrand Molesworth, studio at MacTaggart Ave & Main, across from Edison Elementary

Skagit Valley artists Natalie Niblack and Kris Ekstrand Molesworth will host a free, hands-on printmaking activity in conjunction with the Edison Bird Festival. Visitors of all ages will make simple relief prints of bird images from linoleum blocks by both artists. Paper donated by Dakota Art Stores!

11:00am - 5:00pm – Painting Demonstration with Todd Horton, Upstairs 5719 Gilkey Ave, Edison

Visit the local studio of Edison artist Todd Horton as he paints birds and captures flight. Horton is best known for his squeegeed animals that are both in motion and suspended in time.

11:00am - 3:00pm – Decoy Carving Demonstration with Tom Newell, Smith & Vallee Woodworks 5719 Gilkey Ave, Edison

After nearly 40 years of carving and painting decoys, Tom Newell of La Conner is renowned for his ability to capture the likeness of birds. There will be different examples of decoys in varied stages of completion. For more information:  http://www.tomnewelldecoys.com/

11:30am - 12:30pm – Live Raptor Presentation with Sarvey Wildlife Care Center, Edison Elementary 5801 Main Ave, Edison

Established in 1981, Sarvey Wildlife Care Center provides rescue, rehabilitation, and release to wildlife around the Puget Sound Region. Their educational programs feature non-releasable bird of prey and give people a chance to connect with wildlife.

1:00 - 2:00pm – Skagit’s Great Blue Herons with Skagit Land Trust, Edison Elementary 5801 Main Ave, Edison

Skagit Land Trust help protects the natural lands, open space, and wildlife habitat of Skagit County for the benefit of this and future generations. Skagit Land Trust now protects nearly 6,200 acres including 29 miles of shoreline. This presentation will focus on SLT’s protected heronry.

2:00 - 3:00pm – Talk with Caroline Van Hemert from USGS Alaska Science Center, Edison Elementary 5801 Main Ave, Edison

Research Wildlife Biologist Caroline Van Hemert will discuss her research on the recent rise in avian keratin disorder, which has resulted the highest rate of beak abnormalities ever recorded in wild bird populations. For more information about Van Hemert and her work visit:  http://dotearth.blogs.nytimes.com/2010/11/09/bird-sleuths-stymied-by-beak-deformities/

2:00 - 4:00pm – Farming for Wildlife Tour & Fireside Chat, (*Address Change!*) 7244 Bayview Edison Road, Bow

Harley Soltes named "Shorebird Farmer of the Year"  2011 and 2012 by the Nature Conservancy successfully creating Samish Flats Farm as one of the best habitats and viewing sites for migratory shorebirds, will explain his Farming for Wildlife project that combines the goals of naturalists, farmers and researches. Bring your camera. This is where the rare Woods Sandpiper took up residence. See thousands of swarming Dunlins filmed at Samish Flats: bowhillblueberries.com/video. Farming for Wildlife is sponsored by Nature Conservancy, WSU, The NRCS and Bow Hill Blueberries.

5:00 - 8:00pm – Opening Artist Reception for the Edison Bird Festival Invitational, Smith & Vallee Gallery, 5742 Gilkey Ave, Edison

Join us as we celebrate the artists in the 2nd Annual Edison Bird Festival Invitational exhibition at Smith & Vallee Gallery. Focusing on the subject matter of birds, this exhibition features artwork by over 40 local artists.

SUNDAY, February 10th

10:00am - 4:00pm – Guided Birding Excursions with North Cascades Institute + Skagit Audubon, Bus leaves from Edison Elementary 5801 Main Ave, Edison

Join North Cascades and Skagit Audubon Society for a shuttle tour of Skagit Valley birding hotspots! Advance reservations are required, contact Kacey at NCI for your seat on the bus:  kacey_shoemaker@ncascades.org -or- 360-854-2585. http://ncascades.org/

11:00am - 12:00pm – Wolf Hollow Wildlife Rehabilitation Center Presentation, Edison Elementary 5801 Main Ave, Edison

Serving San Juan and Skagit Counties, Wolf Hollow Wildlife Rehabilitation Center focuses on rehabilitation, education, and research of injured or orphaned local wildlife. This all-ages presentation aims to both increase understanding about wildlife and the impact of human activities on local ecosystems.

11:00am - 5:00pm – Painting Demonstration with Todd Horton, Upstairs 5719 Gilkey Ave, Edison

Visit the local studio of Edison artist Todd Horton as he paints birds and captures flight. Horton is best known for his squeegeed animals that are both in motion and suspended in time.

1:00 - 2:00pm – Talk with Maynard Axelson, Washington Brandt Foundation

An expert on the Western High Arctic “Gray Belly” Brandt, Maynard Axelson is the founder of the Washington Brandt Foundation. Recently, he has been involved in an international effort to monitor the migration of this rate local goose using radio transmitters and satellite technology.

1:00 - 3:00pm – Decoy Carving Demonstration with Tom Newell, Smith & Vallee Woodworks 5719 Gilkey Ave, Edison

After nearly 40 years of carving and painting decoys, Tom Newell of La Conner is renowned for his ability to capture the likeness of birds. There will be different examples of decoys in varied stages of completion. For more information:  http://www.tomnewelldecoys.com/

5:30 - 8:00pm – Festival Closing Dinner Celebration, Smith & Vallee Gallery, 5742 Gilkey Avenue, Edison

Join us as we celebrate the Second Annual Edison Bird Festival during a sit-down dinner catered by Jim Kowalski of Farm to Market Bakery at Smith & Vallee Gallery. Kowalski is a graduate of the prestigious Culinary Institute of America in Hyde Park, NY. He has been a chef in the Pacific Northwest for over a decade and opened Nimbus in Bellingham before purchasing Farm to Market Bakery.

For more information, please click here or visit http://edisonbirdfestival.com/2013-closing-dinner

To make a reservation, please call Farm to Market Bakery at 360-766-6240 or Smith & Vallee Gallery at 360-766-6230 or info@smithandvallee.com