2010 AUTUMN WEEKEND PROGRAM SCHEDULE
Offered Saturdays and Sundays, Aug 28 through Nov 21

Raptors Up Close:
10, Noon, 2 & 4 pm, Outdoor Amphitheater
Held indoors in the event of inclement weather
Aug 28 - Nov 21
This program proudly supported by our Premier Corporate Sponor, M&T Bank
with generous financial assistance from the Heuer Charitable Foundation

Interpretive Trail Walk
1:30 pm, Meet and depart from Laurelwood Niche. Note: This program is only offered on select weekends based on our educator availablity. Check the white board at the Visitor Center on the day you visit.
Join an educator for a guided walk along the scenic Lookout Trail and learn about our cultural and natural history

2010 Autumn Hawkwatch
Daily, August 15-December 15 at North Lookout

Make an annual pilgrimage to Hawk Mountain and take part in the oldest and longest running migration watchsite on the planet. Counters and interns are stationed every day at North Lookout where they will help spot and identify birds. Like other migration watchsites, the number and type of birds will depend upon the temperature, the wind direction, and the time of year, which makes hawkwatching part sport, part fun, and part a little luck. But whether the birds fly or not, every day is a good day on Hawk Mountain, so come ready with snacks and water and settle back to take in the big views, and with any luck, some great looks at hawks, eagles and falcons.

International Vulture Awareness Day
Saturday, September 4

Thanks to everyone who came to celebrate, especially Red Creek Wildlife Center who presented our live vulture program, and Waste Management, our live vulture program sponsor. 

Monarch Migration Celebration
Saturday, September 18 from 10 am-4 pm
Trail fee applies for Non-members

Visit Hawk Mountain for a full day devoted to the amazing migration of the Monarch Butterfly. Programs on this day will focus on this tiny non-raptor migrant and its long and dangerous journey to Mexico, the importance of native plants to the Monarch's survival, and how scientists study such tiny migrants.

Volunteer and Monarch Biologist John Drummond will be on hand to provide Monarch tagging demonstrations at the Visitor Center. Meanwhile at the Lookout, visitors will find this is a great time to look for monarchs fluttering past, enroute to Mexico, and we'll have educators on hand to provide information and point out passing butterflies.

In the Native Plant Garden, we're planning special programs on the importance of milkweed, and indoors, children may take part in some great activities that will connect them with other young people in Mexico.

Weather permitting, the highlight will come after an end-of-day program in the Amphitheater followed by an impressive en-masse release of all the Monarchs tagged throughout the day. This is a day you won't want to miss, and we look forward to helping you learn more about the migration of ALL creatures.

Note: To protect the butterflies, temperatures below 60 degrees must cancel the mass release

The Eagle Watchers
Saturday, September 18 at 5 pm
Visitor Center
Join Drs. Ruth Tingay, President of the Raptor Research Foundation, and Todd Katzner, director of conservation science at The National Aviary, for an interesting and informative slideshow program on the new book, The Eagle Watchers. Both Ruth and Todd are two of the first Hawk Mountain leadership interns and together, co-authored this 256-page book about some of the most impressive raptors in the world. Eagle Watchers is a collection of essays written by people who have devoted their lives to studying, watching and enjoying eagles.

The great news about this book is that Ruth and Todd have generously offered to donate 100% of all their book royalties to the Hawk Mountain internship program and the National Birds of Prey Trust, which makes this one book you really feel good about reading. Todd and Ruth will be on hand to sign books after the program.

Children's Raptor ID Workshop
Sunday, September 19 from 10 am-1:30 pm
$10 Members, $20 Non-Members
Limited to 10 children ages 8 to 12

A great program for the up-and-coming young birder! Using slides and video, Laurie Goodrich and Denise Peters will help children learn the basics of raptor identification with a special focus on buteos and eagles. The indoor lesson will be followed by a hike to the lookout to practice newly-learned skills. Children should bring a daypack with lunch, water and something soft to sit on, and should dress in warm layers. Binoculars will be provided along with a lesson on their proper use. Sorry parents, this program is designed for the kids, so you may follow along at a distance, or we'll meet you back at the Visitor Center at 1:30.
Advance registration is required: call 610-756-6961.

Mushroom ID Workshop with Joe Lankalis
Sunday, September 19 at 2 pm
The Common Room
$5 Members, $10 Non-Members
Limited to 15 participants

Join the Master of Mushrooms, Joe Lankalis, for a workshop on mushroom identification. Since weather is unpredictable, Joe asks that each participant collect mushrooms from his or her area on Saturday, then bring the samples to the workshop on Sunday. This provides a great variety of fungi to examine and identify. If weather happens to be ideal for mushroom growth, the program may end with a short walk to examine what's popping around the Common Room.
Advance registration required, call 610-756-6961

Hawk Mountain Art Show at Cabelas
Sat & Sun, September 25-26
10 am-5 pm, Cabela's; Located in Deer Country exhibit

Meet award-winning artists and view a mix of wildlife and nature-inspired art at this exhibit and sale designed to introduce Cabela's customers to the Sanctuary. This event is organized by local volunteers and artists, so consider taking a moment to stop by and thank them for their participation.

Raptor ID Workshop
Sunday, October 3
10 am to 1:30 pm
$10 Members, $20 Non-Members
Ages 12 and over. Limited to 12.

Refine your field skills in time for peak of migration using the same type of workshop provided to our Conservation Science interns. Begin indoors using slides and video to learn the best tips for spotting field marks and noting flight patterns, then head out to the Lookout to practice newly-learned skills in the field. This program is led by Senior Monitoring Biologist Laurie Goodrich, and there really is no better person to teach hawk identification.  Advance registration is required, so call 610-756-6961 to reserve your space.

Owl-o-Ween
Saturday, October 30
Trail fee applies
Enjoy a variety of owl-themed activities throughout the day and meet Hawk Mountain's educational owls during a special Raptors Up Close! at Noon and 2 pm, after which you can "Hoot for Hawk Mountain" and test your owl-calling abilities.

AUTUMN LECTURE
Rosalie Edge: Hawk of Mercy
Saturday, November 6
FREE. 5 pm, Visitor Center
Meet Rosalie Edge biographer Dyana Furmansky and hear her fascinating insights into the life and work of Rosalie Edge, one of the most influential conservationists of the 20th Century. Furmansky spent more than a decade researching personal correspondence, Hawk Mountain archives, and conducting interviews with friends, family and colleagues and her resulting book "Rosalie Edge: Hawk of Mercy" today is an award-winning biography of a woman who stepped into the conservation arena late in life, but made one of the most significant impacts on the American conservation movement.
 

Golden Eagle Saturday
Saturday, November 13
Held in lieu of Raptors Up Close. Free.
Trail fee applies for those who walk to scenic overlooks

This is the ONE DAY we offer a 100% guarantee on seeing a Golden Eagle at Hawk Mountain, and it will be up-close and personal. Thanks to our friends at Shaver's Creek Environmental Center, we'll have special live Golden Eagle programs at 10 am, Noon and 2 pm. Each program will also include at least two other species of raptor to help show the difference in raptor adaptations. But never fear, as the real star of the show is the Golden Eagle. This program coincides with the peak of Golden Eagle migration at Hawk Mountain. Registration is NOT required, and this program is held indoors in the event of rain.

Holiday Open House
"Black Friday", November 26
Trail fee applies. Children are free.
No extra fees for activities
Held 10 am-4 pm

Skip the mall on Black Friday and head to the Mountain instead! This annual event is designed for families to avoid the holiday shopping rush and spend time instead having fun with the family. We always offer warm cider and $1 soft pretzels, free trail admission for children ages 12 and under, specials on Hawk Mountain end-of-year items and memberships, and activities for both young and old.

2011 Events:

Wild about Winter
Saturday, January 15, 2011 

6th Annual Hawk Mountain Arts Tour & Sale
Saturday, June 4, 2011
10 am - 4 pm. Rain or Shine.
Held annually, the first Saturday in June.

Click here to go to the Arts Tour page 

This FREE, self-guided driving tour includes 24 artists at 14 stops, offering the chance to meet local artists and skilled artisans in their shops, home studios and galleries and see a wide variety of incredible art. Use a free, downloadable map to plot your own course at:

http://hawkmountain.org/Arts_Tour_Driving.php

This also is an opportunity to enjoy the unspoiled scenery in the valley while you meet the artists and see their art, which includes pottery, ironwork, carvings, painting, weaving, quilting, jewelry making, stained glass design, modern upholstery and more. The best part is that YOU design a tour to meet your own interests and time.

♦ Plot your own course and set your own pace.

♦ Stops include charming shops, galleries and home studios connected by scenic country roads in a 25-mile radius.

♦ Eateries and other points of interest noted on map.

For more information, call Hawk Mountain at 610-756-6961 and ask for Mary, or, email info@hawkmountain.org, subject line "ARTS TOUR"