Let Missouri Botanical Garden Teach You How To Be A Birder

By Karen Hagenow 

St. Louis, MO - Bird watchers and enthusiasts of all ages can “flock” to the Missouri Botanical Garden on Saturday, Feb. 7 from 7:30 a.m. to 2 p.m. for the fourth annual Backyard Bird Festival. Bundle up and bring the binoculars for a day filled with guided birding walks, live exhibits, identification tips, and informative classes for children and adults of all experience levels. The event cost is $18 per person ($15 for Garden members) and pre-registration is required to participate. 

“Winter is the perfect time of year for bird watching at the Garden, as tree branches are bare, making birds easier to spot,” said event organizer Julia Gaussoin of the Garden’s Education Division. “The festival is also a great opportunity to connect with knowledgeable organizations and other birders, to enhance your skills.”

“Early birds” can start the day looking for the Yellow-bellied Sapsucker, Cooper’s Hawk, American Goldfinch, Golden-Crowned Kinglet, Downy Woodpecker and more on a guided walk from 7:30 to 9 a.m. Walks will also be held from 9 to 10:15 a.m. and 11:15 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. Throughout the morning, bird experts will be stationed at bird feeders outside the Ridgway Visitor Center and at the Kemper Center for Home Gardening bird garden to answer questions and chat with participants who prefer to not join an entire walk.

View live birds up close and receive helpful information from experts inside the upper level of the Ridgway Visitor Center between 9 a.m. and 2 p.m. Exhibitors include the World Bird Sanctuary, Missouri Department of Conservation, Conservation Federation of Missouri, Audubon Society, Wild Bird Rehabilitation, Wild Bird Center and others.

Adults can attend their choice of three bird identification classes between 9 and 10:15 a.m. “Yard Birds: Basic Backyard Birding” will share tips for beginners, while more experienced birders can try “Bird Songs” or “Advanced Birding: Owls.” A fourth class, “Wing Watchers,” is designed especially for children ages three through 12, accompanied by an adult.

From 10:30 to 11 a.m., participants of all ages can enjoy a colorful slideshow offering a “Great Backyard Bird Count Introduction.” Find out how to join in the annual count, scheduled for Feb. 13 through 16 nationwide. Or, visit “The Nest” to play children’s games and enjoy bird-related activities. Both offerings will be repeated from 12:45 to 1:15 p.m.

From 11:15 a.m. to 12:30 p.m., select from three additional adult classes focused on birding hobbies, or attend the family class “This Backyard is For the Birds!” to learn how to make your backyard more bird friendly.

The Backyard Bird Festival will be held rain or shine at the Missouri Botanical Garden, located at 4344 Shaw Blvd. in south St. Louis (easily accessible from Interstate 44 at the Vandeventer exit). Please dress appropriately for outdoor activities.

Pre-registration is required by Jan. 24. Cost is $18 per person or $15 for Garden members. For family classes, cost is per child, with no extra charge for one required accompanying adult. No more than three children per adult, please.

For more information or to register, call (314) 577-9506 or download a registration form at www.mobot.org/education.

The Missouri Botanical Garden is the oldest continually operating botanical garden in the nation, celebrating its 150th anniversary in 2009. Missouri Botanical Garden: Green for 150 Years.

The Missouri Botanical Garden’s mission is “to discover and share knowledge about plants and their environment, in order to preserve and enrich life.” Today, 150 years after opening, the Missouri Botanical Garden is a National Historic Landmark and a center for science, conservation, education and horticultural display. Missouri Botanical Garden: Green for 150 Years.

The Missouri Botanical Garden is located at 4344 Shaw Blvd. in St. Louis, just south of I-44 at Vandeventer-Kingshighway (exit #287B). Open 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. every day except Dec. 25. Grounds open at 7 a.m. every Wednesday and Saturday. Admission is $8; free children ages 12 and under and Garden members. St. Louis City and County residents are $4 and free every Wednesday and Saturday until noon (exception: special admission rate events). Park for free on site and two blocks west at the Shaw-Vandeventer intersection. (Note: the Garden’s main vehicle entrance at 4344 Shaw Blvd. will be under construction from through Mar. 2009 for improvements. Follow signs to temporary parking lot entrances around the corners at 2019 Tower Grove Ave. and 1940 Alfred Ave.) The Garden is easily accessible by taking the MetroLink commuter rail line to the Central West End station and picking up a Metro bus (www.metrostlouis.org). For general information, log on to www.mobot.org or call the 24-hour recording at (314) 577-9400 or 1-800-642-8842. For membership information, call (314) 577-5118 during weekday business hours. For volunteer opportunities, call (314)-577-5187 or visit www.mobot.org/volunteer. The Missouri Botanical Garden is a tobacco-free environment.

(Note: A section of the I-64/U.S. 40 highway is under construction through 2009. Before traveling, check www.thenewi64.org for updates or visit www.GetAroundStL.com for other helpful information.)