Spring Wings Festival takes flight in 1 week

The annual Spring Wings Festival is one week away, and with abundant water in the wetlands, the event will resume conducting tours after a one-year hiatus because of last year’s drought.

“This is the only event of its kind in Nevada that attracts a couple hundred people yearly,” said Susan Sawyer, visitor service manager with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. “With all the water we have this year, birding and wildlife viewing should be much better than recent past.”

With a grant from the Fallon Convention and Tourism Authority, Sawyer said Spring Wings will be able to provide a variety of activities for the entire family.

“Where else can you pet a millipede, tickle a beetle belly, get pollinator plants to attract monarchs, see live birds of prey, learn how water moves through the valley, and how to choose the best optics for your eyes and budget,” she asked.

Among the activities are as follows:

On May 20, there will be a free insect open house and petting zoo from 3:30 to 5 p.m. at the County Parks and Rec multipurpose building from 3:30-5 p.m. At 6 p.m., a presentation — Landscape Gardening for Wildlife — will show people how to plant their yard to attract the native wildlife and repel the non-native species without chemicals.

Sawyer said free local birding hotspot nature tours of the Lahontan Valley are slated for May 20 and 21 from 3:30-5 p.m. On May 21, Sawyer said people will be able to travel with expert field guides to the best highlights of past years tours: Carson River wood duck project, raptor roundup, desert wetlands and city bird hangouts.

“Learn when and where to find birds during their spring migration in our area,” Sawyer said.

Also on May 21 is People of the Marsh, which features tribal history and a cultural connection to the past of the Paiute people. Sawyer said individuals will visit from 9-11:30 a.m. Grimes Point, Hidden Cave and the tribal wetlands to learn the unique history of the Stillwater marsh.

From 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. on May 21, Sawyer said the festival will have free exhibits, displays, crafts and workshops.

A popular workshop is decoy carving, said Sawyer, where individuals make and take their own migratory shorebird decoy. Pacific Flyway Decoy Association hosts the class, which has 10 seats. For information on the workshop and other Spring Wings Festival events, go to www.springwings.org.