EBF 2020 event Calendar

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Monday, May 18
Ellis Bird Farm Opening Day and Naomi Delafield Rosedale Valley Junior String Orchestra                  
11:30 AM – Funder recognition: Thank you to MEGlobal, Bridge Opening (Dow); Celebration of Jim Boyd Purple Martin houses
1:00 - Site Tour with Myrna Pearman
2:00 - 3:00 PM Naomi Delafield Rosedale Valley Junior Orchestra concert
3:00 - ABMI NatureLynx and Dragonfly/Damselfly Mission (Jordan Bell) Fred Schutz Library viewing
All day: Owl Show and Tell

Sunday, May 24
 eBird and iNaturalist Workshop with Jody Allair of Birds Canada
10:00 AM – 11:00 App workshop
11:00 - 12:30 Birding tour with Jody Allair
 $20.00 (online registration required)
           
Sunday, June 7
Beginning Birder Workshop with Judy Boyd
 9:00 AM – Noon
$20.00 (online registration required)
Ages 10 years to adult
Bring your binoculars and bird books, or borrow a pair from our Visitor Centre. Dress to go outside.
 
 June 7, 14, 21, 28
 Bluebird Trail Tours
 1:00 PM  and  3:00 PM (weather permitting)
By donation (phone or in-person registration and own transportation  required) 
 
Saturday, June 20
Solstice Evening at Ellis Bird Farm, Artisans on Site and Family Nature Night: Owls with Tim Schowalter, Artisans 
Note: the site will remain open to the public until 8:00 PM 

Family Nature Night 6:30 PM - 8:00 PM
$10 per family (must pre register)
Learn about owls, play games and make a craft. Tim Schowalter will help you dissect owl pellets!  

Artisans on Site
       
Sunday June 21
Father’s Day & National Indigenous People’s Day 
1:00 PM Celebrating Loose Parts Play 
Noon – 3:00 PM  Learn about frogs and snakes with the Alberta Amphibian and Reptile Conservancy
Build a bird feeder  - $6.00 each or toad house - $4.00 each 
1 :00 PM and 3:00 PM Bluebird Trail Tours
         
Saturday, June 27
Hummingbird Presentation with Susanne Maidment and Planter Workshop with Judy Reeds, Parkland Garden Centre and D and A Gardens
10:00 AM - Noon
Cost: $65 includes a take-home planter (online registration required) 
Maximum 12 adults
Coffee and muffins provided
Learn about the amazing life history of hummingbirds, watch hummingbird banding, and create your own container of hummingbird-attracting plants to take home. 
                     
Wednesday, July 1
Canada Day - Honouring Canada's First Peoples
1:00 PM, 2:30 PM and 4:00 PM - Elder Maggie shares her wisdom
Children’s crafts 1:00 PM - 4:00 PM
Cupcakes by Lakeside Social Workers!
 
July and August - Knee High Nature
Wednesday,  July 8 - Owls 
Thursday, July 9 - Butterflies
Tuesday July 14 - Snakes
Wednesday July 22 - Frogs and Toads
Wednesday July 29 - Ants 
Thursday July 30 - Bats 
Wednesday August 5 - Flowers and Bees
Wednesday August 12 -  Spiders
 
10:00 AM – 11:30 AM and 1:00 PM – 2:30 PM
These sessions are geared to ages 3 – 7 years. Children up to age 10  are also welcome. Caregivers and children share in the adventure of nature      learning through songs, games and a craft.
$6.00 per child
Online registration required.
 
Saturday, July 11
Bluebird Festival  - 21st Anniversary
11:30 M: Dr. Natalia Lifshitz (EBF Scientific Advisor) Tree Swallows
3:30 PM - Garden tour                     
1:00 PM and 3:00 PM - Bluebird trail tours (registration required) 
1:00 PM – 3:00 PM - Jazz Explosion
1:00 PM – 4:00 PM - Children's crafts, Nature Kids, nestbox building, bird banding with Strix Ecological, Battle River Watershed Alliance

Saturday, July 18
Evening at Ellis Bird Farm, Artisans on Site and Family Nature Night (Theme: Dragonflies, Damselflies and Ponds )       
Ellis Bird Farm will remain open to the public until 8:00 PM
Families may pre-register at $10 per family for a session from 6:30 PM - 8:00 PM where they will be led through activities of playing games, making a craft and learning about aquatic invertebrates in the Ellis Bird Farm ponds. 
Artisans on site

Tuesday, July 21
Nature Day Camp
10:00 AM - 2:00 PM 
Participants: children 8-12 years old
$25 per child
Registration Required: pay online or in person at least a week prior to camp day, and waiver signed and dropped off with child, name tags. Bring lunch and snacks. Dress for outdoors. 
 
Saturday, July 25
Birds in Flight Photography Workshop with Leo de Groot
9:00 AM – Noon, with afternoon open for practice
$55.00 (online registration required)
Coffee and muffins provided
Minimum - 6 Maximum - 15
Age: adult  (12 years and up if keen)  
                                 
Sunday July 26
Writer's Retreat with Battle River Writing Centre with Dr. Jane Ross. Theme: Landscapes 
9:00 AM - Meditative Experience
10:00 AM -  3:00 PM Workshop
12:30 PM - bagged lunch or pre-order from the Ellis Cafe
Maximum 15 participants 
$30 (online registration required)
Come apart from the usual to be with birds and trees in a retreat that moves through a series of reflective meditations on place, landscape and symbols. Think new thoughts and write them.   

Saturday, August 1
Evening at Ellis Bird Farm, Artisans on Site, and Bat Night at the Bird Farm 
The site will remain open until 8:00 PM
Families may preregister at $10 per family for the session held from 6:30 PM – 7:15 PM for children's crafts and games.
At 7:30 PM, Alberta Community Bat Program Coordinator, Cory Olson, will give an informative presentation on Alberta bats and how you can support their populations. By donation.
Dusk ~9:15 PM Bat Walk led by Cory Olson.
 
Sunday/Monday August 2 and 3
Mornings With the Martins, co-hosted with the Purple Martin Conservancy and Dr. Delano Lewis, and Loose Parts Play for Children with Kirstin Bouwsema
9:00 AM – 11:00 AM
Admission by donation
Coffee and muffins provided
Enjoy observing Purple Martins while learning about aerial insectivores and hearing about insect and bird migration research. This is an adult-based, quiet bird-watching activity. 

Celebration of Loose-parts Play for children.  Bring your children to enjoy. supervised free play with natural items in the new Nature Play Area. Adults may stay with their children or enjoy the “Mornings with the Martins.”                      
 
Saturday, August 8, 2020
Bug Jamboree:   Dragonfly and Damselfly Theme
1:00 – 4:00 PM - exhibits, children's crafts, Nature Kids, Alberta Biodiversity Monitoring Institute, Red Deer River Watershed Alliance Build a Bee Abode - $6.00
3:00 PM - Butterfly Count
John Acorn, the Nature Nut and Patron of Nature Alberta, will open  the Bug Jamboree at 1:00 PM with musical entertainment.  Various  Bugsters will be on hand to educate and impress.

Macro Photography Workshop with Adrian Thysse 
$55.00 (10:00 AM - 2:00 PM).  Online registration required.    
 
Sunday, August 16
Summer Garden Party: A Celebration of Myrna’s Photography set to Naomi Delafied Orchestra (Vivaldi’s Four Seasons)
More details soon!

Monday,  September 7
Ellis Bird Farm Closing Day
1:00 – 3:00 PM Golden Music Makers will entertain
2:00 PM - Raffle Draw
Gift Shop sales