Location: Central Hotel – 171 N Broadway Ave Ste. A, Burns, OR 97720
This year, the HC Migratory Bird Festival is changing up our pinnacle event! Like a swoop of cranes, we’ll be gathering to eat, socialize, have fun, and learn – with a “Focus on Finley”! As a biologist, photographer, writer, filmmaker, and public official, Finley spent his life tirelessly advocating for the protection of wildlife, especially birds. His efforts led to the creation of three National Wildlife Refuges in Oregon, and a fourth was named in his honor.
There will be food trucks and pop-ups on-hand and the bar will be open (no-host). The Swoop schedule includes a Bird Call Contest (you do the calling, the crowd does the judging), a “Name that bird(s)” audio challenge (we’ll play recordings collected from Malheur, you’ll try to ID the birds), and a round of William L. Finley trivia. Prizes will be awarded for the “Focus on Finley” trivia, the Bird Call contest, and the audio challenge!
We’ll also have a three-part educational component, delivered by the authors of “For the Love of Nature”, William L. Finley III (yes, Finley’s grandson!) and Carole Finley. Each of these presentations will be 10-15 minutes long and will cover topics associated with Finley and Malheur from 1908 to today. Prizes will be awarded for the “Focus on Finley” trivia, the Bird Call contest, and the audio challenge.