National Audubon Society

Moss Point, MS

There is a hum in the air as fall migration of Hummingbirds is in full swing, and the Pascagoula River Audubon Center believes this is a reason to celebrate. Make plans now to attend the 2021 Hummingbird Festival in Moss Point September 24 and 25 and have an opportunity to see these tiny, magnificent birds up close and personal.
            Throughout the two-day festival, guests will have the opportunity to tour the Rhodes Bayou property and observe a variety of bird species. Hummingbirds will be captured, banded and released both days by Kyle Shepard from the Banding Coalition of the Americas, and storyteller Brian “Fox” Ellis will be impersonating John James Audubon sharing tales of his love of birds and his explorations.
            Food, merchandise and craft vendors will be on display on the front lawn and around the site along with crafts and activities for children and guest presenters for adults. A wide variety of native plants will also be for sale. Fall is a great time to plan for spring blooms, and these species are sure to attract the birds, bees and butterflies.
            For a sneak peek at the bird banding, storyteller and native plants, a special Hummingbird Happy Hour will take place Thursday, September 23, from 4 to 7 p.m. for guests 21 and older. This ticketed event will feature a variety of complimentary wines, beers and snacks along with a signature drink provided by CASA of Jackson County. The “Dragonfly” drink changes colors and includes edible glitter.
            While the festival is open to the public on both days, the Friday activities will include more activities for school-aged children, and Saturday focuses more on the whole family. The Saturday schedule includes an educational presentation on native plants, a visit from Plastics Free Gulf Coast, two different presentations by “Fox” Ellis, understanding bird banding and a noon performance from the Freedom Ranch.
            Admission for the festival from 9 a.m. until 3 p.m. Friday and Saturday is $10 for adults and $5 for children ages 5-15. Children 4 and under are free. Admission for Hummingbird Happy Hour is $15 per person. All tickets may be purchased in advance online or at the gate. Event parking will take place in Audubon Parking on Audubon Way along with all public parking areas around the Downtown Moss Point area.
            For more information, please contact the Center. To purchase tickets online, click HERE.

Private Plant Sale for Members

Make sure you get the native plants that are on your wish list by participating in the private sale set aside for PRAC members and donors.

The fall native plant sale at PRAC features a large variety of perennials, shrubs and trees that are sure to create a colorful spring landscape.

The inventory opens to the general public on Thursday, September 23, but members and donors are invited to shop throughout the day and after hours on Tuesday, September 21 from 9 a.m. until 6 p.m. Come peruse the large selection and make your purchases with ease. Staff will even help load your plants.

For a full list of available plants, please click HERE. Online sales will not begin until September 29.

Ingalls bring Storyteller to Area Schools

School-aged children around Jackson County are being introduced to a blast from the past as John James Audubon spins his web of tales from his adventures through the vision of Brian “Fox” Ellis.

”Fox” is an award-winning storyteller who impersonates a variety of characters including St. Francis, John James Audubon and Charles Darwin, just to name a few. As a former science teacher, he enjoys researching the lives and times of people from the past who helped shape the way we view science and the environment today. He has been booked at schools in all districts around Jackson County for the two weeks leading up to the Hummingbird Festival.

At the festival, “Fox” will present five different tales as Audubon and his adventures as he finishes something no one had every accomplished before: drawing every bird in North America. Audubon will enchant you with stories of his travels and travails in the wildest places on the planet. He will celebrate the natural history of the North America as he saw it in the early 1800s.

Performance times are 6 p.m. Thursday, September 23, and 10 a.m. and 1 p.m. Friday and Saturday, September 24 and 25.

For more information about the storyteller, click HERE.

Witness Birding Research in Action

Have you ever wondered how we know so much about the migration patterns of birds? Well, come learn more about how this data is collected at the 2021 Hummingbird Festival.

Bird banding is a federally permitted activity in which a bird is captured, data is collected, and a serial-numbered lightweight band is affixed around the bird's leg before the bird is released. It allows banders to collect important data about the lives of birds. If a banded bird is re-captured by any other bander, its band number is recorded and the same measurements are taken. This “recap” is reported to the Bird Banding Laboratory.

Kyle Shepard with the Banding Coalition of the Americas will be banding birds at the Pascagoula River Audubon Center throughout the festival. He sets a trap luring the bird with a nectar feeder. Once in the trap, the bird is caught, measured, weighed, banded and then released. It is an amazing process that does not injure the bird at all.

Kyle began banding when he was 12 years old with Martha and Bob Sargent at Fort Morgan, Alabama. Kyle's background is in outdoor recreational management and is a director with BCA. He enjoys all things outdoors and not only appreciates birds but also reptiles of all sorts. Kyle has banded more than 2,300 birds spanning 101 different species.

For more information about banding, click HERE.

CASA introduces "Dragonfly" drink at Hummingbird Happy Hour

Gather your friends for a great evening on Rhodes Bayou and enjoy the majesty of fall hummingbird migration during Hummingbird Happy Hour.

From 4-7 p.m. September 23, guests are welcome to observe the practice of bird banding, enjoy storytelling by “Fox” Ellis and have complimentary beer, wine and snacks. As an added bonus, our friends from CASA of Jackson County will be serving a specialty drink named the “Dragonfly”.

Admission for happy hour is $15 per person and is open to adults 21 years old and older. Social time and bird banding will take place from 4-6 p.m. and “Fox” Ellis will perform as John James Audubon at 6 p.m. Native plant sales will also be available during the event.

Advance tickets may be purchased HERE or at the door.

Festival 411

With the number of guests expected during the three-day Hummingbird Festival, parking will be tight. Parking is allowed in the Audubon parking lot on Audubon Way and in public spaces along Main Street and in Downtown Moss Point.

We appreciate the neighbors along Dantzler and Arthur Streets for your patience as our flock continues to grow.

While most of the activities during the festival will be outdoors, masks are required in all indoor facilities and anywhere social distance cannot be maintained. Hand sanitization stations will be posted around the property.

Pascagoula River Watershed – Public/Teacher Perceptions

The following online survey will probe your awareness of, and interest in, the Pascagoula River Watershed. This is an optional survey distributed by Mississippi State University. Only those 18 years of age or older should complete the survey.

If you choose to participate in this study, you will be asked to complete a short survey that will take less than 10 minutes to complete. Your responses are voluntary and will be confidential. Responses will not be identified by individual. All responses will be compiled together and analyzed as a group.

This study has been reviewed by Mississippi State University’s HRPP/IRB and has been granted this Exemption Determination (IRB-21-417). If you have any questions or concerns about this research project, please feel free to contact Dr. Renee Clary rmc192@msstate.edu. Please understand that your participation is voluntary. Your refusal to participate will involve no penalty of benefits to which you are otherwise entitled. You may discontinue your participation at any time without penalty or loss of benefits.

Thank you for your participation and interest in this research. If you would like to proceed, please click on the begin survey button below:

ttps://msstate.co1.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_78PzTv0EU6gAg2W

CONNECT WITH US

Pascagoula River Audubon Center
5107 Arthur St., Moss Point, MS 39563
(228) 475-0825 | pascagoula.audubon.org

© 2024 National Audubon Society, Inc.

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