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Burroughs Audubon Society of Greater Kansas City
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C O R P O R A T E
F O B A S
T W I T T E R
Dear Members,

Wings Over Weston is Saturday, May 5, 2018 from 9:00 AM to 3:00 PM. Wings Over Weston is a partnership between Burroughs Audubon and Missouri State Parks. It  introduces birds, their migration, and the importance of conservation of habitat to children, the birders of tomorrow.  Approximately 30 stations offer education and interpretation, guided bird hikes, birds from Operation Wildlife and Raptor Rehab, build a house/feeder, games, arts and crafts, and more!

In 2008, Audubon Missouri put together a committee that included Missouri State Parks, Missouri Department of Conservation, and Burroughs Audubon for the newly established Iatan/Weston River Corridor Important Bird Area (IBA.)  More information about the IBA can be found here. Weston Bend State Park is in the heart of the IBA and the location for Wings Over Weston. Bottomland forests, covering 1,360 acres are the largest surviving tract of old-growth bottomland forest along the entire Missouri River and offer more than 30 species of warblers. Spring is an optimal time to engage children and an interest in birding. The birds are sporting their brightest colors for breeding and the spring foliage (or lack thereof) allows children to find birds more easily.



In 2010, it was suggested that a small festival take place to introduce the newly established Iatan/Weston River Corridor IBA to the public. 48 people attended. Today, Wings Over Weston has grown to be the largest one-day birding festival in the entire Midwest. With 600-800+ attendees each year, children have delighted in releasing birds back to the wild after they are banded. They can see birds up close which allows them to develop respect and interest. Taking home a birdhouse and a feeder that they built with their own hands gives them a sense of pride. Children are taken on guided bird hikes and are shown how to use binoculars. They are shown where to look for birds using Head Shoulders Knees and Toes. They also use calming jars that teach a child patience to stay in one place and look and listen for movement and song.    

Burroughs' largest event each year is Wings Over Weston. It was recognized nationally in 2015 when Wings Over Weston was presented at the National Audubon Conference. A student at Kansas State University who was previously a Missouri State Parks intern informed, "My professor here at Kansas State University just cited Wings Over Weston as a prime example of wildlife interpretation." The awarding of multiple grants has allowed Wings Over Weston to install a spotting scope and signage along the Harpst Trail at Weston Bend State Park and interpretation to 2,281 students and seniors throughout the 2015/16 school year. A Wings Over Weston special committee was formed in 2012 to create and print the Birds and Important Bird Areas of Northwest Missouri, a flashguide that is given away to approximately 200 fourth grade students that attend Wings Over Weston's school day from four local school districts. (Additional copies of this flashguide are sold at local bird stores to help raise money for Wings Over Weston.) More grants and generous donations (including your Audubon Memberships) are the reason Wings Over Weston is FREE to everyone.



If you know a young person who would enjoy a day of birding, please share the flyer with them.  Our hope is that one day at Wings Over Weston will ignite a spark to a lifetime of birding.  If you would like more information about Wings Over Weston that includes a list of our accolades, please send an email to birdsecretary@comcast.net.    

Christine Kline

Co-Chair, Wings Over Weston
Burroughs Audubon Society
(816) 540-3515 or (816) 824-1074
birdsecretary@comcast.net
Weston Bend State Park
16600 Hwy 45 North, Weston, MO  64098
The event will take place at the park’s Bee Creek Shelter. The entrance road to the shelter is south of the park’s main gate off Missouri 45 Highway.
Copyright © 2018 Burroughs Audubon Society of Greater Kansas City, All rights reserved.


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