Space is limited, call (256) 350-6639 Monday-Saturday, 9:00-4:00 to reserve your space.

The refuge naturalist-led kayak trip will traverse part of the Flint Creek Canoe Trail. We’ll paddle 1-1.5 miles together roundtrip, stopping at several points.

• Bring your own canoe/kayak, paddles, lifejackets.

• Bring plenty of water (and a snack if you like).

• Wear a hat, sunscreen, insect repellent, lifejacket.

• Basic paddling skills and wearing lifejackets are required.

• Calle for more details.

Space is limited, call (256) 350-6639 Monday-Saturday, 9:00-4:00 to reserve your space.

The refuge naturalist-led kayak trip will traverse part of the Flint Creek Canoe Trail. We’ll paddle 1-1.5 miles together roundtrip, stopping at several points.

• Bring your own canoe/kayak, paddles, lifejackets.

• Bring plenty of water (and a snack if you like).

• Wear a hat, sunscreen, insect repellent, lifejacket.

• Basic paddling skills and wearing lifejackets are required.

• Calle for more details.

Let’s go fishing!

Kids ages 5 - 12 are invited to come out and try their luck at the special event catfish pond located near the Visitor Center. Gate opens at 7 am and the fishing begins at 8 am.

Trophies and Prizes!

Trophies and prizes will be awarded to the contestant with the heaviest weight in each age category. Door prizes will be given away during the weigh-in and you can keep all the fish you catch. Bring your own tackle, reel or rod, and bait.

Join us for a morning bird walk at Wheeler National Wildlife Refuge!

We will meet at the outdoor classroom in the Visitor Center parking lot at 11:00 a.m. on select mornings now through the end of February to walk around the property and enjoy spotting some of our resident winter birds, including the sandhill cranes and, if we are lucky, the endangered whooping cranes! These bird walks will be led by Travis Roddy from the International Crane Foundation, and anyone is welcome to join. These Whooping Crane Walks will last about one hour and finish in the Observation Building where Travis will remain to answer any questions you may have. We hope to see you there!

This program provided by the International Crane Foundation in partnership with the Wheeler Wildlife Refuge Association.

Join us for a morning bird walk at Wheeler National Wildlife Refuge!

We will meet at the outdoor classroom in the Visitor Center parking lot at 11:00 a.m. on select mornings now through the end of February to walk around the property and enjoy spotting some of our resident winter birds, including the sandhill cranes and, if we are lucky, the endangered whooping cranes! These bird walks will be led by Travis Roddy from the International Crane Foundation, and anyone is welcome to join. These Whooping Crane Walks will last about one hour and finish in the Observation Building where Travis will remain to answer any questions you may have. We hope to see you there!

This program provided by the International Crane Foundation in partnership with the Wheeler Wildlife Refuge Association.

Join us for a morning bird walk at Wheeler National Wildlife Refuge!

We will meet at the outdoor classroom in the Visitor Center parking lot at 11:00 a.m. on select mornings now through the end of February to walk around the property and enjoy spotting some of our resident winter birds, including the sandhill cranes and, if we are lucky, the endangered whooping cranes! These bird walks will be led by Travis Roddy from the International Crane Foundation, and anyone is welcome to join. These Whooping Crane Walks will last about one hour and finish in the Observation Building where Travis will remain to answer any questions you may have. We hope to see you there!

This program provided by the International Crane Foundation in partnership with the Wheeler Wildlife Refuge Association.

Join us for a guided walking-tour of the refuge. The birding tour will take place around the Visitor Center and Observation Building where you might see a variety of ducks, geese, cranes, and other waterfowl. The tour will last approximately 1-2 hours.

No reservations are required.

Meet at the Visitor Center at 8:00 AM

Please bring binoculars and dress for any potential weather.

Join us for a morning bird walk at Wheeler National Wildlife Refuge!

We will meet at the outdoor classroom in the Visitor Center parking lot at 11:00 a.m. on select mornings now through the end of February to walk around the property and enjoy spotting some of our resident winter birds, including the sandhill cranes and, if we are lucky, the endangered whooping cranes! These bird walks will be led by Travis Roddy from the International Crane Foundation, and anyone is welcome to join. These Whooping Crane Walks will last about one hour and finish in the Observation Building where Travis will remain to answer any questions you may have. We hope to see you there!

This program provided by the International Crane Foundation in partnership with the Wheeler Wildlife Refuge Association.

Join us for a guided walking-tour of the refuge. The birding tour will take place around the Visitor Center and Observation Building where you might see a variety of ducks, geese, cranes, and other waterfowl. The tour will last approximately 1-2 hours.

No reservations are required.

Meet at the Visitor Center at 8:00 AM

Please bring binoculars and dress for any potential weather.

Join us for a guided walking-tour of the refuge. The birding tour will take place around the Visitor Center and Observation Building where you might see a variety of ducks, geese, cranes, and other waterfowl. The tour will last approximately 1-2 hours.

No reservations are required.

Meet at the Visitor Center at 8:00 AM

Please bring binoculars and dress for any potential weather.

Wings to Soar's mission is to create awareness about the vital role birds of prey play in the natural world. In this interactive outreach program, environmental education reaches new heights! In this free-flying raptor program, the
audience has a unique opportunity to view birds of prey up close.

Jimmy Stiles Herpetologist and Nature Lover:  Mr.  Stiles will share information about the reptiles and amphibians of Alabama.  This hands-on experience is always a hit!

Alabama Center for the Arts - Recital Hall

Dr. McClintock will be giving a presentation based on his many research trips to Antarctica:

From Penguins to Plankton – Antarctic Climate Change and what it means for Alabama

Alabama Center for the Arts - Recital Hall

Joe Wiegand is the world’s premiere Theodore Roosevelt Reprisor.  Over twenty years, Joe’s Theodore Roosevelt has been seen by audiences in all fifty states and internationally, from the White House to Yosemite National Park.  Joe’s Theodore Roosevelt performances are endorsed by the Congressionally Chartered Theodore Roosevelt Association of Oyster Bay, New York, and have been featured annually at the Theodore Roosevelt Birthplace National Historic Site, Sagamore Hill National Historic Site, and the Theodore Roosevelt Inaugural National Historic Site.  

This presentation is designed to improve bird photography skills for both beginners and advanced photographers. This program covers essential topics such as: Essential equipment for bird photography, obtaining the perfect exposure, focusing techniques, depth-of-field control, arranging the perfect composition, and lighting. Other topics include bird photography genres such as birds in flight, behavior, portraits, and post-processing techniques. These topics are designed to improve photography skills using DSLR and Mirrorless imaging.

Limited to 25 participants each, registration is open! Click here to register.

Jimmy Stiles Herpetologist and Nature Lover:  Mr.  Stiles will share information about the reptiles and amphibians of Alabama.  This hands-on experience is always a hit!

Alabama Center for the Arts - Recital Hall

Wings to Soar's mission is to create awareness about the vital role birds of prey play in the natural world. In this interactive outreach program, environmental education reaches new heights! In this free-flying raptor program, the
audience has a unique opportunity to view birds of prey up close.

Limited to 25 participants each, registration is open! Click here to register.

This presentation is designed to improve bird photography skills for both beginners and advanced photographers. This program covers essential topics such as: Essential equipment for bird photography, obtaining the perfect exposure, focusing techniques, depth-of-field control, arranging the perfect composition, and lighting. Other topics include bird photography genres such as birds in flight, behavior, portraits, and post-processing techniques. These topics are designed to improve photography skills using DSLR and Mirrorless imaging.

Limited to 25 participants each, registration is open! Click here to register.

Vicky will bring live native bats and Egyptian fruit bats for you to meet.  There will be plenty of photo opportunities as she shows off the special flying mammals.  Vicky holds USDA, USFWS, and state permits that allow her to house and use the bats for educational purposes.

Alabama Center for the Arts- Recital Hall

Limited to 25 participants each, registration is open! Click here to register.

From Academy Award®-nominated director Andrew Young, comes “WINGS OVER WATER”, narrated by Academy Award®-nominated actor, Michael Keaton. As the glaciers retreated at the end of the last ice age, they left an astounding gift of connected rivers, lakes, and wetlands across the heartland of North America. “WINGS OVER WATER” tells the compelling story of three amazing bird species – the Sandhill Crane, the Yellow Warbler, and the Mallard Duck – with extraordinary footage of their fascinating behaviors.

Today, these largely unknown water highways of the prairie wetlands remain an oasis of wildlife, from the herds of bison that still roam part of the Great Plains to the swaying grasslands, wildflowers, and vital honeybees that pollinate our crops and especially for the millions of magnificent birds that migrate along these “flyways”.

Robert will share what he has learned photographing birds over the past 35 years and what has worked for him. This 2-hour presentation (with a break in the middle) will start off with a little about birds before venturing into bird photography ethics and bird photography locations. Then he will take a look at the exposure triangle and how that impacts how our bird images look. There will be a discussion on photography gear and bird photography techniques. The presentation will end with a quick summary and question-and-answer session.

Limited to 30 participants each. Registration has closed for this event

PBS TV star - Steve Trash brings his magic, music, and a whole lot of mystery to the Princess Theatre stage for this year's FESTIVAL OF THE CRANES! His LIVE SHOW celebrates the amazing natural world while also being a really fun time for both grown-ups AND kids. Don't miss it! Steve Trash totally rocks!

Whooping Cranes in the Eastern Population:

In the 1940s, Whooping Cranes, once found throughout North America, faced near extinction as a result of increased threats from habitat loss, hunting, and more. It wasn’t until 2001 that Whooping Cranes returned to the eastern United States following a collaborative reintroduction program led by the International Crane Foundation (ICF). Today, over 70 Whooping Cranes make up this population, and winter in Alabama each year. Please join Stephanie Schmidt, Whooping Crane Outreach Coordinator for the International Crane Foundation, to learn about the Whooping Cranes of the Eastern Migratory Population and the work ICF and crane conservation partners are doing to safeguard their future. Following this presentation, you will be able to identify Whooping Cranes by sight and sound, understand the historic threats towards Whooping Cranes that led to their decline, know the ins and outs of the reintroduction program and the current work crane conservation partners are doing to protect cranes in Alabama and throughout their flyways and find out how you can be an ambassador for cranes in Alabama.

Alabama Center for the Arts- Recital Hall

Tammie Clark is a National Board Certified teacher in Early to Middle Years Art, a Decatur City Schools Elementary art educator for 23 years and the 2022 Alabama Art Educator of the Year and SE Art Educator of the Year. She received her BS from the University of Alabama in 1990 and her MA at Alabama A&M University.

Alabama Center for the Arts - Room 113

Wings to Soar's mission is to create awareness about the vital role birds of prey play in the natural world. In this interactive outreach program, environmental education reaches new heights! In this free-flying raptor program, the
audience has a unique opportunity to view birds of prey up close.

Learn the basics of birding on a bird walk around the visitor center grounds with Christopher Joe.

Limited to 25 participants each. Registration is closed for this event.  

Joe Wiegand is the world’s premiere Theodore Roosevelt Reprisor.  Over twenty years, Joe’s Theodore Roosevelt has been seen by audiences in all fifty states and internationally, from the White House to Yosemite National Park.  Joe’s Theodore Roosevelt performances are endorsed by the Congressionally Chartered Theodore Roosevelt Association of Oyster Bay, New York, and have been featured annually at the Theodore Roosevelt Birthplace National Historic Site, Sagamore Hill National Historic Site, and the Theodore Roosevelt Inaugural National Historic Site.