Great Dismal Swamp Annual Birding Festival

Is your scouting council interested in acquiring Birding merit badges or learning more about our fine feathered friends? If so, we would like to recommend Chesapeake, Virginia as the location of your next scouting adventure!

May 7- 9, 2009, the Great Dismal Swamp National Wildlife Refuge is hosting its annual free birding festival in Chesapeake, Virginia.  Chesapeake is a convenient resource for Scouting trips and community service opportunities. The festival is strategically held during the height of the spring Neotropical songbird migration so spectators can enjoy the greatest diversity of species on the fly! The festival is free and open to the public, and includes interactive exhibits, guided bird walks, blue bird house building, and more! Vendors will be selling delicious foods, unique crafts and souvenirs.

The festival features Owl Prowls, Blue Bird House Building, crafts, and the Sounds of the Night Guided Bus & Walking Tour on Friday May 8^th, an evening adventure through the swamp to see leopard frogs, owls, and northern red bats. Also offered are a beginners bird watching class and guided walk and photographing nature workshop and guided photographing nature walk on Saturday. For a complete schedule of events, please visit http://www.fws.gov/northeast/greatdismalswamp/pdf%20files/09lbrochure.pdf.

These birds can be seen throughout the year, but this is an especially good opportunity to attend the festival and to earn a few merit badges, including the Bird Study, Camping and Wilderness Survival merit badges.

Bird watchers will delight in catching a glimpse of the Swainson's warbler and the Wayne's warbler (a race of the Black-throated Green warbler), two of the most secretive and least observed of all North American birds.

Remember, the early bird catches the worm, so make your reservations by calling the Refuge headquarters at (757) 986-3705. For more information about the festival, visit www.fws.gov/northeast/greatdismalswamp.  For hotel, dining and attraction information in the Chesapeake area, visit www.visitchesapeake.com.

Also, take advantage of our “Scouting Is Fun” program that makes it easy for troops to simply call Chesapeake’s Parks & Recreation Department and receive an itinerary to fulfill badge criteria.

To set up your troop’s next big outing in Chesapeake, contact Janet Wenger with the Chesapeake Conventions & Tourism at 757.502.4898 or toll free 888.889.5551, or via email at jtwenger@cityofchesapeake.net. An avid sports and outdoor enthusiast herself, Janet is an expert on the region’s wide range of scout-friendly activities such as hiking, kayaking, camping and birding.

 Of course, if you have any questions, you can contact me at 336.553.1800 or via email at rshaw@rlfcommunications.com.

 Thanks,

 Rachel

rshaw@rlfcommunications.com