DECATUR, Ala. – The Wheeler Wildlife Refuge Association will host the three-day 2023 Festival of the Cranes event Friday-Sunday, Jan. 13-15, at the Wheeler National Wildlife Refuge (WNWR) and other venues throughout Decatur.
The refuge center, which is home to Alabama’s largest concentrations of Sandhill Cranes and Whooping Cranes, celebrates the winter migration patterns of tens of thousands of Sandhill Cranes each year. The 35,000-acre refuge is also home to the state’s most populous wintering duck population.
During the three-day festival, the refuge, located at 3121 Visitor Center Road in Decatur, will host guided morning bird walks and Birding 101 walks, and the observation building will be open, allowing spectators to watch cranes, geese, raptors and more from the heated structure. Attendees are encouraged to bring binoculars and cameras to fully experience the beauty of the birds.
The Princess Theater at 112 Second Ave. NE in downtown Decatur will host a performance by Three on a String, followed by a schedule full of lectures on migration, the role of raptures in nature, condors and an experimental science show.
At the Alabama Center for the Arts, located at 133 Second Ave. NE, more lectures and workshops will be held, including the Junior Duck Stamp Workshop and Reptiles and Amphibians Show.
Cook Museum will provide arts and crafts for children, science lessons about cranes and an all-day Crane Dance Party. The museum is located at 133 Fourth Ave. NE.
Decatur Public Library, 504 Cherry St. NE, will be in on the celebration with scavenger hunts, children’s activities, story times and goodie bags.
Several of the weekend’s activities require reservations. More information can be found at www.friendsofwheelernwr.org/festival-of-the-cranes-2023.
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