Wings Over Willapa Festival
September 20-September 22
The Wings Over Willapa Festival celebrates birds, nature, and art during a multi-day event held at the Willapa National Wildlife Refuge and other natural sites on Washington’s Long Beach Peninsula. The Festival has something for everyone who loves to explore in nature.
Events include expert-led bird walks and programs ranging from wildlife tracking to adventures at Leadbetter Point. Other highlights include a guided tour to Long Island to an old-growth cedar grove, Pelagic birding trip, hand building with clay to create your own bird bath, and a special Nature Play Day on Saturday for children and families.
Saturday’s Keynote speaker features author Marina Richie. Join her for a headfirst dive into belted kingfishers over seven seasons on a home creek. Her photo-filled presentation threads natural history, memoir, and myth. She introduces the practice of deep birding leading to kinship with a wild neighborhood and personal transformation. By the water’s edge, the author healed from the loss of her naturalist father and tapped into her own powers. Halcyon Journey, In Search of the Belted Kingfisher earned the 2024 John Burroughs Award, awarded annually to the year’s most distinguished book of nature writing. It also earned a National Outdoor Book Award and a Foreword Indies Award.
General registration is $10 and is open now. See the website for all details.