The 2009 Connecticut Audubon Society
Eagle Festival® Is Cancelled
On Nov. 13, 2008 Connecticut Audubon Society announced that it had decided to suspend its annual festival for the coming year. The 2009 Connecticut Audubon Society Eagle Festival® was originally scheduled for Feb. 14-15, 2009 in Essex, CT. “This year, the national economic downturn has prohibited the depth and breadth of support that we usually enjoy from our corporate sponsors,” said Robert Martinez, Connecticut Audubon Society’s President. “This corporate support is what allows Connecticut Audubon Society to offer festival visitors the opportunity to see Bald Eagles in the wild, enjoy live birds of prey demonstrations and attend environmental lectures from noted experts -- all free-of-charge to the public. We are grateful for the enthusiasm that all our constituents feel for this, the largest birding festival in North America, and we look forward to continuing and revitalizing this popular event the moment the economy allows."
Click here to read the full press release.
CT Audubon Is Still Offering Eagle-Viewing Opportunities in 2009
1. Connecticut Audubon Society’s EcoTravel Program will continue to offer guided “Eagle-Viewing Boat Tours” in 2009 on the Connecticut River aboard “Riverquest.”
These trips begin Saturday, February 7, 2009 and run through Sunday, March 22, 2009. Trips take place on Saturdays and Sundays at 9 a.m. and 11 a.m., and starting February 19 on Thursdays at 10 a.m.
Tickets are $40 and must be reserved in advance; call 860-767-0660 or 800-996-8747, or click here to e-mail our CAS EcoTravel staff. Seats are limited and sell out quickly so call today! (These make great holiday gifts!)
2. Starting December 27, 2008 Connecticut Audubon Society staff naturalists and volunteers will be on hand to assist visitors, provide information and answer questions at the Shepaug Dam Bald Eagle Observation Area in Southbury, CT. The Observation Area is open from the last weekend of December through mid-March on Wednesdays, Saturdays, and Sundays from 9 a.m. until 1 p.m. Reservations are required and may be made by calling 800-368-8954 from December 7 through March 7, Tuesday through Friday, between the hours of 9 a.m. and 3 p.m.
Visit http://www.shepaugeagles.info/ for more information.
Ways You Can Help Protect Connecticut's Birds & Wildlife Habitats
1.
Become a Member of Connecticut Audubon Society or make a donation to help support our year-round conservation, education and advocacy programs.
»To learn about the benefits of CAS Membership, click here or contact Madeline Dennis, CAS Membership Manager, at 203-259-6305 ext. 105 or mdennnis@ctaudubon.org.
»To make a secure online donation, click here. You can also contact Ann O’Leary, CAS Development Director, at aoleary@ctaudubon.org or 203-259-6305 ext. 102.
2. Click here to read our "Connecticut State of the Birds 2009" report and learn about our proposed recommendations to help save endangered birds and other at-risk animal and plant life in Connecticut.
3. Help us expand our efforts and broaden our impact -- join "CAAN," our new "Connecticut Audubon Advocacy Network." Simply send us your e-mail address and we will send you regular reports by e-mail on conservation issues and happenings in the state. When specific issues arise that we think require a specific response, we will ask you to contact the appropriate official or legislator. Just send an e-mail to advocacy@ctaudubon.org and say “Yes, I want to join the Connecticut Audubon Advocacy Network (CAAN)" or click here to send an e-mail.
Snap Shots from our 2008
Connecticut Audubon Society Eagle Festival®
During his standing-room-only program, Tom Ricardi of the Massachusetts Birds of Prey Rehabilitation Facility held a live Bald Eagle that he had rehabilitated and trained. Photo © 2008 by Debbie Donofrio.
Photo © 2008 by Debbie Donofrio.
Visitors enjoyed two days of beautiful weather for spotting Bald Eagles on the Connecticut River. Photo © 2008 by Fran Baranski.
2008 Festival Honorary Co-Chair Phil Donahue is a long-time supporter of Connecticut Audubon Society. On Saturday of the Festival he emceed a group discussion about "Connecticut's Conservation Agenda." Photo © 2008 by Debbie Donofrio.
On Saturday, 2008 Festival Honorary Co-Chair Faith Middleton broadcast her hourlong WNPR.FM radio show live from the Festival. Inside the Connecticut River Museum and in front of a live audience, Faith interviewed Phil Donahue and many other participants. Photo © 2008 by Debbie Donofrio.
During the 2008 CAS Eagle Festival® our new "Portraits with a Raptor" program was very popular. Connecticut Audubon Society's Carol Kratzman holds Milton (a European Barn Owl) for his photo opportunity with one of many visiting families. Photo © 2008 by Mara Neville.
Here 2008 CAS Eagle Festival® visitors board the Lady Katharine Cruises' luxury dinner yacht, "Mystique" for a 90-minte guided Eagle-Viewing Boart Cruise on the Connecticut River. P hoto © 2008 by Mara Neville.
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During our 2007 CAS Eagle Festival™, Festival
