The RGVBF has Taken Flight
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Like this Valley specialty – Hook-billed Kite (thanks for the pic, Mary Gustafson!).
Online registrations opened this week, and there was a great rush to register! We even had a sold out trip (The Sunday Chase Van) and had to add in additional space pronto.
A good problem to have. The trade show, Birder’s Bazaar, is having a similar experience. Booths are filling up nicely with a variety of interesting vendors.
We can’t always add in extra space, and eventually, trips and trade show will be sold out. So now’s the time to decide to join us here in Harlingen, in November, in the unique Rio Grande Valley.
The Gates Will Be Open
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And the waiting flocks can fly on in!
RGVBF ONLINE REGISTRATION will be opening WEDNESDAY 21 JULY at 12 NOON!
So - pick out your trips and talks now, and get ready. It’s all happening at rgvbirdfest.com.
Tooting the RGVBF’s Vuvuzela
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We just have to do it. Three big long toots:
Toot #1: Birdzilla.com lists the RGVBF as Numero Uno among Festivals.
Toot #2: 1000 Facebook Fan-Friends (okay, as I write this we’re at 998).
Toot #3: Birds Australia (that country’s magazine counterpart to our ABA’s Birding) in the June issue featured an article on global festivals. Borneo, England, Australia, Germany…and the only one highlighted in the entire western hemisphere is–yup, you guessed it–the RGVBF.
Three big toots, three big reasons to join us in November. Online registrations to go LIVE next week. Stay closely tuned.
2010 RGVBF Brochure at Printers!
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Finally!
The brochure is at the printers! Due to various snags, snafus, storms, and the proverbial Mr. Murphy getting in there mucking things up, we are delayed in our 2010 Festival mailing. Wanted to let you know that SOON it will go out, SOON we will have online registrations open. Some of you are like racehorses stamping in the gate… But bear with us, and stay tuned.
However, all that is in the brochure is now viewable on our spiffy website, thanks to our web guru volunteer, Kenny Salazar. So pick out your trips and talks now.
If you’re an exhibitor, involved with, or interested in our Birder’s Bazaar – the vendors packets just went out. Booth space is at a premium this year – a good problem to have! Contact our Trade Show Chair, Sue Griffin, if you want to get in on the action: sue_griffin@sbcglobal.net
The buzz is audible, and sponsors are hearing it. If interested in being a part of our important supporting cast, contact Vicki Leggett, Sponsorship Chair: vickileggett@remax.net
Any questions not covered above, general inquiries or what have you, contact us at info@rgvbirdfest.com.
Join us!
Wordless Wednesday
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Crested Caracara by Kevin Karlson
Let’s Get It Started
By · CommentsYay! We’re nearly there!
Brochure is in the final stages of layout/printing/mailing. Online registration is in the final stages of upload/activation.
But the fun stuff is here now! 2010 trips and talks are on the website, and ready for your browsing enjoyment. There’s some great new stuff this year – the RGVBF continues to expand and refresh and refine.
So look around. And, if you haven’t already done so, sign up in the box to the right to receive RGVBF NewsFlashes (a good way to get important info like registrations opening, trips selling out, etc). Also, join our Facebook/Twitter families. We’re having fun over there.
If you want to be on our mailing list, contact us soon. But in all honesty, the website is the best place to get information and stay on top of latest developments. Not to mention being a greener alternative to paper and ink.
An undercurrent of buzzing excitement is already tangible. It’s gonna be a great year.
Festin’ Year-Round
By · CommentsThe 2009 event was stellar, and we’re busy working on making 2010 even more so. Me/Marci/Chair of the RGVBF has been traveling to other Festivals to talk to folks about joining us here in November. Last week of January found me at the Space Coast Birding Festival in Titusville Florida. First week of March I’ll be in San Diego at the Audubon-sponsored Birding Festival there. Also, look for our booth at FeatherFest in Galveston in April.
Here’s a pic of me in Festival-promo-mode:
So, if you happen to be at any of these other events, stop by the RGVBF booth and say hi!
And in November 2010, it’ll be you. Here. With us and the Green Jays.
In the meantime, enjoy cruising about the website. Some highlights:
To see a smattering of fun around-the-event scenes, visit our Flickr page.
To keep tuned for 2010’s even greater event – subscribe to our blog in the orange box to the right.
To become a FAN, visit our Facebook Rio Grande Valley Birding Festival page.
Also, follow us on Twitter.
And, a special thanks to our bloggers-on-site. You can ogle their wonderful words and pix by clicking on their namelinks, below.
Some of the Bloggers who attended the 2009 RGVBF:
Laura Kammermeier from Birds, Words, & Websites
Christopher Ciccone from Picus Blog
Chris Petrak from Tails of Birding
Eric Bruder from Boring Birding
Mike Freiberg from Birding to the EDG
The RGVBF, in its 16th year, has aged beautifully. Thanks to all—leaders, speakers, sponsors, vendors, volunteers, and especially, attendees. You are the ingredients that made this Festival rich, robust, and replete with the heady undernotes of success. (Hey, Burning Hawk – like our wine metaphor here?).
Here’s Danny the Prez and Marci the Chair thanking EVERYONE in the world (Okay, yeah, it’s Sunday. We’re a little punchy):
To see a smattering of fun around-the-event scenes, visit our Flickr page.
To keep tuned for 2010’s even greater event – subscribe to our blog in the orange box to the right.
To become a FAN, visit our Facebook Rio Grande Valley Birding Festival page.
And, a special thanks to our bloggers-on-site. You can ogle their wonderful words and pix by clicking on their namelinks, below.
Next year, it’ll be you. Here. With us and the Green Jays.
Some of the Bloggers who attended the RGVBF:
Laura Kammermeier from Birds, Words, & Websites
Christopher Ciccone from Picus Blog
Chris Petrak from Tails of Birding
Eric Bruder from Boring Birding
Mike Freiberg from Birding to the EDG
The Rio Grande Valley Birding Festival Goes Beyond
By · CommentsThe Rio Grande Valley Birding Festival Goes Beyond
Beyond what? Beyond looking at birds. Beyond listing. Beyond the hobby.
Don’t get me wrong—all that is great fun, and fun is what we’re about.
But we want to morph that fun into worthy things that make a difference as well. And one of the main ways we do that is our kids programs.
Once upon a time, I used to be the Education Chair. One year I was hanging the Student Art Contest winners, and Kenn Kaufman stopped to admire some of the amazing stuff these kids had produced. For example:
He said to me,”You are doing the real work of this Festival.” Of course, I puffed right up like a rooster. But it was terrific that the effort of reaching kids was recognized.
These days, Susan Hoehne, who is also Education Director at the nearby Valley Nature Center, does a terrific job of running the kids programs. These include the Art/Writing Contest (prizes including really nice binoculars courtesy of Eagle Optics), a Friday morning school kid program (in which the auditorium is invaded by busloads of happy students getting to see Jonathan Wood’s live birds), the weekend family area of activities we call Kiskadee Korner (face painting this year!), and Saturday morning bird walks (‘so that’s the one I see in my backyard!’).
Even if you just reach one child per year in a solid, positive, enlightening way…well, then the RGVBF has gone beyond.
The Art of the Rio Grande Valley Birding Festival
By · CommentsFor sixteen years, the RGVBF has generated amazing and lovely bird art from some of our foremost artists—Kenn Kaufman, David Sibley, John O’Neill, Tony Bennett, to name just a few—always featuring a special Valley bird. I thought it’d be fun to see them all together, so here is a line-up of the entire collection of event posters:
And this year we’ve worked with Oregon’s Ram Papish to offer the vibrant Golden-fronted Woodpeckers that you see on the home page. The original painting will be on display and available for purchase in the Birder’s Bazaar silent auction area. T-shirts in men’s green and ladies cut yellow will be sold. Also, the event poster itself is available, complete with carrying tube.
We’re proud of our ongoing tradition of generating fine bird art. It’s just one of the cool components of the RGVBF.
