Yakutat Tern Festival - May 31-June 3, 2012

Days until our next festival starts

Airfare Discounts Now Available

http://www.alaskaair.com/--

We are pleased to announce the following discounts from Alaska Airlines.

Anchorage-Yakutat is $109 each way! (click here for full details and restrictions)

Juneau-Yakutat is $89 each way! (click here for full details and restrictions)

• Must be booked 7 days in advance.
• Valid for travel May 28^th – June 6^th 2012.

Individuals are able to book tickets online using the link above.  No promo required and seats are limited so be srue to book your flight soon.

2012 Festival Highlights

• Outstanding Field Trips - including viewing of Aleutian Terns
• Numerous Activities for Kids relating to Birds and Cultural Resources
• Native Cultural Events including the Mount Saint Elias Dancers and Native Story-telling
• Related Speakers and Seminars on Yakutat Natural and Cultural Topics and new saltwater based trips
• Keynote speaker Bob Armstrong
• Wildlife Photography Workshop
• Live Bird Programs by the Alaska Raptor Center
• Bird banding demonstration

Summary of 1^st Annual (2011) Yakutat Tern Festival:

Over 200 participants attended this event, including approximately 60 people from out of town and over 50 children (18 and under).

11 people entered the photo contest, and 90 people voted.  Photos included such subjects as terns, berries, landcapes, shorebirds, eagles, fish, wildlife, and flowers.  Mike Denega (adult) and Sarah Newlun (under 18 category) won first place in the publically juried photo contest. 

Over 60 people attended the Mt. St. Elias Dancers fundraiser dinner and performance.  The King Salmon dinner was a delightful treat!

31 species of birds were observed during the field trips.

6 species of birds were captured and banded at the mist-netting station.

Seminars included topics such as Kittlitz’s murrelets, subsistence use of birds, birds in native culture, Yakutat area glaciers, and beginning birding. 

3 interpreters and 4 different species of birds from 2 raptor centers presented programs for children and adults.

Festival t-shirts sold out!

Children’s activities included native story-telling,  art activities, a puppet show, science activities, raptor center presentations, mist-netting and bird banding.

4  local non-profit groups provided delicious on-site fundraiser meals.

Forest Service biologist Nate Catterson shared his knowledge about the Yakutat area terns and the current Yakutat-based research efforts.

Key-note speaker Dr. Brad Andres, co-author of the book The birds of Yakutat, spoke to over 60 participants about the migration aspects which link Yakutat’s birds to the rest of the world.

Glass-blowing artist Preston Singletary displayed his art-work, worked with the children, and delivered a highly interesting presentation to participants.

Award-winning author and photographer Amy Gulick displayed her photos from Salmon in the Trees, and shared her experiences in Southeast Alaska with festival participants.

11 local artists and 1 an artist from Sitka displayed their art work, including a traditional life-sized canoe, bentwood boxes, jewelry, books, Chilkoot blankets, and Tlingit art-work.

Vendor booths included Southeast Alaska Conservation Council, Yakutat Tlingit Tribe, Yakutat Salmon Board, and University of Fairbanks Cooperative Extension.

Participants and presenters traveled from :

• Alaska (Juneau, Homer, Auk Bay, Fairbanks, Sitka, Craig, Palmer, Chugiak, Seward)
• Colorado
• Arizona
• Washington
• California
• Oregon
• Minnesota
• New Mexico
  

Every Alaska community has a claim to fame regarding its natural resources. Yakutat is no exception. One of the largest and southernmost known breeding colonies of Aleutian Terns exists here. The earliest record of breeding Aleutian Terns in Yakutat – on the Situk River Flats – is 1922; the colonies in the Yakutat area appear to be a stronghold for a suspected declining worldwide population. The Aleutian Tern has a limited range throughout Alaska and eastern Siberia and Russia, and very little is known about this species, including its migration patterns. The Yakutat area is currently at the forefront of Aleutian Tern research,including studies on population trends, nesting ecology, and migration patterns.

The Yakutat Chamber of Commerce, the U.S. Forest Service, and other partners are currently planning for the 2012 Yakutat Tern Festival, May 31-June 3rd.  The mission of the festival is to highlight the extraordinary natural and cultural resources of Yakutat and to stimulate the local economy by hosting a festival celebrating Aleutian Terns. Participants of the festival will enjoy birding activities, natural history field trips, art exhibits, educational events for kids and adults, Native cultural presentations and more.

Why are wildlife viewing activities valuable to local communities?  Consider the following:

• Hundreds of wildlife viewing events, especially birding festivals, occur each year in the United States, including Alaska. A festival is an amazingly effective way of unifying a community to promote education and ecotourism evolving around the special natural resources the region has to offer.

• The economic benefits of wildlife viewing are dramatic. One study showed Americans spend on average $38 billion dollars annually viewing wildlife – Alaska alone generated $790 million and created 13,000 jobs. Another study reported 46 million birders in the nation who generated $85 billion, creating over 863,000 jobs and $13 billion in tax revenues!
  
• Many Alaska communities have diversified their economic base and enhanced education and conservation opportunities by developing festivals. Two shorebird festivals occur annually in Cordova and Homer. The Bald Eagle Festival in Haines has become a popular event. The Autumn Wings Festival (Anchorage), the Tanana Valley Sandhill Crane Festival (Fairbanks), and the Kenai River Birding Festival (Kenai) are examples of relatively large communities doing the same.
  
• You won’t find a festival anywhere that doesn’t significantly generate community pride. The effort required to launch a successful festival is immense, but entirely satisfying. Community involvement – partnerships - is the key to success. Everyone participates: school children, parents, state and federal government agencies, local businesses and native corporations.

The festival planning committee is seeking business sponsors, festival partners and planning committee members. Please contact Susan Oehlers (907) 784-3359 or Walter Porter (907) 784-3025.

http://www.fs.fed.us/r10/tongass/districts/yakutat/rec/birding.shtml