Eagle Day Festival

Eagle Day Festival

• Location: ISM Dickson Mounds Museum, Lewistown
• Date: Saturday, February 07, 2009, 10:00 AM - 5:00 PM

The Dickson Mounds Museum is the location for a day-long Eagle Day Festival on Saturday, February 7, 2009. This event, which is co-sponsored by the Fulton County Arts Council, the Mason County Arts Council, the Emiquon Audubon Society, The Nature Conservancy, the Havana Library District and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, is free to the public. 

Two special exhibits will be on display: the Illinois Winter Wildlife Photography Show which is open to residents in Fulton and Mason Counties, and Eagle Art and Poetry created by students from Fulton and Mason Counties. These exhibits will be on display through March 1, 2009.

From 10:00 a.m.-2:00 p.m. members of the Emiquon Audubon Society will talk about Backyard Bird Feeding and have on display examples of easy to build bird feeders to make your backyard bird friendly.

Starting at 10:00 a.m.-2:00 p.m. "Birds of Prey Up Close" presented by Wildlife Prairie Park provides an opportunity for people to see a variety of birds such as hawks, eagles, and owls.

At 10:30 a.m. and again at 2:30 p.m. the Illinois Raptor Center, Decatur, IL will present "Illinois Raptors" a one-hour program with live birds of prey. Admission is free, but tickets must be picked up in the lobby of the museum for the shows as seating is limited to 150.

At 12:15 p.m. there will be a showing of the movie Raptor Force in the museum auditorium. This movie uses original footage to demonstrate why birds of prey are masters of the sky and why aeronautic engineers use the birds unique abilities and body designs as the basis for new aircraft technology. Again seating is limited to 150.

At 1:00 p.m. Dr. David Horn, Assistant Professor of Biology at Milikin University will present an illustrated lecture titled: Enhancing the Backyard Birding Experience". He will talk about attracting birds with seed and feeders and how to make the backyard safer for birds.

At 4:00 p.m. the day at Dickson Mounds will end with the Eagle Art and Poetry Awards ceremony. Winners of this year's competition will be honored during this ceremony.

Also on February 7 from 8:00 a.m. to noon volunteers will be available in the Havana Riverfront Park to help visitors spot eagles. In addition the Illinois Natural History Survey Havana Field Station office will be open to the public.

The Fulton and Mason County Arts Councils will sell food for lunch, the proceeds of which will fund their respective programs.