On the Cover

The 9th Annual San Francisco Bay Flyway Festival takes place Friday through Sunday, January 21-23, 2005, on Mare Island in Vallejo. The San Francisco Bay Flyway Festival celebrates the annual migration along the Pacific Flyway of hawks, shorebirds, ducks, geese, and monarch butterflies and makes its headquarters on the historical former Mare Island Naval Shipyard, founded in 1854.

The free, family-oriented event features 35 guided hikes, canoe and riverboat trips, birding outings, and wetland walks throughout the Bay Area. An additional 15 walks on Mare Island range from scouting for mushrooms, a popular walk through the historic shipyard, wetland and birding walks, to tours of the Tiffany glass-adorned St. Peter’s Chapel.

The highlight of the Flyway Festival is the Family Wildlife Exploration and Birding Expo held at Building 897 on Mare Island, Saturday, January 22, 9am-4pm, and Sunday, January 23, 9am-3pm. Over 50 exhibitors from Bay Area environmental, recreational, historical, and cultural organizations and agencies offer interactive exhibits, activities for all ages, and information about the Bay Area’s wild world. The Birding Expo is held indoors and includes slide shows, a fine art exhibition, birding equipment, supplies, and nature gifts for purchase. New to the Festival exhibitor lineup are the California Waterfowl Association and Don Freundt Photography.

Call 707-649-WING (9464) or 707-557-9816 for a detailed Festival brochure, available by mail after January 10th, or visit www.sfbayflywayfestival.com.