The 32nd Southwest Wings Summer Birding and Nature Festival will be held August 2-5, 2023 at Cochise College, 901 N Colombo Ave, Library, Bldg 900, Sierra Vista, AZ. This free family friendly festival is the big main event with 30 free program presentations that anyone can attend, including kids, exhibitors, vendors, live animals, and a Keynote Buffet Dinner ($45 per person), expertly guided fee-based field trips and pre-festival Jamboree (for registered trip participants only).
The free program of talks and workshops will cover a wide range of topics from esteemed speakers including Greg Homel, Rick Wright, Diana Hadley and Glenn Minuth. Southwest Wings President Chris Harbard will talk about “Hummingbirds - the Flying Jewels of the Americas” on Sat 8/5, 10:30am-12noon.
There will also be free morning bird walks on the college campus from 7:30am-9:00am on Thu 8/3, Fri 8/4 and Sat 8/5.
Vendors include The Lookout (formally Jay's Bird Barn) with their optics and accessories, Netvue, Delight's Earthly Delights, and Kowa Sporting Optics. Festival sponsor, Swarovski Optik, will also be there with their demonstration trailer, so you can try out the very latest optical equipment.
Small-group guided field trips will be mainly in Group Vans along with several Car Caravan style, in participants' own vehicles, to nearby easily accessible locations. Each trip is led by an expert guide. Annual registration for summer guided field trips opens April 1, closes July 15.
