By Port Aransas South Jetty Staff | on February 09, 2022

A whooping crane searches for its favorite meal, blue crabs, on a sunny day in December. A pair of whooping cranes has returned to winter at the Port Aransas Nature Preserve at Charlie’s Pasture since the winter of 2017. Photo courtesy of Paula Baker

Folks wanting to participate in their choice of tours, field trips and workshops at the 25th annual Whooping Crane Festival are encouraged to register online now, according to organizers.

There is no general registration fee this year. Instead, the speaker sessions each have a small fee and the various trips and workshops are priced separately. The Port Aransas Tourism Bureau and Chamber of Commerce is event host.

Pre-register online at www.whoopingcranefestival.org via MasterCard or Visa.

Festival T-shirts also may be purchased online.

Participants who have registered and purchased T-shirts online, packets and T-shirts can be picked up in the Civic Center foyer beginning at 10 a.m. on Feb. 24. The bags and T-shirts will continue to be available for pick-up through the festival.

The Civic Center is located at 710 W. Ave. A.

In-person registration for speakers and trips will begin on Thursday at 10 a.m. at the Civic Center and continue throughout the event.

Organizers have scheduled several unique events for festival goers this year.

A reception for festival participants, speakers and guides will be hosted by the Port Aransas Art Center from 5 to 8 p.m. on Thursday. All are welcome to view the artwork in the gallery while listening to live music and sipping on champagne and nibbling on treats. The art center is located at 104 N. Alister St.

Wine, Whine and Design Painting Island Style sessions are set for Friday and Saturday from 5 to 8 p.m. Participants will paint a whooping crane with step-by-step directions from an artist. The cost of the sessions are $80 per person. The size of the classes is limited to 16 participants.

A unique birding event scheduled for Saturday is Birds and Brews with Mikael Behrens and Ray Dillahunty. Both men are avid birders and amateur naturalists. They will be hosting the new twist on birdwatching at the pavilion at the nature Preserve at Charlie’s Pasture. Beer will be served to participants who must be 21 and over.

On Friday, Saturday and Sunday, tours of the Amos Rehabilitation Keep (ARK) are scheduled. On this tour participants will learn how ARK staff and volunteers rescue and rehabilitate sick and injured birds, sea turtles, terrestrial turtles and tortoises found along the South Texas coast. The tour guides will share stories about their work and the inhabitants of the ARK.

For more information and to register for the event, visit the festival website or contact the chamber at (361) 749-5919.

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment.

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

Our Hometown DMCA Notices Newspaper web site content management software and services