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More details on these events will be posted in the coming days.
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Wine & Star Shine Celebration April 25, 2008 |
April 25, 7:00pm - 9:30pm |
| Directions to Flat Creek Winery The vineyard and winery location is off RM 1431, 6 miles west of Lago Vista. Turn south on Singleton Bend road and travel 2.5 miles to Singleton Bend East. Turn left and go ¾ of a mile to the bottom of the hill. The vineyard will be on your left. Turn up the gravel road 1/8 mile to the gated entrance of Flat Creek Estate. Flat Creek Estate Winery 24912 Singleton Bend East Road Marble Falls, TX 78654 Phone:512-267-6310 |
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A chance to share in the joy of accomplishment for volunteers and participants alike. Z Tejas Executive Chef, Jack Gilmore will delight you with food pairings to complement Flat Creek Estate award winning wines. Jeffery Phillips will provide tales and lights of the sky at dusk. This event starts at the winery. |
| Cost of event - Adults: $35.00 |
| Preregistration required: Please register online at our website. |
Get more details on Wine & Star Shine Celebration April 25, 2008 |
Balcones Songbird Festival April 25-28, 2008 |
April 26, 7:00am - 6:00pm |
| Balcones Canyonlands National Wildlife Refuge, 24518 FM 1431, Marble Falls, TX |
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ONLINE REGISTRATION IS OPEN! Join us at the 8th annual Balcones Songbird Festival! See the endangered Golden-cheeked Warbler and the Black-capped Vireo and many of the different species of birds observed at prior year's Festivals. Take a guided tour with wildlife experts who can help you see the endangered songbirds, unique native plants and wildlife and the natural habitat of the Balcones Canyonlands National Wildlife Refuge. Bring a camera and take advantage of the opportunity to capture images of wildlife on a guided tour with the experts. Whether you are a novice or veteran birder, we have something of interest for you! Location of the Refuge: 24518 FM 1431 Marble Falls, TX 78654. About 45 minutes NW of Austin. |
| Cost of event - Adults: $23.00 per tour |
| Preregistration required: Please register online at our website. All tours sellout! So get your tour selection early. |
Get more details on Balcones Songbird Festival April 25-28, 2008 |
Wildlands through a Camera Lens - A Photography Clinic |
April 26, 8:00am - 10:30am |
| Activity will occur on City of Austin Water Quality Protection Land southwest of Austin and near the intersection of of Brodie Lane and FM 1626. A map and specific directions will be sent to participants that register through the online system. |
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Photography enthusiasts of all skill levels welcome to attend. Join us for a photography-centered hike on some of the City of Austin's wildlands protected for water quality. Whether you use film or digital, an SLR or a point-and-shoot, charge your batteries or load your film and bring your gear for a morning of hiking and nature photography pointers. Trained interpretive volunteer guides with a passion for nature photography will lead the hike and offer tips on lighting techniques, composing close-ups and landscape shots, and other special techniques to help you take pleasing photos. As an added benefit, you'll get a chance to learn more about the wildlands truly unique to Central Texas and why the City of Austin is working to conserve and manage these lands as they do. - All skill levels welcomed and encouraged - Bring your camera (don't forget film, memory cards or extra charged batteries!) - A tripod is certainly useful, but not necessary. - An off-camera flash may also come in handy if you have one. Considerations: Each hike is limited to 15 individuals, ages 15 and up. The group will need to stay somewhat together and may move slowly so plan on being patient and understand you probably won’t get in a long, cross-country hike. Also realize that your perfect picture may be in tall grass or brush or be on the ground, so wear long pants and you may want to bring a small mat, towel or pillow to kneel on. Closed-toe shoes appropriate for hiking and drinking water are required. Long sleeves are strongly recommended as well as sun protection. Portable toilet facilities will be available on site, but sinks and running water will not. Smoking, pets, picnicking, and collecting of plant or other materials are not permitted. |
| Cost: 0 |
| Preregistration required: To register, go to www.cityofaustin.org/water/wildland and click the blue button to access the Online Registration System. Select this event from the pull down list, complete form and submit. An email with map and directions will be sent. |
Get more details on Wildlands through a Camera Lens - A Photography Clinic |
On the Edge: Fire Behavior in Woodlands and Meadows of Central Texas Landscapes |
April 26, 9:00am - 10:00am |
 Location: In the cafeteria of Bailey Middle School, 4020 Lost Oasis Hollow. Map and more info available at www.cityofaustin.org/water/wildland/lecturetwo.htm
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The central Texas landscape is a mosaic of forests and grasslands as the legacy of nature and human action over the past century. Fire is natural to these landscapes but to what extent? Observations show that woodlands prohibit movement of fires on the ground. Fires in woodland canopies are very rare and difficult to sustain. Using satellite and aerial photographic data, a model of fire behavior developed for the Balcones Canyonlands region shows that the natural transition between adjacent woodlands and grasslands may be sufficient to slow fire progress even under the most extreme conditions making effective fire emergency response possible. Joseph D. White is currently Associate Professor of Biology at Baylor University and serves as the Director for The Institute for Ecological, Earth, and Environmental Sciences (TIE3S) there. Dr. White received his doctorate from the University of Montana where his graduate studies focused on the interaction of climate change and fire in landscapes of Glacier National Park. He joined the faculty of Baylor in 1998 where he has pursued research on climate change and fire in Texas systems. After the lecture, Dr. White and City staff will lead those interested on a visit to a nearby wildland site. |
| Cost: 0 |
| No preregistration needed |
Get more details on On the Edge: Fire Behavior in Woodlands and Meadows of Central Texas Landscapes |
Weekend Tours at Westcave Preserve: 10am, 2pm, 4pm |
April 26, 10:00am - 11:30am |
| Westcave Preserve, 24814 Hamilton Pool Road, Round Mountain, TX |
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Public tours of Westcave Preserve, an ecological jewel in the crown of the Texas Hill Country are offered (weather permitting) every Saturday and Sunday throughout the year. A tour of the Preserve takes Westcave visitors from an arid savanna, through a limestone crevice and into a spectacular sheltered canyon of lush plant life. At the head of the canyon stands Westcave, with a waterfall that tumbles over fern-covered travertine, 40 feet to the emerald pool below. Visitation is by guided tour only to minimize the impact on this beautiful and fragile natural site. The hike into the canyon and back is roughly one mile, so visitors should wear comfortable shoes. Children are welcome with adult supervision and can earn a Junior Naturalist Certificate by completing special nature activities. Pets are not allowed on the Preserve. |
| Cost of event - Adults: $5 Children: $2 |
| No preregistration needed |
Get more details on Weekend Tours at Westcave Preserve: 10am, 2pm, 4pm |
Nature Hunt Through The Dinosaur Park |
April 26, 10:00am - 4:00pm |
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Dinosaur Park, 893 Union Chapel Road, Cedar Creek, TX |
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Checklists will be provided for guests to search for a variety of items that are usually naturally occurring and found throughout the dinosaur exhibit trails. Staff will be on-hand to collaborate and assist with the search. |
| Cost to enter facilities - Adults: $5.00 Children: $5.00 |
| No preregistration needed |
Get more details on Nature Hunt Through The Dinosaur Park |
FREE FUN-FILLED FAMILY EVENTS April 27, 2008 |
April 27, 12:00pm - 5:00pm |
| Directions to the Refuge To reach the refuge headquarters from Lago Vista, go west on FM 1431 for 5 miles past the intersection with Bar-K Road. If you are coming west on FM 1431, the office will be one mile after Cow Creek Road. The office is on the north side of the highway. Balcones Canyonlands NWR Headquarters 24518 FM 1431, Box 1 Marble Falls, TX. 78654 Phone: 512-339-9432 |
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Bring the family to the Balcones Songbird festival! No tours fees for these fun filled events! These events take place at the Refuge Headquarters. Between 1:00 p.m. and 4:30 p.m. Get involved at the KID'S ACTIVITY STATIONS! Build a birdhouse ($5.00 materials cost), create animal track rubbings, tin can wildflower pots, coffee ground fossils, ladybug rocks, a sundial, Nature in Stained Glass, and MUCH MORE! See 2 shows! - LAST CHANCE FOREVER RAPTOR SHOW 12:00 p.m. & 2:00 p.m Last Chance Forever is a non-profit organization dedicated to the rehabilitation and release of injured and orphaned raptors, birds of prey such as hawks, owls, eagles, falcons, and vultures. Take a SPIDER HUNT tour at 1:00 p.m.—2:00 p.m. with Joe Lapp. At 1:00 p.m.—5:00 p.m. visit the SNAKES ALIVE exhibit. At 3:00 p.m.—5:00 p.m. explore water bugs at IT'S A PONDS LIFE with Elizabeth Wells. |
| Cost: 0 |
| No preregistration needed |
Get more details on FREE FUN-FILLED FAMILY EVENTS April 27, 2008 |
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