Burrowing Owl Festival — Wildlife & Environmental Expo set for Saturday
A long-time tradition in the Cape paying homage and educating the public on Cape Coral’s official city bird returns this weekend.
The 23rd annual Burrowing Owl Festival — Wildlife & Environmental Expo, put on by the Cape Coral Friends of Wildlife and the city Parks and Recreation Department, takes place this Saturday at Rotary Park from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.
Attendees can expect fan favorites like Adam’s Animal Encounters, Children’s Corner, Tom Allen Butterfly House tours, silent auction, bus tours, vendors, crafts, and much more. CCFW is also pleased to introduce some new experiences this year.
“Every year we bring the community our favorites,” said CCFW spokesperson Janet Windisch. “And this year, we’re really excited to have a few new exhibits in the environmental expo. We’re really happy to be able to bring new editions to this tradition.”
The day offers educational programs, live animal exhibits, food, access to the butterfly house, silent auctions, and bus tours to nearby owl burrows.
“We bring in about 40 conservation partners and organizations throughout the community to participate in our wildlife expo,” Windisch said.
Admission is a $5 donation and free for children 12 and under.
New experiences this year include:
• The Conservancy of Southwest Florida will bring its Learning Adventures Bus.
• J.N. “Ding” Darling National Wildlife Refuge will feature its Roving Ranger mobile visitor center.
• Lee County’s Pop-Up Mobile Library will be making an appearance.
• A first-time vendor will showcase an active beehive.
“We haven’t had an active beehive at the festival in many years, so that will be really interesting,” Windisch said.
CCFW is excited for the festival’s lineup of expert wildlife speakers this year. CCFW brings together leading wildlife professionals to share their invaluable knowledge on Southwest Florida’s diverse wildlife.
This year’s featured speakers include:
• 10:30 a.m. – Adam Brame Recovery Coordinator for the Endangered Smalltooth Sawfish and the Threatened Oceanic Whitetip Shark, NOAA Fisheries, U.S. Department of Commerce
Topic: “Florida’s Other Toothy Sea Creature: The Smalltooth Sawfish and Other Vulnerable Marine Species.” Brame will discuss efforts to conserve the endangered Smalltooth Sawfish and other marine species that are at risk in our waters.
• Noon – Joseph Bonasia, chair, Florida Rights of Nature Network & Operations and communications director, FloridaRightToCleanWater.org Topic: “The Fight for Clean Water: Protecting Our Waterways and Ecosystems” Joseph will talk about the decline in local water quality and the critical importance of clean water in safeguarding our community, wildlife, and environment.
• 1:30 p.m. – Alligator Adam Pottruck Wildlife Biologist, Adam’s Animal Encounters & Board Member, Adam’s Animal Rescue & Sanctuary.
Topic: “Living with American Alligators: Biology, Behavior, & Avoiding Conflicts with American Alligators” Pottruck will share insights into the biology and behavior of American Alligators, their essential role in healthy ecosystems, and how to coexist with them safely in Southwest Florida.
Cape Coral is home to the largest known population of the Florida burrowing owl, which is a state designated threatened species according to Florida Fish and Wildlife. These pint-sized birds burrow underground where they nest from early February through mid-July. People come from all over the state, country, and globally to photograph the burrowing owl.
Constant development in one of the fastest-growing cities in the country is impacting the habitats of these friendly birds.
“We have thousands of these owls living in Cape Coral,” Windisch said. “They like it here because the environment is good for the species — they like wide open spaces and sandy soil so they can dig their burrows easily. We’re really lucky here to have this wild animal that likes to live in our neighborhoods. They’re beautiful. They’re cute. And our residents enjoy them. But they need to be protected, and there’s lots of threats to them, from losing habitat to development, to car strikes, to rat poison. We take this opportunity to celebrate them and make spread the message of how we can protect them.”
Residents can get involved by setting up starter burrows in their yard for the small creatures to inhabit.
CCFW’s online auction is officially live, featuring hundreds of items. Bidders can try and win a variety of offerings, including gift certificates for local restaurants, travel and recreational experiences, artwork, books, and much more. Organizers said this is an excellent opportunity to support CCFW’s mission for those that can’t attend the festival in person. Visit www.ccfriendsofwildlife.org to browse and bid. Auctions end Feb. 23.
Funds raised from the festival and auction will be used to support CCFW’s mission to “preserve and enhance the habitats of protected wildlife species and to educate the community about Cape Coral’s wildlife resources.” A major focus is the acquisition of land for wildlife habitat through CCFW’s sister organization, Cape Coral Wildlife Trust. To date, 81 lots have been acquired in Cape Coral where numerous gopher tortoises and burrowing owls reside.
For more information on the festival, visit ccfriendsofwildlife.org or call 239-980-259.
Rotary Park is at 5505 Rose Garden Road.
Photography Bus Tour
Tickets for the photography bus tour, where participants can hope to capture stunning wildlife photos with leading experts guiding photographers to the best spots, must be purchased in advance.
Join Master Birders David and Tammy McQuade, as well as and Eary and Jennifer Warren, for this fascinating four-hour trip.
Participants will have the opportunity to view and photograph local birds including burrowing owls, bald eagles, purple martins, eastern meadowlarks, loggerhead shrikes, great blue herons, and so many more.
The McQuades have observed more than 700 species in the U.S. in each of the last four years, and in 2023, finished No. 1 with 716 birds in the lower 48 states, 811 birds in the ABA area and 1,094 in the AOU area.
The Warrens set the Florida “Big Year” record for the most species found in 2019.
Tickets can be found by visiting www.ccfriendsofwildlife.org. The tour starts at 7 a.m. at Rotary Park. Space is very limited.
To reach CJ HADDAD, please email cjhaddad@breezenewspapers.com