The 34th Southwest Wings Summer Birding and Nature Festival will be based at The Mall at Sierra Vista, 2200 El Mercado Loop, Sierra Vista from July - August 2025. This family friendly event is our main one with expertly guided field trips, pre-festival Jamboree, free programs, including some new ones just for kids, exhibitors, vendors, live animals and Keynote Buffet Dinner.

A non-refundable registration fee ($25.00) is required if you want to join field trips and attend the welcome Jamboree. The small-group guided field trips will be mainly in Group Vans but there will also be several Car Caravan style, in participants' own vehicles, to nearby easily-accessible locations. Each trip is led by an expert guide and this year we welcome two special guest guides, Greg Homel and Rick Wright.

Schedule of Events:

7:00-8:45 AM
Kathe Anderson: Introduction to Birdwatching - Bird Walk Sponsored by Swarovski Optik

This is an introduction to local birds, geared for beginning adults who are interested in what may be showing up in their backyards.  As we stroll the area we’ll talk about common species, vocalizations and behaviors.  At about 8:45am we will head indoors to go over a list of what we’ve seen and answer questions.  Walking Difficulty: Easy

Meeting place: Parking Lot at Garden Canyon Linear Park See Map?

10:30-11:45 AM
Kate Hotten: Wildlife Crossings in the Sonoran Desert

The Coalition for Sonoran Desert Protection will talk about its work on the Sonoran Desert's first wildlife bridge, built in 2016 on Oracle Road, and other wildlife crossings in the region. We will share success stories and ongoing challenges from our work to advocate for these structures and their funding!

12:00-1:15 PM
Kathe Anderson: Vultures and Condors

Many folks dismiss vultures as ugly birds with a bad reputation, but they figure prominently in mythology all around the world for reasons that may not be immediately obvious. Find out what’s unusual about these amazing birds and why they are critical to our ecosystem.?

1:30-2:45 PM
Karen Krebbs: The Exciting Night Life of Bats!

More than 1,400 species of bats occur worldwide. Arizona has 29 species of bats. Bats are an important part of our ecosystems and deserve our respect and admiration. Echolocation allows a bat to fly in total darkness to locate, chase, and capture flying insects. Nectar bats visit and pollinate columnar cacti and succulents in our area. Join us for an interesting and exciting lecture on bats!

Karen will lead a car caravan field trip to Ramsey Canyon to view nectar bats feeding at 7:00 PM on Friday. Limit of 10 participants. This is a paid trip, please book via the field trip registration page.

3:00-4:15 PM
Nora Synder: Poetry with Wings

This presentation is like no other at Southwest Wings- there will be NO bird facts, only bird JOY and bird INSPIRATION and bird SYMBOLISM. Join poet Nora Snyder for a reading of bird related poetry and an exploration of how birds lend themselves to creative expression and enrichment of human experience.

4:30-5:45 PM
Megan Resor: Power Lines and Wildlife:  A Cooperative Approach to Avian Protection

This presentation will explore the importance of avian protection in rural electric cooperatives, focusing on mitigating bird-related power outages, ensuring regulatory compliance, and implementing best practices for bird-safe infrastructure. We will discuss common avian hazards associated with power lines, the impact on system reliability, and cost-effective solutions such as retrofitting, pole design modifications, and exclusion techniques. By proactively addressing avian protection, we can enhance service reliability, reduce liability risks, and contribute to wildlife conservation efforts. Discuss biological monitoring measures implemented in riparian areas.