2025 Jr. and Teen Birder Event Schedule
Festival-Long Activities (Ongoing)
Viewing Station Bird Bingo Game
- Beluga Lake Airport Viewing Platform
- Mud Bay Viewing Platform
Visit viewing stations during the festival and spot the birds you see to complete a row on your bingo sheet. Use the simple I.D. guide provided to help identify species and fulfill a Jr. Birder notebook requirement!
Family Bird Seek and Find Challenge
- Calvin and Coyle Trail
- Karen Hornaday Park
- Poopdeck Trail
Explore trails around town to find hidden, laminated birds along the path. Use trail guides to identify the species and see how many your family can spot!
Wednesday, May 7
Beluga Slough Family Walk
4:00 PM – 5:00 PM
Alaska Maritime National Wildlife Refuge Visitor Center (Beluga Slough Trail)
Join local naturalist Ingrid Harrald for a guided walk along the Beluga Slough Trail exploring the local estuary up close and personal. Spotting scopes and binoculars will be used to identify local shorebirds and waterfowl. Mud boots recommended!
International Bird Migration Adventure
5:00 PM – 6:30 PM
Alaska Maritime National Wildlife Refuge Visitor Center (EE Lab, Lobby, and Exhibits)
Come and join us on an adventure around the world as we follow the paths select bird species take during their yearly amazing migrations. Learn about the countries and habitats they stop at along the way, find out what challenges they face, and be adventurous while trying human treats from those same international locations. (potential bird species include Surf Bird and Pacific Golden Plover)
Bird Video Game Competition (TEEN)
5:00 PM – 6:30 PM
Alaska Maritime National Wildlife Refuge Visitor Center (Seminar Room)
Video games and birds – what a fabulous combination! Join us to compete in Cornell’s new Flap to the Future video game on the big screen. See who can evolve the fastest! There will be light snacks and prizes.
Thursday, May 8
Pre-K Puffins: Surf Birds!
10:00 AM – 11:30 AM
Alaska Maritime National Wildlife Refuge Visitor Center (Seminar Room)
Join Alaska Maritime National Wildlife Refuge staff for this
special Shorebird Festival session of the Pre-K Puffins Early
Learning Program all about the 2025 Shorebird Festival bird
species of the year, the Surf Bird! The program is designed for
children ages 2-5 and will include story time, interactive games, and a craft.
Mud Bay Family Walk
3:30 PM – 4:30 PM
Mud Bay Trail (meet at the Kachemak Bay National Estuarine Research Reserve parking lot)
Join KBNERR naturalists as they lead a guided walk along the beach to Mud Bay, exploring the mysteries of the tidal areas and exploring the local estuary up close and personal. Spotting scopes will be used to identify local shorebirds and waterfowl. Mud boots recommended!
Jr. and Teen Birder Movie Night- “Migration”
5:00 PM – 7:00 PM
Porcupine Theater
Come see the 2023 American animated adventure film on the big screen! This movie follows a family of mallards who try to convince their overprotective father to go on a vacation of a lifetime. Enjoy this family-friendly movie in our newly renovated Porcupine Theater on Pioneer Ave.
Friday, May 9
Pre-K Family Birding Walk
10:00 AM – 11:30 AM
Louie’s Lagoon on the Homer Spit
Join a Center for Alaskan Coastal Studies naturalist on a walk focused on exploration and observation. Little ones and their families will look for bird signs and clues of feeding, walking, and resting.
Family Viewing Station
3:30 PM – 4:30 PM
Beluga Lake Airport Viewing Platform
A current bird sightings list will be posted at Alaska Maritime National Wildlife Refuge Visitor Center and at kachemakbaybirders.org.
Saw-whet Owl Felt Craft and Trail Adventure
4:30 PM – 6:30 PM
Alaska Maritime National Wildlife Refuge Visitor Center (EE Lab)
Junior and Teen Birders can join Ranger Lora to sew a felt stuffie of a saw-whet owl. Basic sewing or embroidery skills are helpful. The craft will take more than 2 hours to complete, and participants will be able to take their owl home to finish. Part of the program is inside, and part is outside on the trail. All supplies included. Must pre-register. Anyone less than 10 must have an adult assisting them with sewing.
Birds, Trivia, and YOU! (TEEN)
5:00 PM – 7:00 PM
Red Bird Cafe
Teens, meet at the Red Bird Cafe for a night of trivia and laughs. See if you can beat last year’s trivia champions. Prizes and fun guaranteed. Join KBNERR education staff for a lighthearted competition of bird trivia and (of course) coffee!
Saturday, May 10
Jr. Birder Discovery Lab
11:30 AM – 1:30 PM
Alaska Maritime National Wildlife Refuge Visitor Center (EE Lab and Seminar Room)
All Jr. Birders have the opportunity to explore this interactive in-person discovery lab at the Alaska Maritime Refuge Visitor Center. Throughout the lab, participants can explore each station to learn about basic birding skills, birding tools, bird identification, local bird habitats and adaptations, play bird-based games, accompany a birding expert for a short trail walk, and complete a bird craft.
Family Viewing Station and Bird Walks
11:30 AM – 1:30 PM
Beluga Slough Trail and Picnic Table
A current bird sightings list will be posted at Alaska Maritime National Wildlife Refuge Visitor Center and at kachemakbaybirders.org.
Wonderful Wings Workshop
2:00 PM – 3:30 PM
Alaska Maritime National Wildlife Refuge Visitor Center (Seminar Room)
Join Center for Alaskan Coastal Studies staff and special guests from Bird TLC at the Alaska Maritime National Wildlife Refuge Visitor Center for a fun and interactive introduction to bird wings! Participants will discover how wings work, how they help birds survive, and how to identify birds by their wings. Plus, meet a live crow and falcon and learn about their unique adaptations up close.
Kachemak Bay Kittiwake Observations (TEEN)
1:00 PM – 2:30 PM
Homer Harbormasters Building
Teen birders can join KBNERR educator Ingrid Harrald to get hands-on experience with seabird monitoring. Help observe, document, and collect nesting data for black-legged kittiwakes and gulls in the Homer Harbor.
Bird Wing Investigation and Discovery Workshop (TEEN)
4:00 PM – 5:30 PM
Alaska Maritime National Wildlife Refuge Visitor Center (EE Lab)
Join KBNERR and Refuge staff in solving the mystery of bird wing identification. Measure, observe, and use special tools and guides to help identify different bird wings.
Sunday, May 11
Glowing Auks Workshop
9:00 AM – 10:30 AM
Alaska Maritime National Wildlife Refuge Visitor Center (EE Lab)
Join Alaska Maritime National Wildlife Refuge staff to learn why some species of birds such as puffins and rhinoceros auklets actually glow in certain lights. This activity will include an interactive lesson and themed craft.
Jr. Birder Awards Ceremony
12:30 PM – 1:00 PM
Alaska Maritime National Wildlife Refuge Visitor Center
Learn more about the Jr. Birder Awards Ceremony here!
Please note this is a list of Jr. Birder sponsored events. There are many other Shorebird Festival events that, if attended, can also be used to fulfill Jr. Birder requirements.