Mare Island:Regional Flyway Festival Feb 10-12 2017
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Welcome to the Flyway Festival January 2017 natural world. We gate on the San Pablo Bay Trail every Dear Flyway Festival Friends: are one, together. night. Because I promised myself I In nature it is not us would always do that. It’s stopping to Each fall for 21 years, it has and them. It is we. say a blessing and prayer of been my duty to take some time to We are with her. protection for our Preserve as I head reflect and write an invitation, and as Together, we live home each night. It’s purposefully the years have collected, an upon this sacred putting myself on the trail, on the inspiration, for you to join us at our land. We share the bench, timing my walk to alight on the annual migration celebration. I wrote forests, the hilltop overlooking San Pablo Bay to you in November with best Photo: Red-shouldered hawk on lightning rod, grasslands, the precisely at sunset, turning towards intentions to post them “early”, but as Mare Island Preserve, waterways and that avian voice in the tree, watching usual, I’ve savored my words till now. Bill George bays, the skies and for those who come to the pond now, I awaken in the Preserve’s new door. Branches unmoving, glowing the quiet ravines and majestic vista and who arrives later, glancing up to yurt camp to the insistent call of a fog green in the muted light. points. We are connected, rooted, see the flock of geese above and horn coupled with a “flicker” hopping I intended to stay the night for tied, woven to the land and its waters. gazing the direction they fly until they and flying near and calling its own this purpose. To awaken to the subtly Yet like the fog that blankets the land disappear. Counting rainbows warning as a red-shouldered hawk of this mysterious and magic land. So and envelops me this fall morning, throughout the rainy, showery also insistently calls, maybe even that I might commune with it, cherish and the spider webs that appear October day. These are the ways in louder than the others combined. The its beauty and give it voice. For it is everywhere, it is our choosing to be which we remind ourselves that we tule fog hangs low on the land. On the once again that season immersed, baptized in the experience are in our own nature. trek to the of who we are, where we belong, that when like the fog horns and Through these small daily bathroom, I brings to us a reminder of our ancient trains and calls and tweets reminders we celebrate the wonder of notice that the ancestral being. I believe we come and twits of wild visitors, the our being wildly human. I pray for the world around me together during the Flyway Festival Flyway Festival calls to me grace and courage to in these is a sea of spider each season seeking our true more and more insistently. awkward times, continue to make the webs–wetted by humanness in our shared Our annual gathering at the time myself, to be that wild, soulful the fog, they experiences, on a morning walk on peak of migration when we human and I hope that you will find in glow. What was the wild side, transfixed as we view celebrate together the the Flyway Festival this season, your a coast live oak, thousands of ducks on a pond, in the Photo: Mare Island Preserve vibrance of our Bay teaming own momentary spirit-filled path and is now much Bill George company of a master guide, focused with migrants from the north and from flight, to the extraordinary, the more. It is a loom on which to weave and alerted to the potential to see a the south, reminds us of how we are majestic, the magical: nature’s way. ten thousand webs. The chain link inspired by the opportunities the hawk...we seek the divine in ourselves Will you join us this year as a fence separating Navy’s land from our Flyway Festival gives us to discover by passing through that veil of fog, Flyway Festival exhibitor? Will you wildlands park, is a perfect spider for ourselves a little of this mysterious stepping closer to the Bay’s edge, in support the Flyway Festival with your web framework. Even the picnic journeying. hopes of connecting we with tabletop is joined to its bench with the they...celestial visitors in the skies and donations of cash and auction/raffle invisible made visible this dampened I think of how much richer we are afloat on the waters. items? Will you tell your friends, co- morning. And, now just a few pacific for our ambassadors of the wild workers and family about the Flyway Like I purposely come to the yurt chorus frogs raise their voices in calls kingdom in so many hundreds of Festival? Will you volunteer? camp for the night, to find my own one to another from various forms, colors, and styles, who come Call/text or email either Sarah voice among the wild voices, I believe triangulations from the yurt. here to our estuary for a time on their 510-579-1008[sarahcainflywayfest@g the Flyway Festival serves in that life’s flight. We are better for their mail.com] or me 707-249-9633 Over it all, is the fog horn and same way; we come together to be annual migratory visits. We are made [[email protected]] with like the frogs, others call in the touched and awed by glimpses of more whole and reminded of our tie to questions and suggestions. Whatever distance, as a fast moving train calls who we are because of who we meet– the otherworldly, as humans in a way you can, please help us ensure too, as it passes through Crockett migrating. We are better people our 20th Flyway Festival is a great across the because we have mingled for a event. We are most grateful. Carquinez Strait. moment with the mystical. A cacophony of Warmly, Over these 21 seasons insistent sounds together, I have found myself of morning growing more spiritual. More Myrna Hayes wildness and Thanks to our Host Sponsor awed in my journey. Since Festival Director and Co-founder warning. Yet, I volunteer managing the Mare Mare Island Heritage Trust feel safe and 707-249-9633 Island Preserve, I have had to calm. Deeply, and SFBayFlywayFestival.com learn much more about and lean as dense as the more on faith. There are lessons fog lying low, safe Please make your donation to the one learns from time spent Flyway Festival payable to: and at peace. mindfully in the natural world. It’s That is the nature Mare Island Heritage Trust orienting to that frog voice, now, of nature. All is 816 Branciforte St. so quiet and tentative, other still. The coast Vallejo, CA 94590 times strident and way out there. live oaks sweep or to make a contribution by credit It’s taking one deep purposeful to touch the old card visit: sfbayflywayfestival.com breath through my nose to sense tennis court Click on the DONATE button or give the odor of the night as I lock the outside my open at the Flyway Festival Wildlife and Birding Expo and Mare Island Outings Friday, February 10, Saturday, February 11 and Sunday, February 12 Friday, February 10 2:30-3:30pm 8:00am-6:00pm Learn about the History of the Mare Island Naval Hospital San Pablo Bay Walking Trail Self-Guided Walk Hosted by Complex in a PowerPoint Discussion at the Wildlife Expo Repeats Saturday 2:00pm and Sunday 10:00am Weston Solutions, Inc. Join Dr. Tom Snyder, retired Navy surgeon and founder/past Repeats Saturday and Sunday 8:00am-6:00pm executive director of the Society for the History of Navy Medicine for a Explore the wetland and bay habitats of Mare Island on a self-guided presentation featuring the fascinating history of the Navy’s first wildlife viewing trail. From Building 221, turn north on Walnut Ave., then hospital in the Pacific, closed in 1957 and now part of the campus of left on A St. if walking to the trailhead. If driving, park in the gravel Touro University. Join Dr. Snyder for a tour of the historic hospital parking lot at the end of A St. Entrance on Azuar Dr. at A St. campus immediately following his talk. 9:00am – 6:00pm See below for Hospital grounds outing directions Mare Island Shoreline Heritage Preserve Self-guided Walk 3:45pm – 4:30pm Repeats Saturday and Sunday 9:00am-6:00pm Tour the Hallowed Grounds of the Historic Mare Island Walk or bike at your own pace as far as you like on the 1.3 mile Naval Hospital Complex paved road with 14 points of interest along the route to the hilltop Repeats Saturday, 3:15pm and Sunday, 11:15am scenic vista an beyond. Stop at the Mare Island Naval Cemetery. The Directions: park in Touro University Library parking lot,1545 Azuar Visitor Center is open. Dogs are allowed on leash. Dr. near the corner of 15th St. and Azuar Dr. Meet at the entrance to the Library on Moises Way, on the west side of the Library in front of the Directions: From the Mare Island entrance at Tennessee and Hospital grounds. Dr. Snyder will be recognizable by his Panama hat! Mare Island Way, continue to Azuar Dr. Turn left 2.5 miles. Continue beyond gate to Visitor Center.