TRAVEL

Verde Valley Birding and Nature Festival, 4/23-26

Betty Reid
The Republic | azcentral.com
Hummingbirds will be one of the species novice birders should have no trouble spotting at the Verde Valley Birding and Nature Festival.

A commonly heard question in Cottonwood is, "Where can I find the best birding?"

It's easy for Susan Beach, a self-described backyard birder, to point people in the right direction: Dead Horse State Park or anywhere along the Verde River corridor.

Beach helps organize the Verde Valley Birding and Nature Festival, which takes place this weekend in and around the park.

"Many birders are looking to see something they have never seen before, as they have a list of birds they want to see sometime in their life and are here to add to their list," Beach said. "Our guides are some of the best in the Southwest and they treat our birders to far more than expected."

The 15th annual festival celebrates nature, fosters awareness of habitat and offers recreational experiences to people interested in the natural world. The event consist of dozens of expert-led field trips to birding hotspots, guided nature walks and seminars. Reservations are required and fees apply.

"Each year we add at least one new trip to the schedule," said Barbie Hart, Verde Valley Birding and Nature Festival coordinator. "This year one of those trips is to a local bed-and-breakfast that will also be providing a meal to the participants. This property is close to Oak Creek and host great bird habitat, plus they put out feeders to attract the birds."

The Family Nature Fair is from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Saturday at the park. There will be crafts and guided activities for kids of all ages. Children can play games, build a bird feeder and become a junior park ranger.

Beach, who founded the event, said Hart came to her when she was Cottonwood's tourism director in the late 1990s. Hart had a vision about attracting birders to the area.

"We jumped on board and made it happen," Beach said.

Verde Valley Birding and Nature Festival

When: 5:30 a.m.-9 p.m. Thursday-Saturday, April 23-25. 5:30 a.m.-11 a.m. Sunday, April 26.

Where: Dead Horse Ranch State Park, 675 Dead Horse Ranch Road, Cottonwood.

Admission: The Family Nature Fair is free. Fees for guided outings vary.

Details:www.birdyverde.org.