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Winter Wings Festival seeks volunteers By Lee Juillerat Dec 23, 2022 12:15 AM A A The 2023 Winter Wings Festival, the oldest birding festival on the West Coast, is seeking volunteers to assist with a variety of programs. The festival, traditionally held Presidents Day weekend at Oregon Institute of Technology in Klamath Falls, will run Feb. 17-20. Unlike past years when activities were offered Thursday through Sunday, the 2023 festival will be Friday through Monday, with many activities on campus, along with field trips to regional wildlife refuges. The event typically draws birders and outdoor enthusiasts from throughout the region, including the Rogue Valley. New for 2023 will be free Friday, Feb. 17, presentations. In addition, organizers say new programs and presenters, including new keynote speakers, will offer professional photography and raptor workshops. Vendors will sell birdwatching items, like cameras and binoculars, Friday afternoon and Saturday. Activities geared for youth will be offered Saturday. Also new is a Sunday night reception intended to give participants “the chance to mingle with your new birding and photography friends.” Keynote speakers include Jennifer Hai, a performing songwriter, artist and “restless day dreamer,” Feb. 17, and nature photographer Ray Hennessy Feb. 18. Also featured will be Tiana Williams-Claussen, a member of the Yurok Tribe who helped lead efforts to reintroduce California condors, and Jeremy Niepp, a wildlife photographer. Other leaders and presenters are wildlife photographer Abbott Schindler, Klamath Bird Observatory board member Amanda Alford, wildlife author-photographer Carli Davidson, naturalist Christine Elder, Klamath Basin Audubon Society President Darrel Samuels, fluvial geomorphologist Dave Coffman, Lava Beds National Monument Ranger Dave Hays, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service biologist Dave Hewitt, Klamath Basin National Wildlife Refuges biologist John Vradenburg, featured artist Judy Phearson and several others. Online preregistration is open, and full online registration for all Winter Wings activities begins at 7 a.m. Tuesday, Dec. 27. Volunteers are needed for a variety of activities. Those involved with festival staffing typically assist with setup, signage, registration, wristband checker, Bird Central and the Audubon sales table. Most of these activities are available in the registration system. Activity assistant volunteers help with field trips, workshops and presentations. Field trip assistants must have excellent birding or photography skills. Potential volunteers can obtain more information and ask questions by contacting volunteer coordinators, including Myki Spindle at 541-281-9992 or [email protected], or Suzanne Moser at 541-880-4691 or [email protected]. For more information about Winter Wings Festival, see winterwingsfest.org . Reach freelance writer Lee Juillerat at [email protected] or 541-880-4139.