Tours & Activities
Find information about third-party tours and activities available during the festival on this page.
birding excursion with explore cordova
Captain Mike Mahoney will guide your group from the Cordova Harbor along the shores of Orca Inlet, past Hartney Bay and to the Copper River Delta on his fishing vessel the Dorothy G. This beautiful 4-hour trip will give you access to a greater variety and number of birds than you can expect to see from land. Mike has called Cordova home since 1999 and has spent 25 years as a Commercial fisherman on the Copper River and Prince William Sound. As a former naturalist and environmental educator in the region, Mike loves to share the natural beauty of the Cordova area with others.
$200 per person, maximum of 6 people per trip. Visit www.explorecordovaak.com to learn more. To book, call 907-429-5713 or e-mail info@exporecordovak.com
birds of the copper river flats
Join Captain Thea Thomas for a 3-4 hour trip on her bowpicker FV Myrmidon, on the incoming tide. You’ll cruise along the shoreline from Odiak Slough to Hartney Bay where you might observe Western and Least Sandpipers, Dunlins, Semipalmated Plovers, Caspian Terns and a variety of gulls. From there, head towards Big Point which often has Whimbrels, White-fronted Geese, and Marbled Godwits. Weather depending, we will check out Shag Rock for Black Oystercatchers and Surfbirds, then towards Little Egg Island to look for Red Knots, Dowitchers and Black-bellied Plovers.
$150 per person, maximum of 6 people per trip. Call 907-253-5266 or email thea.ctcak@gmail.com
Special Guided Birding Tours
Alaska Wild Wings has been offering informal guiding for birders and photographers along the Copper River Highway and Orca Inlet since 1974. Dr. Pete Mickelson is a retired Associate Professor of Ornithology and Wildlife Biology at the University of Alaska in Fairbanks. He lives on the border between the Copper River Delta and Orca Inlet in Prince William Sound and regularly contributes to eBird. Dr. Mickelson is the author of "Natural History of Alaska's Prince Willaim Sound," and "Country Self-Sufficiency."
Please call (907) 253-5111 or email the address below to book
Black bellied plover needlefelt workshop
Enjoy an afternoon of crafting at the Net Loft as you create a framed wool painted shorebird. You will learn the basics of needle felting while illustrating in wool, a male Black Bellied Plover in breeding plumage, a migratory bird that travels to the Copper River Delta region each spring.
May 4th, 1:30-6 pm upstairs at The Net Loft
Class Instructional Fee ($25), Materials Fee ($75) includes all fibers, felt background, mat, and thick shadowbox frame. Use of needle felting tools included in class fee.
(Shorebird Event Participants to receive 5% discount at checkout with code distributed when enrolled in the festival)
pacific flyaway meditation
Unwind from a bustling birding festival with "Pacific Flyway Meditation: Loving Kindness On Your Journey” with Amanda Williams. A free meditation class designed to enrich your spiritual journey through the practice of loving kindness, this class introduces the transformative technique of loving kindness meditation, where we focus on cultivating an attitude of benevolence and positivity towards ourselves and others. As you reflect on your adventures in nature, learn a powerful meditation practice that you can carry with you, enhancing not only your birding experiences but also your everyday interactions. Join G&G Alaskan Outfitters to nurture a compassionate heart and a peaceful mind, and leave with a technique that will accompany you on all your adventures to come.
Lavender essential oils will be used to accompany the practice. If you have an allergy, please refrain from joining us. This class requires the ability to perform light stretching, sit on a yoga mat/lay down for up to 30 minutes. Plan accordingly if you have physical restrictions. Please dress appropriately for a relaxing space. For questions reach out to gandgakoutfitters@gmail.com