Like us- At-a-Glance
- About the Kickoff
- Hours
- Location
- Friday Night Social
- Presentations and Speakers
- Door Prizes
- Silent Auction
- Hotel and RV's
- Registration
- Contact
At-a-Glance
[ NOTE: The 2016 event is over - the following is for reference only and the links to various items may no longer be active. ]
Join us, this Spring, for fun, education, and friendship!Advance Registration closed.
At the Door Registration ($10, without meal) opens 8:30am, March 12, Bastrop Convention Center.
Please note that the Bastrop Convention Center does not allow outside purchased food and drink to be brought in.
Friday night BBQ reservations available through March 5th. Email eventplans@txblues.org
Click here to view some of the 2016 Silent Auction FUNdraiser items. The 2016 Silent Auction items will be uploaded as they come in.
About
2016 Bluebird Season Kickoff and FUNdraising Auction
Bluebird Season Kickoff
Our annual kickoff promotes the conservation of bluebirds and teaches the public how to attract and provide quality habitat for bluebirds across Texas. Guest speakers will cover topics that bluebirders, new and experienced, will find interesting and entertaining. Registrants have the opportunity to win door prizes and attendees can bid in our silent auction for many wonderful items. Additionally, members who pledge to NestWatch at least two nestboxes will receive a FREE TBS nestbox.
FUNdraising Auction
Our FUNdraising Auction, allows attendees to bid on items, donated by Texas Bluebird Society members and supporters. Each year many beautiful, handy, and fun items have been donated to this good cause. All funds raised by the auction are used to purchase materials to build TBS Bluebird nestboxes!!!
Date and Time
Saturday, March 12th, 9:00 am-3:00 pm.
Doors open at 8:30 for registration and the silent auction
All of the same good stuff as our previous events -
✓great presentations ✓nestwatching nestboxes ✓member networking ✓informative displays ✓expert advice ✓Silent Auction FUNdraiser!
Location
Lodging and Friday Night Social and Dinner
Lodging and the Friday Night Social and Dinner will be at the Hampton Inn in Bastrop, Texas.
240 S Hasler Blvd, Bastrop, TX 78602
Group code TXA for $129.00 + tax
Reserve early! This is SXSW weekend and accomodations sell out months in advance.
Deadline: Friday, February 12th unless sold out earlier
The Bluebird Season Kickoff registration fee does not include the cost of the Friday Night Dinner, which is $20.00. Sign up for the Friday Night Dinner when you register.
Registration Fees
Early Bird Advance Registration: $20.00. Includes a box lunch and 10 door prize tickets. Deadline: February 12th
Standard Advance Registration: $20.00. Includes a box lunch and 2 door prize tickets. Deadline: February 27th
At-the-Door Registration: $10.00. No meal and no door prize tickets. Sack lunches are permitted; there are limited dining options around the Center. $12 box lunches will also be available at the Center.
Please note that the Bastrop Convention Center does not allow outside purchased food and drink to be brought in.
Friday Night Dinner Registration: $20.00. Includes Fitty's BBQ dinner and after dinner raptor presentation. Frozen margaritas available. Registration for the Friday night event is closed.
Date and Time
Friday Night Social and Dinner: Friday, March 11th; Social, with Margaritas, at 6:00 pm and Fitty's BBQ at 7:00 pm, followed by John Karger's raptor presentation.
Bluebird Season Kickoff: Saturday, March 12th, 9:00 am to 3:00 pm. Doors open at 8:30 am for registration and the silent auction. >
Guest Speakers
John Karger, founder of Last Chance Forever - The Bird of Prey Conservancy (Friday night, an independent option, see registration form)
As founder and Executive Director of Last Chance Forever, The Bird of Prey Conservancy, John Anthony Karger is responsible for the overall operation of the organization. He is a Master Falconer, Certified Veterinary Technician, and recipient of a Bio-engineering behavior certification from Southwest Research Institute. He holds wildlife rescue, rehabilitation, and educational permits to care for and teach about native wildlife including endangered species. His educational background is in the wildlife and veterinary sciences. For over 30 years, Mr. Karger has been deeply involved in wildlife rehabilitation releasing well over 2000 birds. He serves on committees for the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department and United States Fish and Wildlife Service.
Dr. T. David Pitts, author of "Studying Eastern Bluebirds"
Dr. Pitts retired after 46 years as a Professor of Biological Sciences, at the University of Tennessee, at Martin. His most appreciated awards are the University of Tennesse national Almuni Association's Outstanding Teacher award and the North American Bluebird Society's Research Award. Dr. Pitts' presentation will compare roosting behaviors of different ages and sexes of bluebirds, as well as discussing constraints and consequences of some of the variations that bluebirds exhibit. Dr. Pitts is a charter member of the North American Bluebird Society and is noted for discovering the method for determining the age of Easter Bluebirds.
Alec Wyatt, American Birding Association Young Birder 2014
Alec Wyatt is a 16-year-old birder from Colorado Springs, Colorado who, in 2014, relocated to San Antonio, Texas. Alec has been birding in eighteen states, but never outside the country. He enjoys all kinds of birds and birding and his favorite area of interest is conservation. In 2014 Alec won the ABA Young Birder of the Year contest, a competition designed to help young birders build and enhance their birding skills. He enjoys monitoring his nestbox trail, leading bird walks for kids, and inspiring others to enjoy and protect birds.
Jane Tillman, president of the Native Plant Society of Texas, Austin Chapter
Jane Tillman is an active member of the Travis Audubon Society, a Capital Area Master Naturalist and a National Wildlife Federation Habitat Steward Host. Jane was recognized by the four-million-member National Wildlife Federation as the 2011 Volunteer of the Year, for her work in training more than one hundred Habitat Stewards to create backyard wildlife habitat in Austin. She was active in the effort to certify Austin as an NWF Community Wildlife Habitat, in 2009. Jane teaches beginning backyard birding classes, leads field trips and gives talks about Central Texas birds and gardening for the birds, to garden clubs, neighborhood associations, libraries and the UT NOVA program.
Other Topics
Bluebird Basics
NestWatch
House Sparrow Control
Door Prizes
Texas Bluebird Society offers Door Prizes (donated by each Board Member) to encourage early registration.
Early Bird Registrants (by February 12th) receive 10 door prize tickets.
Advance Registrants (by February 27th) receive 2 door prize tickets.
Door prize chances are only available to early registrants. Unlike the Silent Auction items, there is no opportunity to bid on these items at the event.
The 2016 door prizes.
Additional door prize photos will be added, as they become available.
Silent Auction
Click here to view some of the 2016 Silent Auction FUNdraiser items.
Additional 2016 silent auction items will be added as they come in.
Our annual fundraiser allows attendees to bid on a variety of items, donated by board members, members, and attendees. Every dollar raised, through this auction, goes toward buying lumber for our volunteers to build nestboxes!
As soon as feasible, please send donations (or notification of donations that will be hand-carried to the event) to:
Selena Schindler
(361) 275-8076
1078 Mueller Lang Rd.
Cuero, Texas 77954
auction@texasbluebirdsociety.orgFor more auction information contact Benni Konvicka at (254) 968-6663.
Donations (or notification of donations) received after February 27th must be processed manually, one-by-one, and will miss the program publication deadline.
TBS is recognized by the IRS as a 501c3 "charitable" organization. Donations are tax deductible, as allowed by law.
Hotel
Lodging will be at the Hampton Inn in Bastrop, Texas.
240 S Hasler Blvd, Bastrop, TX 78602
Deadline for $129 rate was Friday, February 12th.
The Season Kickoff is the same weekend as SXSW in Austin, when accommodations sell out months in advance.
Having a difficult time finding lodging? Click HERE to explore Bastrop area accommodations.
Recreational Vehicles
There are numerous RV Parks are located in the Bastrop area, CLICK HERE for more information.
Friday Night Social
Hampton Inn, Bastrop
6:00 Social Hour with frozen margaritas. Any outside liquor must be served by bartender.
7:00 Fitty's BBQ Dinner $20.00
After Dinner Speaker, John Karger, Last Chance Forever (with raptors)Reservations for the Friday night dinner and presentation are no longer available.
For More Information
Email: eventplans@texasbluebirdsociety.org
Snail Mail: P.O. Box 40868, Austin, TX 78704
Phone:
- Pauline Tom (512) 268-5678
- Judy Ray (972) 217-1516
Registration Information and Form
Advance Registration closed.
At the Door Registration ($10, without meal) opens 8:30am, March 12, Bastrop Convention Center.
Please note that the Bastrop Convention Center does not allow outside purchased food and drink to be brought in.
Friday night BBQ reservations available through March 5th. Email eventplans@txblues.org