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FYI, Al Batt Located in Southern Minnesota and home of the J. C. Hormel Nature Center,=20 Austin will be the site of the Oak Savanna Birding Festival this May 14-16,=20= 2004. =20 Once common in Minnesota, an Oak Savanna is a community of scattered oak=20 trees above a layer of prairie grasses and forbs. The trees are spread out=20= so=20 there is no closed canopy and the grasses and forbs receive plentiful amount= s of=20 sunlight. The savanna is a transition ecosystem between the tall-grass=20 prairie and woodland environments, so it is an important habitat for both wo= odland=20 and prairie animals and insect species. The Austin area is now one of the f= ew=20 places where Oak Savanna can still be seen. Birds commonly seen in this are= a=20 during May are migrating waterfowl, shorebirds, warblers and other=20 neo-tropical migrants. =20 =20 The Birding Festival kicks off on Friday with a viewing of the film =E2=80= =9CWinged=20 Migration=E2=80=9D held in Austin=E2=80=99s historic Paramount Theatre. Gui= ded birding tours=20 will be offered both Saturday and Sunday. Guides will lead you to a variety=20= of=20 habitats in hopes of spotting a migrating Summer Tanager or White-eyed Vireo= .=20 Saturday night will feature a buffet banquet complete with entertainment an= d=20 sharing and compiling time. Other events during the festival include=20 seminars, workshops and a vendor show. Oak Savanna birding maps will also b= e=20 available. =20 =20 The Friends of the J.C. Hormel Nature Center and the Austin Audubon Society=20 sponsor the 2004 Oak Savanna Birding Festival. Pre-registration is require= d. =20 For more information, contact the Austin Convention and Visitors Bureau at=20 507-437-4563 or email us at [email protected] or [email protected]. Y= ou=20 can also visit the Austin City website at www.ci.austin.mn.us. -------------------------------1075260565 Content-Type: text/html; charset="UTF-8" Content-Transfer-Encoding: quoted-printable Content-Language: en <HTML xmlns:o =3D "urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:office"><HEAD> <META charset=3DUTF-8 http-equiv=3DContent-Type content=3D"text/html; charse= t=3Dutf-8"> <META content=3D"MSHTML 6.00.2800.1276" name=3DGENERATOR></HEAD> <BODY style=3D"FONT-SIZE: 12pt; FONT-FAMILY: Arial; BACKGROUND-COLOR: #fffff= f"> <DIV><FONT face=3DVerdana>FYI,</FONT></DIV> <DIV><FONT face=3DVerdana></FONT> </DIV> <DIV><FONT face=3DVerdana>Al Batt</FONT></DIV> <DIV><FONT face=3DVerdana></FONT> </DIV> <DIV> <P class=3DMsoBodyText style=3D"MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><FONT face=3D"Times New= Roman">Located in Southern Minnesota and home of the J. C. Hormel Nature Ce= nter, Austin will be the site of the Oak Savanna Birding Festival this May 1= 4-16, 2004.</FONT></P> <P class=3DMsoNormal style=3D"MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><SPAN style=3D"FONT-SIZE:= 11pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt"><o:p><FONT face=3D"Times New Roman" size= =3D3> </FONT></o:p></SPAN></P> <P class=3DMsoNormal style=3D"MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><SPAN style=3D"FONT-SIZE:= 11pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt"><FONT face=3D"Times New Roman"><FONT size= =3D3>Once common in Minnesota, an Oak Savanna is a community of scattered oa= k trees above a layer of prairie grasses and forbs.<SPAN style=3D"mso-spacer= un: yes"> </SPAN>The trees are spread out so there is no closed canopy= and the grasses and forbs receive plentiful amounts of sunlight.<SPAN style= =3D"mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>The savanna is a transition ecosystem b= etween the tall-grass prairie and woodland environments, so it is an importa= nt habitat for both woodland and prairie animals and insect species.<SPAN st= yle=3D"mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>The Austin area is now one of the fe= w places where Oak Savanna can still be seen.<SPAN style=3D"mso-spacerun: ye= s"> </SPAN>Birds commonly seen in this area during May are migrating w= aterfowl, shorebirds, warblers and other neo-tropical migrants.<SPAN style= =3D"mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN><o:p></o:p></FONT></FONT></SPAN></P> <P class=3DMsoNormal style=3D"MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><SPAN style=3D"FONT-SIZE:= 11pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt"><o:p><FONT face=3D"Times New Roman" size= =3D3> </FONT></o:p></SPAN></P> <P class=3DMsoNormal style=3D"MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><SPAN style=3D"FONT-SIZE:= 11pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt"><FONT face=3D"Times New Roman"><FONT size= =3D3>The Birding Festival kicks off on Friday with a viewing of the film=20= =E2=80=9CWinged Migration=E2=80=9D held in Austin=E2=80=99s historic Paramou= nt Theatre.<SPAN style=3D"mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>Guided birding to= urs will be offered both Saturday and Sunday. Guides will lead you to a vari= ety of habitats in hopes of spotting a migrating Summer Tanager or White-eye= d Vireo.<SPAN style=3D"mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>Saturday night will=20= feature a buffet banquet complete with entertainment and sharing and compili= ng time.<SPAN style=3D"mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>Other events during=20= the festival include seminars, workshops and a vendor show.<SPAN style=3D"ms= o-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>Oak Savanna birding maps will also be availab= le.<SPAN style=3D"mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN><o:p></o:p></FONT></FONT>= </SPAN></P> <P class=3DMsoNormal style=3D"MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><SPAN style=3D"FONT-SIZE:= 11pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt"><o:p><FONT face=3D"Times New Roman" size= =3D3> </FONT></o:p></SPAN></P> <P class=3DMsoNormal style=3D"MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><SPAN style=3D"FONT-SIZE:= 11pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt"><FONT face=3D"Times New Roman" size=3D3>T= he Friends of the J.C. Hormel Nature Center and the Austin Audubon Society s= ponsor the 2004 Oak Savanna Birding Festival.<SPAN style=3D"mso-spacerun: ye= s"> </SPAN>Pre-registration is required.<SPAN style=3D"mso-space= run: yes"> </SPAN>For more information, contact the Austin Convention=20= and Visitors Bureau at 507-437-4563 or email us at </FONT><A href=3D"mailto:= [email protected]"><FONT face=3D"Times New Roman" size=3D3>rnsm...@charter= .net</FONT></A><FONT face=3D"Times New Roman" size=3D3> or </FONT><A href= =3D"mailto:[email protected]";><FONT face=3D"Times New Roman" size=3D3>twd= [email protected]</FONT></A><FONT face=3D"Times New Roman" size=3D3>.<SPAN s= tyle=3D"mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>You can also visit the Austin= City website at </FONT><A href=3D"http://www.ci.austin.mn.us/";><SPAN style= =3D"COLOR: windowtext; TEXT-DECORATION: none; text-underline: none"><FONT fa= ce=3D"Times New Roman" size=3D3>www.ci.austin.mn.us</FONT></SPAN></A><FONT f= ace=3D"Times New Roman"><FONT size=3D3>.<o:p></o:p></FONT></FONT></SPAN></P>= </DIV></BODY></HTML> -------------------------------1075260565--
