Bending the Arc

Did you know that the City of Fond du Lac is a designated Bird City? Fond du Lac’s Bird City Wisconsin designation is an honor the city achieved in 2012 and has renewed annually since then. This recognition reflects the importance that the Fond du Lac community places on protecting its avian wildlife and the habitat on which they rely. To be recognized as a Bird City, a community must meet criteria spread across six categories: habitat creation and protection, community forest management, limiting threats to birds, education, energy and sustainability, and the official recognition and celebration of World Migratory Bird Day.

Bird City Wisconsin provides highly visible public recognition to municipalities that understand that healthy communities are the sum of many parts, including birds. Bird City Wisconsin supports its communities, including Fond du Lac, in their efforts to protect and manage green space, educate their citizens, build and erect nesting structures, landscape with native plants, and reduce threats to birds like collisions and outdoor cats. Bird City Wisconsin also supports cities’ efforts to generally make urban areas both friendlier for birds and places where people want to live and work.  

Annually, Fond du Lac celebrates World Migratory Bird Day with events during the last week of April and the first week of May.

Birding in Fond du Lac
Thursday, April 25, 6 p.m., Fond du Lac Public Library, McLane Room
Steven Thompson, local bird photographer extraordinaire will share his favorite photos of birds and the best places to bird in Fond du Lac to capture your own stunning images.

CSA Earth Day Fair
Saturday, April 27, 10 a.m. - 3 p.m., Congregation of Sisters of St. Agnes
Visit the Bird City exhibitor table and sign up for a guided bird walk on the CSA escarpment at 2:15.

World Migratory Bird Reception
Thursday, May 2, 5 p.m., THELMA Sadoff Center for the Arts
Bird art on display by members of the THELMA Visual Artists. Tom Schultz, National Geographic Illustrator will give a presentation about his work and Bill Volkert, WI naturalist will be reading from one of his published books.

Guided Bird Watching
Friday, May 3
6 p.m. walk at Camelot Business Park
Saturday, May 4
7 a.m. walk at the Greenway Arboretum
10 a.m. walk at Congregation of Sisters of St. Agnes
1 p.m. walk at Lake Winnebago shore and boardwalk

Build a Bird: Glass Fusion Workshop
Saturday, May 4, 2 p.m., Trista Holz Studios (13 E. 1st St.)
Work with local artist Trista Holz to learn how to stack and fuse glass into your own beautiful work of ornithological art!

Local Galleries Featuring Bird Art
All May
Gallery & Frame Shop (94 S. Main)
Sumercé Artisans (52 E. Division)
Trista Holz Studios (13 E. 1st St.)