The 13th annual Wings Over Water Wildlife Festival, a celebration of wildlife and wild lands in Eastern North Carolina, will run from Tuesday, Nov. 3, until Sunday, Nov. 8. The six-day event celebrates the natural wonders of the Outer Banks and offers many opportunities to explore and discover the richness of the region’s environment.The Fall season marks an active time in the Pea Island National Wildlife Refuge, as hundreds of species of birds migrate along the coast, stopping along the way on Hatteras Island. Wings Over Water is planned to coordinate with this migration, because now is the optimal time for bird watching on Hatteras Island.
Participants, for a modest cost or even for free, can enjoy multiple Hatteras Island events, and the following list of activities is just a sample of what Wings Over Water has to offer.
• A beginning photography class designed for children is a great way to introduce kids to nature while allowing them to develop their artistic abilities. The $20 fee covers one adult with up to two children. There are also other photography classes just for grownups.
• Wild Times at Cape Hatteras Secondary School from noon to 5 p.m. on Saturday, Nov. 7, is a free event for children. See what’s inside an owl pellet or build a bird-nesting box.
• Free performance of “Bloody Mary & the Virgin Queen” presented by Elizabeth R and Co. at 7:30 p.m. on Saturday, Nov. 7, at the Cape Hatteras Secondary School auditorium. This outrageous musical comedy about Queen Elizabeth and her half-sister Mary is set in London’s Westminster Abbey, where Queen Elizabeth and her sister have been buried in the same tomb for more than 400 years.
• Learn about America’s forgotten heroes with an overview of the Chicamacomico Life-Saving Station’s history including highlights, stories of heroic feats, and the retelling of the dramatic S.S. Mirlo rescue of 1918. See the actual boat used during the rescue. Cost $20.
• Join the director of Frisco Native American Museum for a personal tour of the museum. Native Americans have had an intimate relationship with the natural world unrivaled by other Americans. Their lives literally depended on their knowledge of nature. A special program will give insight into the history of this relationship. Cost $20.
• Explore the natural and cultural history of Portsmouth Island village, established by North Carolina’s Colonial Assembly in 1753 and maintained by the National Park Service since 1976. Although the last resident left in 1971, the village and its remaining buildings, on the National Register of Historic Places, are a living testimonial to a once-thriving and vibrant coastal community.
For a complete listing of birding, paddling, and natural history programs or to get more information on the programs, go to www.wingsoverwater.org, pick up a copy of OBX Wild at the area visitors centers, or call 252-216-9464.