2017 Festival Schedule

The Wild America Nature Festival will take place on Saturday, July 29th and Sunday, July 30th 2017 at Panama Rocks Scenic Park in Chautauqua County. The festival features nationally-renowned speakers; wild animals; a juried fine nature art and craft show and competition; a local food cook-off competition and farmer's market; music; and classes, workshops, and activities.

You can enjoy the art, food, and various activities all day.* The times of scheduled speakers, musical performances, and workshops are listed below.

SATURDAY, JULY 29TH
Festival Hours: 10:00am - 7:00pm*

Main Stage (Park Green)

Steel Rails (11:00am - 1:00pm): Original songs and traditional folk music.
Meet Live Animals with Wild Spirit Education (1:30pm - 2:30pm): Meet wild and rehabbed birds of prey such as owls, hawk, vultures, and other animals.
Davis and Eng (3:00pm - 4:45pm): Original songs and traditional folk music.
Monarch Migration (5:00pm-5:30pm): Students from Chautauqua Lake Central School will discuss their research on Monarch butterfly migration and evidence that Monarchs are changing how the migrate.
Native Plants with Dr. Douglas Tallamy (5:30pm - 6:30pm): Dr. Tallamy will discuss why our yards and gardens are essential parts of the ecosystems that sustain us and what we can do to make our landscapes living ecosystems once again.

Recreation Hall (Indoors)

The Holistic Orchard: Growing Healthy Fruit with Michael Phillips (10:30am -11:45am): Learn about fungal allies, root relationships, and the biodiversity makes good fruit possible without man-made chemicals.
A Personal History of a Bird Artist (12:00pm - 1:00pm): Join nationally renowned painter Michael DiGiorgio as he shares his journey to becoming one of the nation's most prominent painters of birds.
Workshop with Michael Phillips: The Orchard Ecosystem (1:30pm - 2:30pm): Examine techniques that allow fruiting plants to naturally stand up to disease challenges and pests. - Additional Fee
Workshop with Michael Phillips: Tree Fruit Cultivars for WNY (3:30pm - 4:30pm): Learn the best apples and other tree fruits to grow in this bioregion that will “knock your socks off” with incredible flavor. - Additional Fee

Festival Tent

Meditation with Jen Raines (12:00pm - 12:45pm): The more we settle our minds the more we notice and are connected to the world around us. Learn to use your breath and body to journey inward and quiet the mind.
Where have all the Froggies Gone? (1:30pm - 2:30pm): Meet live frogs and other amphibians (native and exotic) with RTPI President Dr. Twan Leenders. Learn about a disease that is killing amphibians and what scientists are doing to try to protect them.
Raising Poultry for Egg Production (Backyard and Beyond (3:00pm - 4:00pm): Learn how to raise egg-laying chickens in your backyard (and relevant regulations) with Katelyn Walley-Stoll with Cornell Cooperative Extension of Chautauqua County.
Soil Sampling 101 (4:00pm - 4:30pm): Learn why it is important to sample soils, how to take a soil sample, and how to read a soil sample report with Katelyn Walley-Stoll of Cornell Cooperative Extension of Chautauqua County.
Painting Demonstration with Michael DiGiorgio (4:30pm - 5:30pm): Join Michael DiGiorgio as he demonstrates the process behind his painting.

Festival Grounds

Rock Talk (10:00am - 12:00pm): Find retired Jamestown Community College biology professor Tom Erlandson on the trails where he will teach about the geology of Panama Rocks.
Tree Talk (10:00am - 12:00pm): Meet retired Jamestown Community College biology professor Dan Anderson along the trails to learn about the trees and forest ecology at Panama Rocks.
Meet Live Animals with the Erie Zoo (10:00am - 2:00pm): The Erie Zoo will present several small American animals (such as mammals, reptiles, birds, and invertebrates) for the public to meet and learn about.
Falconry with American Hawkeye (11:00am - 1:00pm & 3:00pm - 5:00pm): Meet live birds of prey, see flight demonstrations, and learn about the ancient art of falconry with American Hawkeye.
Edible and Medicinal Plant Walk (3:00pm - 5:00pm): Herbalist Sarah Sorci will lead a leisurely walk and discussion about a range of native and non-native species. Learn to identify, sustainably harvest, and safely use those that grow abundantly; learn to cultivate or substitute for those that do not. All ages welcome, though info will be presented for adults. Cost is $6/person over age 14. Children are free. Payments to be made to Sarah at start of walk.

Audubon Community Nature Center

Wild 5K (8:00am - 11:00am): Enjoy the natural beauty of the trails at ACNC (1600 Riverside Road in Jamestown, NY) while helping to raise funds for the preservation and restoration of unique habitats. After your run/walk visit with Liberty, the Bald Eagle, and tour the exhibits throughout the Nature Center. More information at http://auduboncnc.org/wild5k. - Additional Fee

*Some vendors with long commutes may close after 5:00pm on Saturday.

In order to protect the wild animals that will be at the Wild America Nature Festival and due to the cliffs in the Panama Rocks scenic area, pets are not allowed at the event. Thank you for understanding.

SUNDAY, JULY 30TH
Festival Hours: 10:00am - 5:00pm

Main Stage (Park Green)

Steel Rails (11:00am - 1:00pm): Original songs and traditional folk music.
Meet Live Animals with Wild Spirit Education (1:30pm - 2:30pm): Meet wild and rehabbed birds of prey such as owls, hawk, vultures, and other animals.
Davis and Eng (3:00pm - 4:45pm): Original songs and traditional folk music.

Recreation Hall (Indoors)

Biological Alchemy: How Fungi and Plants Work Together To Create Dynamic Soil with Michael Phillips (10:30am -11:45am): Learn how fungal networks enhance plant health. This lively exploration of soil biology and healthy plant metabolism will rouse every gardener and fruit grower to think deeper.
Resonance of Place - Painting America's Wilderness Areas and the Mississippi River (12:00pm - 1:00pm): Join nationally renowned painter Thomas Paquette as he discusses his experience painting America's Wilderness areas and the Mississippi river.
Workshop with Michael Phillips: Taking on Pests Organically (1:30pm - 2:30pm): Learn how to address problems created by fruit tree pests without resorting to commercial pesticides. - Additional Fee
Workshop with Michael Phillips: Holistic Disease Management (3:30pm - 4:30pm): Take an in-depth look at how the organic grower can keep apple scab, rusts and rots from developing on the fruit to a minimum.

Festival Tent

Book Reading (11:00am - 12:00pm): Sit down with local author, Donald Dowling, while he reads and excerpt from his new book "The Gold of Vanishing Creek: A Western Novel." Copies of the book will be available for purchase.
Yoga with Jen Raines (12:00pm - 12:45pm): Move, breathe, and be connected to nature and the world around us. Learn to use your breath and body to journey inward and quite the mind.
Where have all the Froggies Gone? (1:30pm - 2:30pm): Meet live frogs and other amphibians (native and exotic) with RTPI President Dr. Twan Leenders. Learn about a disease that is killing amphibians and what scientists are doing to try to protect them.

Festival Grounds

Rock Talk (10:00am - 12:00pm): Find retired Jamestown Community College biology professor Tom Erlandson on the trails where he will teach about the geology of Panama Rocks.
Tree Talk (10:00am - 12:00pm): Meet retired Jamestown Community College biology professor Dan Anderson along the trails to learn about the trees and forest ecology at Panama Rocks.
Edible and Medicinal Plant Walk (10:30am - 12:30pm): Herbalist Sarah Sorci will lead a leisurely walk and discussion about a range of native and non-native species. Learn to identify, sustainably harvest, and safely use those that grow abundantly; learn to cultivate or substitute for those that do not. All ages welcome, though info will be presented for adults. Cost is $6/person over age 14. Children are free. Payments to be made to Sarah at start of walk.
Falconry with American Hawkeye (11:00am - 1:00pm & 3:00pm - 5:00pm): Meet live birds of prey, see flight demonstrations, and learn about the ancient art of falconry with American Hawkeye.