Tallahassee Democrat

Tallahassee Democrat

Tallahassee Democrat (FL)

as provided by Knight-Ridder Digital

May 13, 2005

Wildlife Festival offers fun with a charitable purpose

Author: Kati Schardl, DEMOCRAT STAFF WRITER

Page: d22

Article Text:

Smooth jazz, good eats, fine art and charming critters are all on tap for this year's second Tallahassee Wildlife Festival to benefit St. Francis Wildlife Association.

Last year's inaugural one-day fest was such a huge success that St. Francis organizers decided to spread the love over three days for this year's event.

It comes at a crucial time for the wildlife-rescue group. Spring is baby-animal season, which means St. Francis is swamped with little critters. And this year, the onslaught comes when the organization is severely strapped for funds.

"We are a bare-bones operation as it is, and that's a very bad thing right now," St. Francis executive director Jon Johnson said last week. "It's the busiest time of the year."

St. Francis relies on private donations, allocations from city and county government sources and fund-raisers such as this weekend's festival to finance its operations and maintain its 35-acre wildlife preserve and rehabilitation center.

Festival organizers have lined up a tempting array of activities to entice donors to dig into their pockets.

The festivities kick off with the Wild Th! ing Gala at 6:30 p.m. today at City Hall. The gala features gourmet food from eateries such as Kool Beanz, Mozaik, Albert's Provence, Mockingbird Cafe, Kitcho, Barnacle Bill's, Lucy Ho's Oriental Bistro, Andrew's Capital Bar & Grill, Chez Pierre, Karl Mark's, New Leaf, Cabo's, Barnaby's and Starbucks.

There'll be a birds-of-prey program featuring hawks, owls, falcons and even a friendly vulture. Artist James Valentine's photographs of Florida landscapes and wildlife will be featured in a multimedia presentation with music by Velma Frye.

The gala's centerpiece is a performance by jazz-trumpet maestro Ira Sullivan and his stellar ensemble, which includes heralded vibes player Christian Tamburr (a personal favorite of drummer and Florida State University prof Leon Anderson) and bass player Brian Hall. Sullivan is an old friend of St. Francis education director Sandy Beck and volunteered his services. He also performs Saturday night at Chez Pierre (see Roundup o! n Page 13 for more).

The wildlife festival sets up for Wildlife Art in the Park from 8 a.m. to 2 p.m. Saturday at the Downtown MarketPlace in Ponce de Leon Park. Writers Susan Cerulean ("Tracking Desire") and June Wiaz ("Green Empire") will be there, as will such wildlife artists as Dawn Peffer, George Weymouth, James Valentine, Thomas Eads, Barbara Doremus, Robin Rogers and more.

St. Francis will bring some of its animal ambassadors. The Tallahassee Museum will be there with some of its critters, and Gulf Specimen Marine Lab will have a touch tank set up.

Have an up-close-and-personal nature experience at one of the Take a Walk on the Wild Side field trips and tours on Sunday. Options include canoeing with manatees on the Wakulla River, hiking the bluebird trail at Birdsong Nature Center, photographing wolves at the Tallahassee Museum and banding endangered red-cockaded woodpecker babies in the Apalachicola National Forest. Advance registration is required.

IF YOU GO

What: Second Annual

Tallahassee Wildlife! Festival

When: Today through Sunday

Where: Gala today at City Hall; Saturday's Art in the Park at the Downtown MarketPlace; Sunday field trips and tours at various locations

Cost: $45 at the door for the gala; $20 to $25 for field trips

Phone: 528-0823