Strawberry Wildlife Festival — Sept. 12, 13, 14

STRAWBERRY RESERVOIR — The public is invited to view thousands of fluorescent orange kokanee salmon and celebrate the abundant wildlife of the Strawberry Valley from Sept. 12 – 14 at the Third Annual Strawberry Valley Wildlife Festival.

Activities will be held at the Daniel Summit Lodge (located east of Heber City along Highway 40) and at the Strawberry Reservoir Visitor Center (salmon viewing will take place here). Bring the family and enjoy the gorgeous fall colors, view the kokanee salmon along the Strawberry River boardwalk, listen to presentations by wildlife experts, view or even purchase wildlife art and crafts, visit many booths and displays, go on nature hikes, enjoy Kayla's Crawdad Cuisine or Daniel's Summit Barbecue, listen to live country western music (Friday and Saturday evenings), and participate in many other activities, all of which are free of charge.

"The goal of the family-oriented festival is to not only celebrate the wildlife of the area, but to promote ecosystem health and teach appropriate resource uses in the Strawberry Valley," said Scott Root, regional conservation outreach manager for the Division of Wildlife Resources.

Many booths will promote conservation, safety and responsibility. Booths include Tracy Aviary (bird demonstrations), mountain biking and snowmobiling safety tips, fly tying and fly casting demonstrations, wildlife art and crafts, free bird feeders and bird houses, Olympic biathlon portable shooting range, and conservation displays from the DWR, the U.S. Forest Service (fire safety), the Utah Division of Water Resources and several other organizations.

Free kokanee salmon posters and many other items will be available from some of the vendors. The "Friends of Strawberry Valley " organization will hold a raffle to raise money for conservation projects in the valley. Some of the prizes that have been donated include overnight stays at the Daniels Summit Lodge, Inn on the Creek and the Blue Boar Inn; a guided fishing trip on Strawberry Reservoir; a Sage fly rod; a fleece fishing vest; gift certificates; and many others.

Schedule of events

Friday, Sept. 12

3:00 p.m. — Mountain bike safety tips
4:00 p.m. — Tracy Aviary
5:00 p.m. — Molly Waters: Xeriscaping & water conservation tips
6:00 – 8:00 p.m. — Wildlife photography tips and techniques (with slide show): Lynn Chamberlain, professional photographer and DWR Conservation Outreach Manager

Saturday, Sept. 13

9:00 a.m. — U.S. Coast Guard: Boat safety checks
10:00 a.m. — Nature/birding walk with Jeff Waters, USFS (at visitor center), Fly casting for kids
11:00 a.m. — Tracy Aviary bird demonstration
Noon — Fly casting demonstration: Jim Gunderson
3:00 p.m. — Strawberry Reservoir management & future of the fishery: Roger Wilson
4:00 p.m. — Tracy Aviary bird demonstration
5:00 p.m. — Snowmobile safety tips
6:00 p.m. — History of the Strawberry Valley: Charmaine Thompson, USFS
7:00 p.m. — Strawberry fishing techniques: Danny Potts, expert angler, Salt Lake County Fish & Game

Festival attractions

The Gift Hand
Cookie Lee Jewelry
Boy Scouts Leave No Trace demo camp
Gary Gabbitas — test the water "fish carvings"
Utah Division of Wildlife Resources — animal tracks, bird calls wildlife landscaping
Daniels Summit barbecue
Utah Division of Water Resources — Water conservation strategies
Smokey Bear and Fire Prevention Program
Uinta Mountains Search and Rescue — survival techniques
Live music (Friday & Saturday evenings)
Kayla's Crawdad Cuisine
Tracy Aviary — live birds
Building bird houses and feeders with kids
Olympic biathlon portable shooting range
Trivia treasure hunt for kids with prizes
Watch thousands of kokanee salmon run up the Strawberry River