Did you know we have a wetlands on the Southside of San Antonio? Mitchell Lake Audubon Center is located at 10750 Pleasanton Rd, San Antonio, TX 78221 on a 1200-acre natural area. This unique and beautiful bird haven consists of the 600-acre Mitchell Lake, 215 acres of wetlands and ponds and 385 acres of upland habitat.
The Southside located wetland habitat is one of the last critical stopover grounds before the Texas Coast, where 98.5% of long-distance migratory bird species in the US pass through, many which are about to fly for hours or days over open ocean. Not only are they one of the best spots for birding in San Antonio, they also open our doors to more than 4,000 students annually for outdoor science and conservation education, which most students do not get in traditional schooling.
Image by Justin Moore
Now you can celebrate our migratory bird by attending the Migratory Bird Fest. Mitchell Lake Audubon Center is excited to bring back the in-person fest as we celebrate spring migration and World Migratory Bird Day with this three-week event. This year, Mitchell Lake kicked-off the celebration on April 23 with a Community Open House and free entry day, complete with story time and Beginner Bird Walk. It is followed by three weeks of virtual and in-person workshops, guest lectures, bird tours, and contests. The event concludes on Saturday, May 14 with a free community festival filled with live birds and animals, games, crafts, vendors, native plant sales, food trucks, pollinator walks and exploration stations.
Image by Rob Michaelson
“Our mission to connect people to nature is more important now than ever before,” said Center Director, Sara Pruneda Beesley, “San Antonio is a city on the rise, and spending time outdoors—in our natural green spaces—keeps people connected to something bigger. Migratory Bird Fest and World Migratory Bird Day is an opportunity to explore the outdoors, and learn about how to be a sustainable, bird-friendly community through everyday actions, and – of course – birds.” Migratory Bird Fest is presented in partnership with Bexar Audubon Society and is included in San
Antonio’s certification as a Bird City Texas. All proceeds from this event support our mission to connect people to nature and protect the places birds -and humans -need, today and tomorrow. We are able to keep our community festival and select programs free to the public with support from: San Antonio River Authority, H-E-B, SouthStar Communities, Bexar Audubon Society, San Antonio Audubon Society, and the City of San Antonio – Office of Sustainability
For more information on how you can support the event or become a vendor at the festival on May 14, please visit the event webpage.
