On Thursday, May 15th, Dr. Robert A. Rice will deliver the keynote presentation at the 2014 Meadowlark Nature Festival.

The keynote presentation involves two topics near and dear to the hearts of many: Birds and Coffee!! There is a lot of evidence that the migratory bird populations in the Okanagan and elsewhere in the world are seriously dwindling. Even the Western Meadowlark, the Festival's own mascot, is in demonstrable decline locally, and throughout Western Canada and North America. What can people do to support the survival of these migratory species of birds? Can something so simple as making sure that the coffee they drink is grown in agricultural systems that support bird life make a difference? Coffee is one of the world's biggest cash crops, it's production values second only to oil. To meet coffee consumption demands, current Coffee growing methods have denuded critical bird habitat around the world, and specifically in Central America, where many local birds migrate to ensure their survival. Dr. Rice comes to the Meadowlark Nature Festival from the Smithsonian Institute in Washington, DC.

The presentation will take place at the Shatford Centre Auditorium at 760 Main St. in Penticton. Doors open at 6:00pm, and the presentation will begin at 7:00pm. Tickets are on sale now - check the Meadowlark Nature Festival website for details using the link below.

More information about the 2014 Meadowlark Nature Festival.