PRESS ROOM

DETROIT, Mich., 

The Belle Isle Nature Center is hosting a free family-friendly Valentine’s celebration on Saturday, Feb. 11, 2017, from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. The Birds and the Bees will feature music, photography, crafts, zookeeper talks and other educational activities.

“This G-rated celebration will show some love for our winged friends that are so important to the environment,” said Amy Greene, curator of education for the Detroit Zoological Society (DZS).

Musical performances by singer, songwriter and earth educator Joe Reilly will complement an art exhibition featuring works by bee photographer Joseph Ferraro as well as students from Dearborn’s Salina Intermediate School. Valentine’s-themed crafts will include “bee mine” cards and heart-shaped birdseed cakes for children to feed to the birds in their own backyards.

“The birdseed cakes can be hung from trees as a Valentine’s gift to the birds,” Greene said.

Guests will have the opportunity to learn more about the Detroit Audubon Society and the U.S. Forest Service, as well as the danger that many windows – especially large ones – pose to birds. Templates for window decals to help protect birds will be available to make and take home.

Citizen science opportunities will include Celebrate Urban Birds, a program developed by the Cornell Lab of Ornithology that helps scientists of all ages identify local birds, collect data, create art and make the earth a little greener.

Zookeeper talks will highlight the courting and nesting behaviors of birds and the life cycle and communicative dance moves of bees. These talks will be held at the nature center’s bird observation window – which allows guests to watch native and migratory birds feed on natural and supplemental food sources – and the observation beehive. Sealed tightly within a double-sided glass case and tunnel, the hive provides bees with year-round access to the outdoors and provides guests an up-close glimpse into their busy daily lives.

A jar of natural honey produced by these bees will be raffled off during the event along with a bird feeder.