Sept. 18 – ALBANY — Southwest Georgians are invited to join in the fun at the Flint RiverQuarium on Sept. 24 from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. for the annual celebration of all creatures big and small at the Water, Wings and Wildlife Festival.
The festival will be the Artesian Alliance’s 13th such event.
Admission to the festival is included with regular Flint RiverQuarium admission. On Saturdays, entry to the Aquarium and Festival is free for all Alliance members (Chehaw, Flint Riverquarium, and Thronateeksa). The schedule of demonstration events and presentations includes:
—9am-3pm (on the hour) — Discover SCUBA
—10:30 am — Native Plant Society talk
—11:30 am — Birds of Prey Show
– 12:30pm – Rattlesnake Conservancy Reptile Presentation
—13:30 — Fly Fishing Talk & Demonstration by Mack Bryson
—2:30 p.m. — Birds of Prey Show
—3:30 pm — Rattlesnake Conservancy reptile presentation.
Those who choose to participate in the Discover SCUBA adventure pay an additional fee of $40. Participants must be over the age of 12 and participants under the age of 18 must be in the presence of a parent/legal guardian. No prior experience with SCUBA diving or equipment is required. Participants must bring their own bathing suit, towels and change of clothes.
All SCUBA diving equipment, wetsuits and fins are provided. Space is limited and pre-paid ticket sales are required. Tickets are $40 and can be purchased online at https://flintriverquarium.regfox.com/discover-scuba-water-wings-and-wildlife-2021.
Participants can wet their fins at the Flint RiverQuarium Blue Hole and gain first-hand experience of all things SCUBA with an introductory course led by Adventure Dive Center staff. At the end of the lesson they will swim with the gentle giants from the RiverQuarium collection, striped bass and Atlantic sturgeon.
Additional speakers will be in attendance throughout the day at the Flint RiverQuarium Plaza, including favorites such as the resident butterfly house, featuring hundreds of butterflies for guests to feed and interact with, and the Georgia Reptile Society. Guests can touch live reptiles and also learn about adopting rescue reptiles.
Other speakers include Flint Riverkeeper with water testing activities, Quail Forever with live quail and conservation education activities, and the Native Plant Society with native plants for sale and information. Monarchs Across Georgia will conduct butterfly education activities and the Albany Audubon Society will provide birding information. The Georgia Department of Natural Resources will be on hand to discuss native wildlife conservation activities.
Arts and crafts for the children are provided by Albany Recreation and Parks and the Artesian Alliance. Mack Bryson will offer fly fishing demonstrations and children’s activities. The SOWEGA beekeepers will also appear again with beekeeping information. “Blow-up” archery is offered in the lobby of the Imagination Theater. Children can shoot at explosive targets indoors with a child-safe bow and arrow.
Food trucks from Street Treats and Mi Casa will be present at the event, or visitors can purchase groceries from local downtown vendors that are open at the time of the event.
The Flint RiverQuarium is southwest Georgia’s premier aquarium with more than 1,000 animals native to the Flint River watershed. The Flint RiverQuarium is located at 101 Pine Ave. in downtown Albany. Regular opening hours are Monday-Sunday, 10 a.m.-5 p.m
