Visit Bluff Country

A guide to Historic Bluff Country

Houston

International Festival of Owls

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Have you ever been interested in the lives of owls? The International Festival of Owls in Houston is the place to be! There will be speakers that will come with live owls and teach you about their feeding habits, habitat, nesting, and more. The International Festival of Owls will run from March 1-3, 2019, and there will be activities taking place all three days.

At the festival, some events will include: programs, art, fun things for the kids, and different projects that you can do with your family. Artists will come and create things dedicated to owls. Experts will come to teach you about the owls. All food and crafts will be related to owls in some way. There will be breakfast, lunch, and dinner at the event. Come enjoy the show, and the owls!

For more information, visit https://www.festivalofowls.com.

Rattlesnake Jubilee

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Saturday, September 15, 9:30 – 4:00 at the Houston Community Center in Houston, Minn.

Just like it is important to look both ways before crossing a busy street, when you live in the bluffs of southeast Minnesota it is important to know rattlesnake safety and what to do if an issue arises. The Rattlesnake Jubilee is an event designed to increase education and decrease fear around snakes, especially timber rattlesnakes.

For instance, did you know that only 1 person every 5-6 years dies from a timber rattlesnake bite in the United States, while dogs kill roughly 20-30 people _per year_ and lightning kills an average of 49 people _per year_ in the U.S?

Dr. Dan Keyler, an international expert in venomous snakebites and rattlesnake researcher, will be the featured speaker. He will discuss the life history and habitat of timber rattlesnakes as well as what to do if bitten. Local resident Marty Ambuehl will share his story of what it was like to be bitten by a rattlesnake several years ago. Stephen Winter will give a presentation about the volunteer rattlesnake responder program in the region, so you know you have someone to call if a rattlesnake shows up in a location that poses a safety concern.

Jim Gerholdt will be giving two live snake presentations, so you can learn to identify timber rattlesnakes as well as the local non-venomous snakes. Pre-registration is required for a very special field trip to view wild rattlesnakes on private property with Minnesota DNR personnel and other experts. Throw in people selling books, snake-themed cookies and snacks, T-shirts; free snake crafts for kids, and it will be a very fun and educational event for all ages.

Cost to attend the event is $7 for adults, $4 for ages 4-15, and free for ages 3 and under and members of the Friends of the Houston Nature Center. The field trip by bus is $15/person if registered by Sept. 7, $20 after that date, and is limited to only 20 participants.

For more information or to register for the field trip, visit www.houstonnaturecenter.com. Sponsored by the Friends of the Houston Nature Center and Minnesota Department of Natural Resources.