Community Watershed Celebration & Bird Festival Recap

On Saturday, September 20, 2025, from 10 AM to 1 PM, nearly 200 community members joined us at the Community Watershed Celebration & Bird Festival—and what a perfect day it was! With blue skies, cool air, and plenty of feathered friends, the event brought together families, bird enthusiasts, and nature lovers of all ages.

The University of Minnesota Raptor Center wowed the crowd with up-close encounters with a Bald Eagle, American Kestrel, and Great Horned Owl. These awe-inspiring raptors gave everyone a chance to connect with Minnesota’s wildlife in a powerful way.

Visitors explored Bird City Stillwater and Sustainable Stillwater MN’s displays, which highlighted simple, meaningful actions people can take to protect birds:

• Window collision prevention demonstrations and materials.

• Reducing light pollution in our homes and neighborhoods.

• Native plant gardening, with a hands-on “root board” that showed just how deep prairie plant roots grow—kids and adults loved it!

• Free native seed packets to help people get started in their own yards.

• Bird-friendly coffee sampling, which supports shade-grown farming practices that protect vital habitats for migrating birds.

• Tips on keeping cats safe indoors (and keeping birds safe in return!).

This year’s World Migratory Bird Day theme, “Shared Spaces: Creating Bird-Friendly Cities and Communities,” tied everything together beautifully.

One of the day’s biggest highlights was the bird costume contest, with about 25 participants dressed as everything from loons to bluebirds to eagles. With categories for both kids and adults, participants took home ribbons, cupcakes, and bird-themed prizes—including high-quality bird feeders, paint-your-own birdhouses, and bird song ID books.

Local artist Jane Dierberger’s giant Sandhill Crane nest display added an incredible artistic touch that drew admiration throughout the event.

Children enjoyed plenty of interactive activities, while adults connected with exhibitors like:

• Brown’s Creek Watershed District (BCWD)

• St. Croix Valley Bird Club

• Sally Manzara Nature Center

• Synergy Club with their Bird SongConnect Project, which gave away two Haikubox bird recording devices (a $300 value each!).

Of course, no celebration is complete without a treat—so guests also enjoyed ice cream giveaways.

Judges for the costume contest included Ann from Bird City/Sustainable Stillwater MN, Councilmember Larry Odebrecht, and Hannah Peterson from BCWD. Together, they helped keep the day lighthearted and fun while celebrating the creativity of our community. The event showcased not only the diverse birdlife of Minnesota—from bald eagles and ospreys to chickadees and loons—but also the power of community partnerships.

While festivals like this remind us of the beauty and resilience of birds, they also highlight what’s at stake. Climate change is one of the greatest threats facing bird populations today. Rising temperatures, shifting seasons, and extreme weather events disrupt migration patterns, reduce available habitat, and alter food supplies. Species like the loon and the golden-winged warbler—icons of Minnesota’s landscape—are already facing challenges tied to a changing climate.

The good news? Local actions make a difference. By planting native species, reducing energy use, supporting renewable energy, and protecting habitats, our community can play a direct role in helping birds adapt and thrive. Together, we can ensure that future generations still experience the wonder of birds in our skies and neighborhoods.

Thank you to everyone who attended, volunteered, and contributed to making the day such a success. Together, we’re building a bird-friendly and resilient Stillwater.