April 15 is a big day at the Mono Lake Committee—it’s both tax day and also “Chautauqua day.” Every year on April 15 registration for the Mono Basin Bird Chautauqua begins at 6:30am sharp, and it’s always an exciting morning.
As the birding festival continues to grow in popularity, even 14 years in, many field trips fill within minutes of registration opening. It helps to have your field trip and program choices prioritized for registration day. You can see the complete schedule online now, and more updates will follow as we get closer to registration day.
I couldn’t find the cost of registration on the site for the Chautauqua. Could you tell me what that is? Also, if my desire is to camp, are there places I should reserve? Or are most sites in the area “first come, first served?” Thank you
I also was seeking info on registration costs….thanks!
Have you scheduled anything along Rush Creek like bird-banding. I once attended that event and would like to be near the water again. If not what do you have along the shoreline of Mono Lake?
Hi Joan,
There are three different registration levels: $90 for up to three events, $115 for up to five events, and $145 for unlimited events. Students get unlimited events for $50, and kids age 12 and under are free. You can see more details here: http://www.birdchautauqua.org/registration15.htm
There are quite a few campgrounds in the Mono Basin, but only two of them accept reservations, while the rest are first-come, first-served. This map shows all Mono Basin campgrounds and indicates the reserveable sites: http://www.leevining.com/campingmonobasin.pdf
I hope that helps…. Call us at (760) 647-6595 if you need more information!
Hi Ryan,
Here are registration costs for the Chautauqua…. $90 for up to three events, $115 for up to five events, and $145 for unlimited events. Students get unlimited events for $50, and kids age 12 and under are free. You can see more details here: http://www.birdchautauqua.org/registration15.htm
Hi Judith,
We don’t have any events that will be along Rush Creek the whole time this year. If you’re looking for events near water I would recommend the “Aqueduct Tour” on Saturday morning. However, it’s about the Mono Basin’s water management, not birds.
For events along the shore of Mono Lake I would recommend “Fields’ guide to Osprey” on Saturday afternoon or Sunday morning, and “South Tufa for Chautauquans” on Sunday morning.
Watch for descriptions for all the events on the website this weekend, and let us know if you have more questions! (760) 647-6595.