Winter bird workshop planned Jan. 7 at Van Meter State Park

MARSHALL, Mo. -- Learn more about the birds you see outside your windows at a winter bird workshop Saturday at Van Meter State Park near Miami, according to a news release.

The workshop is sponsored by Missouri State Parks in cooperation with the Missouri River Bird Observatory and will be held from 1 to 4 p.m. at Missouri's American Indian Cultural Center. The workshop is free and open to the public.

Dana Ripper and Ethan Duke of Missouri River Bird Observatory in Marshall will discuss the winter birds you often see at your feeders and how to identify them by their visual and vocal characteristics.

They will demonstrate bird banding by catching some birds that visit the bird feeders at the park's cultural center. As a take-home project, you will have the opportunity to craft a "fun"ctional bird feeder by reusing a plastic drink bottle.

From October to March, the cultural center is open from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Saturdays and 1 to 5 p.m. on Sundays. The center is closed Monday through Friday.

Van Meter State Park is 12 miles northwest of Marshall on Highway 122. For more information about the event, contact the park at 660-886-7537.

For more information about Missouri State parks and historic sites, visit www.mostateparks.com. Missouri State Parks is a division of the Missouri Department of Natural Resources.