2027 Silver Celebration Field Trips & Presentations

A Typical Day... 

6am hot breakfast at Burnwood. Tune your ears by the morning chorus on the rim of the New River Gorge while we fuel our bodies. Transport yourself to/from Burnwood; breakfast and field trip transportation are waiting.
6:15-7am field trips depart. Anticipation abounds; there's excitement in the air. Hosts and drivers direct you to your bus. After a final gear check and a pit stop in the facilities, we head out into the wild and wonderful. 
11am-12pm picnic-style lunch. Famished, already! Appetite is a stealthy little bugger when you're birding. Lunch is provided picnic-style (usually) in the field.
2-5pm field trips return to Burnwood. Kick back or nod off on the ride back while we tally birds. The afternoon is yours... nap, bird, explore, etc. Trip return times vary.
4pm presentation. Come together again at Opossum Creek Retreat, for a casual, hour-long presentation. Grab fresh popcorn and a drink from the kitchen, find a seat in the Great Room, and enjoy the chat.
5pm appetizers and refreshments. Time to swap stories and share adventures with someone next to you. Don't be shy - pull up a chair or step into conversation circles. Or, be shy. All kinds are welcome here. A variety of drinks and snacks are provided, from tea in the kitchen, to wine in the Great Room, and craft beer on tap on the porch, and of course, you're always welcome to bring your personal favorites.
6pm dinner. A feast of yum prepared by a gourmet chef - whatever is presented will be incredible! Just before we help ourselves, Chef will describe the full spread. Take a seat at a table in the Great Room, on the porch, at a picnic table, or under the tent. Don't worry, there will be a call for seconds. 
7pm presentation. The daily finale. We may bustle about to move tables aside to make space for chairs, and you'll find additional outdoor tent seating with broadcast screens. Find a seat and keep your dessert and drink. You'll be heading for the pillows in about 90 minutes.

Scroll On or Jump Ahead...

Check-in

Lodging:

Check-in the afternoon before your first trip. Check-out the morning after your last trip. If you selected lodging on your registration, your reservation is made for you. Additional details are provided in April, and you may contact the lodging provider. 

Festival:

If your first field trip is -  
Monday - meet Sunday at Burnwood for a casual cookout welcome, from 6 PM to 8 PM. 
Thursday Birding by Butt - meet at Opossum Creek Retreat. Coffee is on at 6 AM, breakfast at 8 AM, outings begin at 9 AM.
Thursday (Sugar Cr, Fayette St, *Cranberry, **Historic Ex) - meet at Burnwood. Breakfast starts at 6 AM; trips depart by 7 AM.
*Cranberry breakfast is waiting on the bus at 6 AM and departs as quickly as possible.
**Historic Excursions have a 7 AM hot buffet breakfast at Burnwood and trips depart by 8 AM.

Items provided upon check-in include a bird checklist, personal itinerary, name tag, and t-shirt.

Breakfast

Early Bird Breakfast Guide

Cranberry trips have breakfast on the bus at 6 AM; it's waiting for you there - go straight to the bus for early departure.
Birding by Butt at the Meadows at Opossum Creek Retreat has coffee on at 6 AM and breakfast at 8 AM. 
Historic Excursions have a 7 AM hot buffet breakfast at Burnwood.
Other trips begin at 6 AM hot buffet breakfast at Burnwood.

Trip Times

Morning Roll-Out & Return

Field trip transportation is provided. Trips depart from Brunwood between 6:05 and 7 AM. Exceptions: Birding by Butt and Historic Excursions. 
Cranberry: trips depart at 6:05 AM or as quickly as possible, with bagged breakfast waiting for you on the bus; trips return by 5 PM.
Birding by Butt: you roll in to the Meadows at Opossum Creek Retreat when you're ready - coffee is on at 6 AM, breakfast at 8 AM, outings begin at 9 AM; ends with lunch at noon.
Other trips depart from Brunwood by 7 AM and return by 2 PM.
Historic Excursions depart Burnwood at 8 AM and return after lunch, around noon.

We tip the drivers at the end of each day, so you don't have to.

Go to Trips for field trip details.

Afternoons are your own! Enjoy napping, birding or exploring on your own. Go for a scenic drive around Park areas or around Fayette County. Explore the National Park. Plan ahead for an activity like Bridge Walk or Canopy Tour. Explore the shops in Fayetteville and Oak Hill.

Daily Field Trips

Overview of Expeditions

Field trips are offered as indicated. Select one trip each day as you build your daily itinerary upon registration. Field trip selections apply to all individuals in your party registration. If members of your party want different field trips, they must use a separate registration. After a trip is full, it cannot be selected on the registration form. When only one trip remains available, it's preselected. Trips fill on a first-come basis and are handled individually, manually by Rachel. Occasionally, an influx of registrations cause trips fill faster than updates can occur, and adjustments are individually communicated. 
Go to Trip Descriptions for field trip details.

Lunch

Birding Picnics

Lunch is provided on field trips, picnic style, prepared by the respective outdoor adventure center that owns the bus: Adventures on the Gorge or ACE Adventure Resort. Historical Excursions stop for lunch at a local restaurant (we cover the bill). Bring your own favorites or special dietary needs.

4pm Speakers

Popcorn Presentation

Casual afternoon presentations start at 4 PM and last approximately 45-60 minutes, in the Meadows at Opossum Creek Retreat.  
Mo.  Rachel Davis: topic TBD
Tu.   
We. Jodi French-Burr: New River Gorge Botany
Th.  Bill Hilton, Jr: bird banding
Fr.   Daniel Rubianto: topic TBD
Sa.  Guide Panel

5pm Refreshments & Appetizers

Sips & Snacks

A variety of drinks and snacks are provided, from tea and lemonade in the kitchen, to wine in the Great Room, to craft brews on tap on the porch. You're always welcome to bring your own favorites or dietary needs.

Dinner

Five-Star Food, Field Casual

6 PM, Monday through Saturday in the Meadows at Opossum Creek Retreat, dine gourmet in casual company. Chef will describe the full spread then we'll take table-turns to line up, buffet style. There are always seconds, and save room for dessert! Find your favorite seat in the great room, on the porch, at a picnic table, or under the tent.

7 PM Presentations

Keynote Speakers

Evening Presentations start at 7 PM, last approximately 60-90 minutes, and include outdoor broadcast viewing areas. 
Mo. Elizabeth Byers
Tu.  Mark Garland
We. Katie Fallon & Ambassadors of the ACCA
Th. Dr. Tom Pauley: Amphibians & Reptiles of New River Gorge and WV
Fr.  Tom Stephenson
Sa. Farewell Party starts with acoustic music at 5:30 PM and pizza at 6 PM!

Please be forgiving as the speaker line-up may change due to unforeseen personal schedule changes and technical difficulties. Field trip times and routes are approximate and may vary due to accessibility, bird movement, weather or road conditions, and other unpredictable variables.

Farewell Pizza Party

The Closing Birder Chorus

Saturday afternoon at Opossum Creek Retreat, let us treat you to one more Appalachian spring evening, with snacks and beverages. 5:30 PM starts live acoustic music by local legend Ken Kruger. 6 PM, pizza arrives! A celebration of the week behind us and things to come. Some will say heartfelt goodbyes. Some will sing along. Some will sit quietly to soak in every last bit of the week. Some will fall asleep in their seats!

"Appalachian music has deep roots in the British Isles, particularly in the North of England, the Scottish Lowlands, and Gaelic-speaking regions of Ireland and Scotland. Early settlers brought these musical traditions to the Appalachian Mountains, where they blended with other influences to create a unique and vibrant style. Appalachian ballads are often based on historical events or legends. These ballads were passed down through generations, evolving over time.
In the late 19th and early 20th centuries, new instruments like the guitar, mandolin, and autoharp gained popularity in Appalachia, thanks to mail-order catalogs. These instruments were incorporated into string bands, alongside traditional instruments like the banjo and fiddle. Appalachian musicians also developed unique instruments to add rhythm and bass to their music. Hambone (originated from enslaved Africans), a form of body music that involves using the body as a drum set, was incorporated for rhythm. Spoons and washboards for percussion, while the washtub bass, often made from a metal wash tub, a stick and strings, provided a bassline.
Appalachian music has often been a powerful tool for social commentary with ballads and songs about the hardships of life in the coal mines, such as "Sixteen Tons," giving voice to the working class and helping shape the region's cultural identity.
Growing up Appalachian, these are the sounds I heard at family gatherings and, most wonderfully, on summer nights on the ridge where my parents were born. Music rose up from unseen front porches all around the community on the mountain, usually starting with someone picking a guitar or banjo, or a harmonica, then other instruments joined in 3-D sound." - Rachel Davis.