Natural Bridges Migration Festival

California State Parks invites you to fly, swim, waddle, walk, bike or drive to Natural Bridges State Beach for the annual Migration Festival, a celebration to honor the journey of whales, butterflies, birds and the many creatures that travel.  On Saturday, February 11, from 11:00am to 4:00pm, activities at the park will focus on the science and wonder of migratory animals from creatures that travel far including gray whales and monarch butterflies, to those with an annual journey of less than a mile, like the California newt.

The event features live music by the nature-loving 5M's Band, engaging guest speakers, a chance to learn about migratory animals with community groups hosting a variety of activity stations, active docent-led games for kids, theatrical skits, and hands-on art projects and crafts.  To end the day of migration fun and games, the now-famous free habitat-cake will be served at the conclusion of the event. 

The festival celebrates the many creatures that travel in, through and beyond the Santa Cruz area as they migrate to feeding or breeding grounds as part of their lifecycle.  At Natural Bridges State Park, it’s time to say a fond farewell to the migratory monarch butterflies departing from their winter home in the park’s state designated insect preserve.  Many other creatures are also “on the move.”   Gray whales travel to the warm waters of Baja California far away from their summer home in the Bering Sea, elephant seals come ashore to birth their pups, and soon, swallows will be winging-it along the Pacific Flyway on a return flight from their winter home in South America.  “There’s just so much going on to see, appreciate and celebrate,” notes Elizabeth Hammack, State Park Interpreter III.  The event is educational and interpretive in nature, allowing visitors to gain knowledge and understanding of the animals that travel among our parks and through the Santa Cruz area.   “We hope visitors come away with a spark of curiosity and a desire to learn more about how to protect these species and their habitat,” Hammack adds.

You can purchase an inexpensive picnic which supports education programs at the park or bring your own.  A day use parking pass is $10; the event is free.  Natural Bridges State Beach is located at the end of West Cliff Drive in Santa Cruz.  More information is available by calling (831) 423-4609 or visit us on the web at www.parks.ca.gov.

--Jodi Apelt