The Montezuma Wildlife Refuge's new Audubon Center will welcome everyone who wants to learn more about the refuge's winged residents.

On Saturday morning, the center will celebrate its grand opening concurrently with Montezuma's first Wildlife Festival. Attendees of both events can begin to acquaint themselves with the 50,000 acres of wildlife on the refuge.

Event organizers expect to host at least 500 at the refuge that morning, but they are preparing for more than 1,000 guests.

“We want to make sure we can have as many folks as possible to celebrate wildlife,” said Frank Moses, director of the Montezuma Audubon Center.

The 5,200-square-foot Audubon facility - one of less than 10 in the state - includes an auditorium, classroom, exhibit hall and nature store. Audubon New York, the State Department of Environmental Conservation and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service will join together with other conservation groups to host educational programs within its walls.

The center sits on a 200-acre parcel of land crossed by trails and two ponds, one of which is overlooked by an observation platform. From the platform one can see the many waterfowl attracted to the pond, such as great blue herons, Eurasian wigeons and ring-necked ducks.

The center was officially completed with a ribbon-cutting ceremony in November, but the grand opening was delayed until now due to the surge in seasonal bird traffic.

“It's a great season for birding and to celebrate the migration of many different birds,” Moses said. “This area is a huge stopover point for about 100,000 birds.”

The center itself will not house birds. Some Audubon centers double as sanctuaries where endangered birds are rehabilitated or retired from their habitat, but the Montezuma center will only serve as a gateway to watching them in that habitat.

“The point of the center is connecting people with nature,” Moses said.

The center is still working toward obtaining silver certification as an energy-efficient green building by the U.S. Green Building Council. But by Saturday, it will begin to welcome bird-watchers during regular weekly hours.

The Wildlife Festival will celebrate not only birds, but every other organism that calls the refuge home. Anyone with a canoe or kayak can come to the refuge early in the morning for a journey through its modest waterways.

Montezuma expects the festival to attract nature-lovers, whom state Sen. Michael Nozzolio and U.S. Rep. Jim Walsh, R-Syracuse, will address during an opening ceremony.

Festival-goers can explore the Montezuma Refuge through presentations on different birds of prey scheduled during the day. They can also see the refuge's wildlife community firsthand on nature walks every hour that highlight the residents of each environment, from the reptiles in the ponds to the insects in the woods.

Exhibits from conservation groups like Ducks Unlimited and Pheasants Forever will be featured alongside food vendors, live music and sportsman stations with outdoor gear for hikers and bikers. After enjoying the wildlife at the Montezuma Refuge, attendees can walk away with everything they need to experience nature on their own.

Staff writer David Wilcox can be reached at 253-5311 ext. 245 or david.wilcox@lee.net

If you go

What: Grand opening of Montezuma Audubon Center

When: 11 a.m.

Saturday

Where: 2295 Route 89, Savannah

Cost: Free

For details: Call

365-3580