Here is your chance to see a hummingbird up close. Join master hummingbird bander Sarah Driver to learn more about these amazing and beautiful birds on Saturday, May 11, at Dothan Area Botanical Gardens as she will attempt to capture and band local hummingbirds.
The program will begin at 10 a.m. in the Walden Farmhouse. Registration is necessary and the cost is $10 for the general public or $5 for garden members. Spaces are limited. Visit www.dabg.com to pre-register.
The May 11 program will be held during the Gardens’ annual celebration of National Public Gardens Day and the Garden will offer free admission that day to the grounds and will include lots of booths and displays featuring gardening ideas and hands-on activities for the kids.
An additional hummingbird program will be offered that day at 1 p.m. Admission tickets to the “Wings of Wonder” Butterfly House are $3 each and can be purchased at the admission desk in the Botanical Center.
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Driver has been banding hummingbirds for more than 35 years and learned the trade from her great uncle, James Johnson, a master bander. Banding hummingbirds is a true skill because the birds legs are so tiny. There are less than 200 licensed hummingbird banders in the entire United States. Driver and her husband are new residents of Dothan.
Although 14 different species of hummingbird have been spotted in Alabama, the ruby-throated hummingbird is the most common. Hummingbirds generally migrate to Central America during the winter, but some do not. Their wingbeat is an amazing 20 to 80 beats per second and their flying abilities are well- known. Hummingbirds can fly backwards, forward, straight up or straight down, and even backwards. During their daily activity, hummingbirds burn a tremendous amount of calories and usually feed about four or five times an hour.
Driver will return each month through September to present additional hummingbird banding programs. Other program dates are June 8, July 13, Aug. 10, and Sept. 14. All programs begin at 10 a.m and pre-registration is necessary.
The Dothan Area Botanical Gardens includes over 20 different “pocket gardens” including a daylily garden, hydrangea garden, Asian garden, herb garden, demonstration garden and more. Other features of the 46-acre garden include “Wings of Wonder” Butterfly House, a wedding garden, gazebo, picnic pavilion, children’s playground and the 8,000 square-foot Ralph & Carolyn Smith Botanical Center.
The Dothan Area Botanical Gardens is located at 5130 Headland Ave. in Dothan. The pet-friendly (must be on a leash) facility is open from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. Butterfly House hours are 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.
For more information, please contact the garden office at (334) 793-3224 or visit www.dabg.com.