2026 Spring Bluebird Festival
Saturday, March 28, 2026
9:00 AM to 4:45 PM
Morris Lawrence Building at Washtenaw Community College
Ann Arbor, Michigan
The Michigan Bluebird Society is proud and pleased to announce the 2026 Spring Bluebird Festival. This annual all day event will be a day of fun and education with the focus on Eastern Bluebirds and other cavity-nesting birds in the state of Michigan. We will be returning to the Morris Lawrence Building at Washtenaw Community College in Ann Arbor for this event. The event is geared toward any individual, family or group who is interested in learning how to use nest boxes, feeders, plantings and land management to encourage nesting birds such as Bluebirds. Start off your nesting season on the right path by attending this fun, educational and informational event. Just a few things you can expect at the festival are:
• Informative programs on bluebirds and other native birds
• A Bluebird Expert Panel Discussion - Get all of your Bluebird questions answered
• A Bluebird/Nature Expo - filled with educational exhibits, local environmental groups, and vendors where you can learn things like how to use native plantings to attract more birds and other wildlife
• The MBS Store where you can purchase nest boxes, hardware, and other things you need to attract nesting bluebirds
• Talk to experienced Bluebirders one-on-one
• Exciting Prize Drawings and More!
• New in 2026 - We will have 3 "Chirp & Chat" Sessions each discussing a different subject giving you vital information for being a bluebird landlord
If you have an interest in attracting bluebirds and other beautiful native songbirds with nest boxes, feeders, water, and plantings, this is THE event you want to attend!
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Cost to Attend: General admission is FREE! Parking is FREE! Lunch will be offered at a cost of $22. Details are being worked on and will be posted here. Lunch orders will need to be placed by 3-18-2025. See below to order.
Location: Morris Lawrence Building 4800 E Huron River Dr, Ann Arbor, MI Website: Morris Lawrence Building
FESTIVAL AGENDA
Saturday
9:00-9:45 AM – Registration, Meet and Greet, Coffee or Tea - Chat with old friends, meet new blue birders, visit the MBS Store and/or The Bluebird/Nature Expo, enjoy a cup of coffee or tea.
9:45-10:15 AM - Chirp & Chat Session 1 -This session will focus on how to set up a conduit/rebar mounting system with a baffle. (Questions will be taken as time permits.)
10:15-10:45 AM - Chirp & Chat Session 2 - This session will focus on how to properly monitor nest boxes and why monitoring is so important. (Questions will be taken as time permits.)
10:45-11:00 AM - BREAK - Stretch your legs, visit the Bluebird/Nature Expo and the MBS Store
11:00 AM-12:00 PM - Gonna Find Me A Bluebird by guest speaker Al Batt - Writer, speaker, story teller and humorist. Al writes humor and nature columns for many newspapers and does regular radio shows about nature.
12:00-1:00 PM - Lunch - If you purchased lunch in advance, join us for lunch. Or leave the building and purchase lunch from one of the many establishments in the area. Also another chnace to visit the Bluebird/Nature Expo and the MBS store
1:00-2:15 PM - Have You Ever Wondered? What I've Learned in 40 Years of Bluebirding by guest speaker Julie Zickerfoose - Artist, writer, and Advising Editor of BWD Magazine. Odd, arcane, and occasionally astonishing, this session is for those who faithfully monitor and manage nestboxes for bluebirds. Julie has learned much of what she knows about bluebirds by doing experiments, and by doing things wrong, before she figures out the right way to do them.
2:15-2:30 PM –BREAK - Stretch your legs, visit the Bluebird/Nature Expo, MBS Store, exhibitors and informational displays
2:30-3:00 PM - Chirp & Chat Session 3 - Our final Chirp & Chat Session will discuss how to control House Sparrows and why House Sparrow control is vital for successful bluebird nesting and survival. (Questions will be taken as time permits.)
3:00--3:15 PM –BREAK - Stretch your legs, visit the Bluebird/Nature Expo, MBS Store, exhibitors and informational displays
3:15-3:45 PM - Annual MBS Business Meeting & Election of Officers - President Gail Chapman presiding
3:45-4:45 PM - The Bluebird Question and Answer Session - Get the answers to your Bluebird (and other cavity-nesting birds) questions. Join our panel of experts for this popular and informative question and answer session.
4:45 PM - Adjourn - Have a safe trip home!
Lunch Choices: A description of the lunch choices can be found here. The cost for each is $22.00. If you miss the deadline for ordering a lunch, a limited number of lunches will be available to purchase on the day of the festival.
Order Online (preferred): Registration and payment is required for anyone who wants to join us for lunch. You can register for lunch and pay with a credit or debit card using our secure PayPal shopping cart (a PayPal account is not required). Register and pay for lunch by choosing the sandwich you want and then clicking on the Add tio Cart button below. If you wish to order more than one sandwich, repeat the process before checking out. Order online no later than 5:00 PM on March 18th.
Mail In: Click here to download and print our registration form. Please mail your completed form and payment to Michigan Bluebird Society, PO Box 254, Okemos MI 48805. Form must be postmarked no later than March 10, 2026.. If you cannot print the form, please include a note with lunch selection(s) and your contact information. Be sure to include the name(s) of the people you are reserving lunch for and their menu choices.
By Phone: Call Gail Chapman at 269-469-0861. If you get her voicemail please leave your name and contact information so she can return your call.
Registration Deadlines: Mail in registrations must be postmarked no later than 3/10/2026. The deadline to reserve a lunch by phone or online is March 18, 2026 at 5:00 PM.
Directions to the Morris Lawrence Building -
For directions to the Morris Lawrence Building check here -->: Directions to the Morris Lawrence Building
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