Yellow Rails and Rice Festival to descend on parish

The 10th annual Yellow Rails and Rice Festival (YRARF) will descend on the parish, running from Oct. 31 through Nov. 4.

Designed with fun in mind, organizers say its primary goal is to provide participants with a unique venue to view Yellow Rails while at the same time bringing birders and farmers together to realize the value to birds of the area’s “working wetlands.”

The festival schedule is casual and participants can attend all field days or just come and go at their leisure.

Leaders and facilitators are positioned at field sites and help participants spot birds as well as provide information or answer questions. In addition to visiting rice fields, participants can also explore nearby birding areas, join trips to local points of interest, or venture farther afield to search for specialty birds in other Louisiana habitats, such as the pineywoods or Cameron Parish coast.

Many of the agencies and organizations that study, manage, and protect Louisiana’s birds and habitats assist at the festival, as well as have information booths during the opening reception so that participants can learn more about their activities. A banding workshop is being offered again this year.

Based in Jennings, participants are positioned in the heart of Cajun Country in Louisiana’s SW prairie region, an area known for great birding, local cuisine, and a rich history and culture.

A combined 300 species have been tallied during the festival’s first five years.

“From agricultural areas to fresh water marshes, bottomland hardwoods and scenic cypress-lined bayous and rivers, Jeff Davis Parish offers a great diversity of species,” said Organizer Steven Cardiff.

For more information and a full schedule of events, visit the YRARF 2018 Events Schedule page at http://www.snowyegretenterprises.com/Snowy_Egret_Enterprises/Event_schedule.html.