On Saturday, March 4th, the 2017 Nest Box Seminar will be held at Horicon Marsh Education and Visitor Center. Activities start at 8:30 a.m. and will continue until 1:00 p.m. You can learn more about how to properly place and maintain nest boxes, which ones are right for your yard and about the different species of birds you can attract. After programs are finished be sure to check out the Horicon Marsh Explorium: interactive exhibits detailing Horicon Marsh’s rich heritage. Friends of Horicon Marsh Education and Visitor center will have bluebird nest box kits for sale for $12. You can assemble your nest box on site with the help of Friends volunteers or take your kit home to make. This is a great activity for kids of all ages. 9 a.m. Kim Grveles, Avian Ecologist with the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources will talk about how you can make your yard a great stopover point during migration . She will also discuss the plants that will provide food and shelter for birds during spring and fall migrations 10 a.m. Jack Bartholmai, local conservationist and award winning photographer will present a talk about what you might see along a nest box trail. You don’t have to be a diehard nest box monitor to enjoy this talk. A simple appreciation for nature and a willingness to view breath-taking photos are all that you need for this program. 11 a.m. Jeff Bahls, President of the Horicon Marsh Bird Club and board member of the Wood Duck Society, an organization devoted to the nesting and biology of Wood Ducks will talk on Do’s and Don’ts of nest box placement, maintenance and monitoring. Listen to his talk “Making nest boxes Pro“duck”tive, including some new duckling jump videos and photos. Who doesn’t like baby ducks? 12 p.m. Steve Sample Vice-president of the Bluebird Restoration Association of Wisconsin (BRAW) will give a talk on Bluebirds and nest boxes, including best practices methods, site selection and box selection. There will also be displays by the Horicon Marsh Bird Club, Horicon Marsh State Wildlife Area, Bluebird Restoration Association of Wisconsin, Wood Duck Society and others who will have volunteers on hand to answer questions about native cavity nesting birds. The Horicon Marsh Education and Visitor Center is located on Hwy. 28 between the cities of Horicon and Mayville. For more information please call Liz Herzmann at 920-387-7893 or e-mail her at elizabeth.herzmann@wisconsin.gov.