Fall/Winter 2010

Blessed with clear waters, a sheltered sand beach and more than 700 acres of natural habitat protected within state parks and preserves, Kelleys Island, Ohio, has long been a vital stop for birds and butterflies migrating across Lake Erie. The annual autumn Feather & Foliage Bird Festival, held this year on September 25, celebrates the island’s Important Birding Area designation with naturalist-led bird hikes, tree identification and bird-banding sessions.

“The Audubon Club always helps out at the Historical Society’s Butterfly Festival,” says Pat Hayes of the Kelleys Island Audubon Club. “We teach the butterfly tagging portion of the day-long activities. Kids, [and] even the adults, love to learn about tracking the Monarch butterflies that migrate from Canada across our island on their way to Mexico.”

The Kelleys Island Kayak Poker Paddle, another popular fall activity, has been attracting adventure seekers from throughout the United States for more than 10 years.

“Lake Erie is very unpredictable and the kayak paddle can be challenging,” Hayes says. “Some years we have had wind and rain but we have not had to cancel.”

“It’s not a race [and] doesn’t reward the most skilled, just the luckiest,” says Lori Hayes of the Kelleys Island Kayak Club. “We have some prizes for the best poker hand from cards collected at each of the five beaches, but the real adventure is making the approximately 17-mile circuit around the island, seeing it from the water.” Though circumnavigation of the island is not an option when there are 6-to-8-foot waves on one side, the organizers always have an alternate course planned.

- State - Ohio

- Type - Outdoor Adventures

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