Sunny Lands

Free as a Bird

Sunnylands offers a family day to celebrate the birds of the Rancho Mirage estate.

Site Staff Attractions, Current Digital

Sunny Lands
From November through April, Sunnylands offers a chance to view a variety of birds on the estate.
PHOTOGRAPHS BY TIM LAMEN

Sunnylands Center & Gardens invites the public to a day of free activities, games, and displays Jan. 27 that focus on the array of birds that can be found on the former Annenberg estate.

The event, Family Day: Celebrating the Birds of Sunnylands, takes place from 9:30 a.m. to 2 p.m.  It is inspired by the exhibition now on display at the Center, Flight Plan: The Birds of Sunnylands, which revealed the devotion of Walter and Leonore Annenberg, Sunnylands’ founders, to the study of birds.

The exhibition is a collection of 52 vibrant images of birdlife at Sunnylands by National Geographic photographer Tim Laman.

On Family Day, guests will be entertained by musicians and the bird puppetry of One Grain of Sand Puppet Theater, a collective of artists, performers, and educators who draw on the traditions of puppetry and mask art to convey stories.

Other events and activities include:

Guided bird walks on the hour from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m.

A curator-led walk through the Flight Plan exhibition at 10 a.m. and 1 p.m.

Exploration stations featuring the fascinating qualities of birds, from feathers to talons, beaks and bones.

 sunnylandsbirds

• Origami crane craft tables.

• Making bird masks.

• Toys and games on the Great Lawn.

• Making art with recycled materials.

Sunnylands Center & Garden, 37977 Bob Hope Drive, Rancho Mirage, 760-202-2222; sunnylands.org