Halloween Fest And Haunted House Hikes At Bird Sactuary

Mummy wrapping contest at Halloween Fest coming Oct 18, 2008 The Garden City Bird Sanctuary's Halloween Festival and Haunted Hike is scheduled for Saturday October 18 from 4-9pm. (The rain date is Sunday October 19, also from 4 to 9pm) Come and enjoy a fun, educational, and 'scary' time from 4-6 pm with games, crafts, pumpkin decorating, potato sack races, and a Halloween costume contest. Decorate a re-usable grocery shopping bag, win prizes for games and contests. Come and enjoy the autumn afternoon. Refreshments are available through "Marty's Eagle Rest-stop", so come and buy a cup of hot chocolate or coffee, a hot dog, or cupcake, and enjoy the show. The main gate to the Garden City Bird Sanctuary is located opposite 181 Tanners Pond Road. The Town of Hempstead is generously providing lighting for the meadow for the evening.

Individual tickets for the Halloween Fest and Haunted Hike are $10 each. Groups of 8 or more can purchase advance discount tickets at $7 each by October 10. Tickets are on sale NOW. All proceeds are used to maintain the community bird sanctuary and nature preserve, and with an outstanding bill of nearly $4,000 for irrigation costs, your donations are urgently needed. To order tickets, call 326-1720 or e-mail gcbirdsanctuary@gmail.com.

Beware of Toxic Spills during the Haunted Hike At 6:30pm, as it gets dark, the evening haunted hikes begin. Prepare to be "scared" as your group goes on an escorted hike on the trails around the Bird Sanctuary, encountering ghosts, witches and wizards as well as environmental and social threats and dangers. Be careful if you're offered a glass of water by one of the witches. Is it really safe to drink? What's that strange vine strangling the last hiker in the group in front of you? Don't panic if a clean-up crew is present trying to clean up a toxic and hazardous waste spill!. Beware of the "undead" teens on the side of the trail who didn't think that drinking and driving would be a problem! It might even get warm on your hike as you learn to understand the problem of global warming! Don't get stomped by a giant Carbon Footprint!

Watch out for the spider webs, but come and enjoy! The escorted hikes are age appropriate (so little hikers don't get toooo scared), and each hike is anticipated to last about 30 minutes. The Halloween Fest and Haunted Hike is being planned with the help of Garden City High School HOPE club and Adelphi University with their Environmental Action Coalition and Freshmen Community Action Program students and community volunteers. Chaminade High School Emmaus and CW Post students have already had volunteer days to clear the trails for the program. Additional volunteer days to set up the trails and decorations are scheduled for the Oct 4-5 weekend and Columbus Day Weekend, Oct 11-13. Interested volunteers should contact gcbirdsanctuary@gmail.com

Garden City High School students helping with Halloween Fest

Decorate your pumpkin at the Garden City Bird Sanctuary Weed Wizard and Mother Earth on the Haunted Hike