Camera? Check. Binoculars and/or scope? Check. Notebook? Check. Festival schedule? Check! The 32nd annual Kachemak Bay Shorebird Festival is officially in full swing! Whether you’re a regular birding enthusiast or you’ve been curious about birding but have never quite got into it, or neither of the above, make sure to check out this year’s festival program for some really exciting events and opportunities! There’s something for everyone, and if nothing else, it’s a great chance to get outside and enjoy the natural bounties of Homer and the Kachemak Bay in spring. For information on other great events also happening this week or coming up soon, check out these Best Bets!

BEST CITIZEN SCIENCE BET: Kachemak Crane Watch wants you to help report nesting sandhill crane pairs! Shortly after sandhill cranes arrive in Homer, cranes mate and prepare their nest site. Nesting has commenced when the cranes show up alone, indicating one is sitting on the nest. An accurate count of nesting crane pairs helps Kachemak Crane Watch estimate the local crane population and provides an indication of annual reproductive success. Please report nesting sandhill crane pairs to Kachemak Crane Watch at reports@cranewatch.org or by calling 907-235-6262. Leave your name, phone number, and include the location and date when nesting started. For more information, visit www.cranewatch.org.

BEST LOCAL RADIO MUG DESIGN CONTEST BET: KBBI is currently seeking submissions from their talented and creative listeners for the 2024 KBBI members’ mug! The winning design will be featured on limited edition mugs available to all KBBI sustaining members during the Fall 2024 Membership Drive in October, as well as used on their website and during promotion of the Fall Membership Drive. These coveted mugs are considered to be treasured collectors’ items. The artwork will be seen by hundreds of KBBI members, as well as their families and friends in Southcentral Alaska and beyond. The winning artist will also receive a set of six mugs. For more information on contest rules, visit npr.brightspotcdn.com/76/b6 /a1633ecf4bb690ce25576d17dbe5/kbbi-2024-mug-contest-master.pdf.

BEST LIVE HEALTH TALK BET: Join Dr. Rob Downey on the Seaworthy Functional Medicine Facebook Page on Thursday, May 9 at 5 p.m. for another session of Down with Downey: Live at Five. This presentation, “Food as Medicine,” is a deep dive into the transformative power of whole food to make you healthy. Learn what really matters about food choices, e.g. dairy, gluten, refined sugar, etc. An in-depth Q&A will follow after Downey’s short presentation. If you have a question about a talk or are interested in learning about a particular topic, send questions or topic ideas to fmc@sphosp.org. If you’ve missed a past talk and want to catch up, all previously recorded talks are available at vimeo.comsphosp. For more information, visit www.facebook.com/SeaworthyFunctionalMedicineClinic/.

BEST PLATE PROJECT ANNIVERSARY CELEBRATION BET: Bunnell Street Arts Center hosts their 30th Plate Project Membership Celebration on Friday, May 10 from 5-7 p.m. Begun by local potter Ahna Iredale in 1995, the Plate Project celebrates its 30th anniversary with cake and friends! Choose your plate when you donate $125 or more to support the mission and programs of Bunnell. For more information or to see the gallery of plates, visit www.bunnellarts.org/plate-project/2024-plate-project-gallery/?mc_cid=d557953207&mc_eid=a4ee33e6c6. 106 W Bunnell Ave.

BEST SEED AND SOIL WORKSHOP BET: The Homer Seed Library is hosting workshops, sponsored by Homer Soil and Water, at the Homer Public Library to teach community members how to garden! On Saturday, May 11 from 3-4:30 p.m. in the HPL conference room, take part in “No-dig Gardening,” a hands-on workshop held in the KBC High Tunnel. This class is for any gardener who wants to learn how to have abundant, low-maintenance beds without digging or tilling the soil! This is the basis of regenerative gardening or farming. For more information and to register, visit www.teachgardening.com/homer-seed-library. 500 Hazel Ave.

BEST ANNUAL POTTERY TOUR BET: The annual Homer Pottery Tour returns for 2024 on Saturday, May 18 from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. and Sunday, May 19 from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m.! Nine ceramics artists are participating in this year’s tour, including Jenny Chamberlain, Paul Dungan, Ruby Haigh, Marie Herdegen, Ahna Iredale, David Kaufmann, Maygen Lotscher, Cynthia Morelli and Lisa Wood. This free event is a unique window into working artists’ personal studio spaces and creative processes. Homer potters open their studios to the public for the weekend and invite visitors to deepen their understanding of each artists’ work. For more information or to see the tour map, visit www.homerpotters.com/.

Community members gather at the Pratt Museum on Friday, May 3, 2024 to view the exhibition of art donated to Homer by Teshio, Japan during the sister city 40th anniversary celebration in Homer, Alaska. (Delcenia Cosman/Homer News)