You might be surprised to see a story about a wedding on this website, but hey, it’s Valentine’s Day. And this is a lovely tale about a BirdWatching reader’s big day. (Her wedding day, I mean…not a birding Big Day.)
Kristy Lantz Newport and Ted Newport of Johnstown, Colorado, were married on December 8, 2018, in Las Vegas. But they didn’t tie the knot at one of the city’s various wedding chapels. They said “I do” at the Henderson Bird Viewing Preserve, a site we profiled in 2007 (Hotspot Near You No. 24). It’s located about 15 minutes southeast of downtown Las Vegas. The preserve is at a water reclamation facility and has nearly 100 acres of basins, lagoons, and ponds that offer a superb environment for birding.
“It was the first wedding held at the preserve, and I’m pleased to tell you that all went off without a hitch,” Kristy says. “The fine folks at the preserve were extremely accommodating. They even decorated the Birdmobile, which we used to transport our guests and ourselves to Pond 9, where we held our Western-themed ceremony.”
Kristy, who is a technical writer for a software company, discovered the preserve more than 10 years ago and visits at least once per year when she travels to Las Vegas.
“When I step into the preserve, I feel as if I can breathe freely and relax doing what I love to do — birding — in the middle of the desert. Although he is not a birder, Ted indulges my passion for birding and helps by pointing out birds for me to identify.”
Kristy has been birding since about the year 2000. Her life list includes more than 460 species from the U.S., Costa Rica, New Zealand, Denmark, and India.
“My favorite birding spot is Dunedin on New Zealand’s South Island, where I saw Little Blue Penguins, Yellow-eyed Penguins, and Royal Albatross. I have been reading BirdWatching magazine for about five years and devour each issue when it arrives.”
Congratulations, Kristy and Ted!
Read more about the preserve and download its checklist
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