An estimated 8,000 people attended the 2016 Tres Rios Nature and Earth Spring Festival March 5 and 6 in Avondale. The festival included family friendly activities such as canoeing on the river, fishing clinics, archery, air rifle, music, snakes and falcon observations, recycling educational activities, and storytelling. Team Luke supported the festival with 22 volunteers that managed the information/welcome and recycling booths and assisted with other festival activities. In addition, Team Luke hosted the main attraction of the festival, the annual recycling fashion show.

The Arizona Falconers’ Association brought falcons for participants to have an up-close and personal experience with the birds of prey.

The festival included fishing clinics along the river’s edge.

Canoe rides were available to festival goers.

Tres Rios, south of Avondale near Phoenix International Raceway, seen in the left and center background, is an area where three rivers, the Salt, Gila and Agua Fria, converge creating habitats for a diversity of wildlife.

Twenty-two Thunderbolts from Luke Air Force Base provided support for the two-day event.