All - Leep Calendar

The Whooping Crane Festival in Texas is an annual event celebrating the remarkable comeback of the whooping crane, one of North America's most endangered birds. Held in Port Aransas, a city along the Texas Gulf Coast, the festival attracts bird enthusiasts, conservationists, and nature lovers from around the country. The event is typically held in late February, coinciding with the wintering period of these majestic birds in the nearby Aransas National Wildlife Refuge. HISTORY OF THE WHOOPING CRANE FESTIVAL The Whooping Crane Festival originated to celebrate the successful conservation efforts that led to the recovery of the whooping crane population. In the early 20th century, the whooping crane was on the brink of extinction, with only about 16 birds remaining in the wild by the 1940s. Intensive conservation efforts, including habitat protection and breeding programs, have helped their numbers increase, although they remain endangered. The festival began in the late 1990s as a small, local event and has since grown into a significant annual gathering. It serves as a celebration of the whooping crane's survival and a platform to raise awareness about ongoing conservation challenges. FESTIVALS PURPOSE The primary purposes of the Whooping Crane Festival are: Conservation Awareness: To educate the public about the importance of conservation efforts for the whooping crane and other endangered species. Birdwatching and Nature Appreciation: To offer opportunities for attendees to observe whooping cranes and other wildlife in their natural habitat. Community Engagement: To bring together birdwatchers, nature enthusiasts, photographers, and families for educational and fun activities. Support for Local Conservation Efforts: To generate support for local and national conservation initiatives and organizations. ACTIVITIES AND FEATURED EVENTS The Whooping Crane Festival includes a variety of activities catering to both avid birdwatchers and casual nature enthusiasts: Guided Birding Tours: These tours, often led by expert birders, offer participants a chance to see whooping cranes and other migratory birds in the Aransas National Wildlife Refuge. Nature Workshops and Speakers: A series of workshops and talks by wildlife experts, conservationists, and photographers provide insights into wildlife conservation and nature photography. Boat Trips: Special boat tours give attendees an up-close view of the whooping cranes in their wintering grounds. Photography Sessions: Guided photography sessions help enthusiasts capture stunning images of the cranes and other wildlife. Art and Craft Exhibitions: Local artisans and vendors display and sell wildlife-themed art and crafts, adding a cultural dimension to the festival. Children's Activities: Educational activities and programs promote an early interest in wildlife conservation and environmental stewardship. The Whooping Crane Festival in Texas highlights the success story of the whooping crane and underscores the ongoing need for wildlife conservation. It offers a unique opportunity for people to connect with nature, learn about environmental preservation, and enjoy the company of fellow nature enthusiasts in a festive atmosphere.

Africa

Feb

Wildlife Day, Ntl. (1962): February 22

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National Wildlife Day, founded in 2005, falls on the birthdate of conservationist "The Crocodile Hunter," Steve Irwin, born February 22, 1962. Irwin Died September 4, 2006. Colleen Paige created this event to focus on endangered species and support the zoos, sanctuaries, and organizations working to save them. Until 2018, it ran on September 4. In 2018, it moved to February 22. Supporters are encouraged to contact their local zoo or animal sanctuary, sponsor a favorite animal, donate or volunteer on this day.

Africa

Feb

Wine Day, Drink: February 18

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There is no official origin for this particular holiday, and it has grown out of custom and fun. However, it does provide an opportunity to enjoy one of the world’s favorite (and oldest) beverages. Take a chance to try a new variety of wine you’ve never tried. Even if you were to drink a glass of wine daily over a lifetime, you could only taste all varieties. As of 2010, more than 75,000 variations within 200 primary categories.

Africa

Feb

Wine, Open that Bottle Night: February 28

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Dorothy J Gaiter and John Brecher created Open That Bottle of Wine Night. The purpose is to open that bottle of wine you've been saving. This event is not sponsored.

Africa

Feb

Wingman's Day, Ntl: February 13

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Wingmen are the best friends of guys who look out for their buddy's best interests in dating, flirting, and life. Tomorrow is Valentine's Day, typically when the wingman gets forgotten as the friend focuses on love. So, Wingman's Day is set aside to honor these essential friends on the day before they get ditched. This event first ran in 2016. Annually on February 13.

Africa

Feb

Winter Olympics (IT): February 2-22

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ABOUT THE 2026 WINTER OLYMPICS The 2026 Winter Olympics will be held in the Italian cities of Milano and Cortina. It is a premier international sporting event that brings together athletes from around the globe to compete in various winter sports. Established in 1924 in Chamonix, France, the Winter Olympics were created to complement the Summer Olympics, focusing on sports played on snow and ice. The Winter Olympics is a truly global event, with athletes from over 90 countries participating and showcasing their skills in various disciplines. The Games are a platform to promote international friendship and cooperation through sport while celebrating the athletic prowess and competitive spirit of the world's best winter sports athletes. The Winter Olympics offer a diverse range of sports, including traditional events such as alpine skiing, cross-country skiing, and ski jumping, as well as ice sports like figure skating, ice hockey, and speed skating. The Games also feature thrilling events such as bobsleigh, luge, and the newer snowboarding and freestyle skiing competitions, which have gained popularity in recent years. The Winter Olympics are a platform for sporting excellence and a showcase of cultural exchange and unity. Every four years, the Games provide a stage for athletes to achieve their dreams, set new records, and inspire future generations while fostering a sense of global community and shared passion for winter sports.

Africa

Feb

Wise Health Care Consumer Month, Ntl.: February

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Wise Health Care Consumer Month promotes cost-saving, health-enhancing medical self-care, and health care education programs as part of workplace wellness. Multiple tools have been created to help Human Resource Departments integrate Wise consumer health care into the office and work environment. Free Wise Health Care Consumerism Toolkit is available at: http://healthylife.com/wise.

Africa

Feb

Women and Girls in Science, Intl. Day of: February 11

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Celebrating the contributions of women and girls to the sciences, the UN's International Day for Women and Girls in Science highlights gender bias in the sciences (less than 30 percent of professionals worldwide are women). It increases learning opportunities in these fields for women and girls. The internet resource for this event states: "According to UNESCO data (2014 - 2016), only around 30 percent of all female students select STEM-related fields in higher education. Globally, female students' enrollment is particularly low in ICT (three percent), natural science, mathematics and statistics (five percent) and in engineering, manufacturing, and construction (eight percent)." This event first ran in 2016.

Africa

Feb

Women in Blue Jeans Conference (US-SD): February 20-21

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The Women in Blue Jeans Conference, a notable event focusing on rural women, commenced as a grassroots effort in 2001 in Mitchell, South Dakota. This conference offers a supportive space for education, networking, and empowerment. Its origin and growth signify a commitment to address the unique challenges and celebrate the contributions of women in rural communities. Organized and produced entirely by volunteers, including farm partners, an ag banker, county commissioners, a radio news director, and a commodity broker, the conference embodies a diverse representation of rural life. The event features local experts as speakers to ensure attendees have continued access to valuable community resources. The Women in Blue Jeans conference has gained recognition beyond its initial location, inspiring similar events in other regions like Iowa. This expansion reflects the growing interest and need for platforms catering to women in agriculture and rural areas. The conference is a model for other groups looking to create similar events, offering insights and learnings from its years of experience. At its core, the Women in Blue Jeans Conference is more than an annual gathering. It represents a movement towards recognizing and supporting the integral role of women in rural America. Through its focus on education, inspiration, and networking, the conference aims to empower women, highlighting their contributions and addressing the unique challenges they face in rural communities.

Africa

Feb

Women Physicians Day, Ntl. (1821): February 3

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National Women Physicians Day honors the first woman to receive a degree in medicine in the United States, Dr. Elizabeth Blackwell. She was born on February 3, 1821, in Bristol, England. Her family immigrated to the United States in 1832, and she eventually received a medical degree from Geneva Medical College, New York, in 1849. Her thesis was on Typhus Fever, and she graduated first in her class despite the difficulties of being the first woman. National Women Physicians Day honors all the women who followed in Blackwell's footsteps, becoming doctors, scientists, and researchers in the decades and centuries ahead.

Africa

Feb

Women's Heart Health Day, Ntl.: February 1

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Women's Heart Health Day was founded by author, journalist, and heart disease survivor Charlotte Libov to teach women the warning signs of heart disease and how to protect their health. According to Libov: Heart disease is the number one killer of American Women. Every year, an estimated 485,000 American women die of cardiovascular disease (heart disease & stroke), more than twice the number who die of all cancer combined. An estimated 240,000 women die annually of heart disease, five times the number who die of breast cancer. Women suffer nearly half (49 percent) of the 480,000 heart disease deaths annually. More women than men die of heart attacks within the first year of their first heart attack (44 vs. 27 percent). More women than men will suffer a heart attack within four years after their first heart attack (20 percent vs. 16 percent). Heart attacks kill nearly 21,000 women under age 65, with 29 percent being under 55. One in eight women aged 45 and over has had a heart attack. Black women have a 33 percent higher death rate from coronary heart disease than white women and a 77 percent higher death rate from stroke. Coronary heart disease is a major stroke risk factor, killing over 87,000 women each year. An estimated nearly one million Americans are currently living with heart defects. Some defects occur more commonly in women and can remain undetected until well into adulthood, putting their lives at risk.

Africa

Feb

Women's Right to Vote Day (US-UT)(1870): February 12

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Who said religious societies and conservatives aren't progressive? Islam was educating women for centuries before Christianity emerged from the dark ages. And then there are the Mormon women of the territory of Utah. Wyoming and Utah granted women the right to vote 50 years before the United States government on December 10, 1869, and February 12, 1870, respectively. In Wyoming, the women almost lost their rights two years later but squeaked by in a territorial congressional vote. Attacks against their right ceased after 1873. The women of Utah had it a little rougher. The US Congress wasn't too happy about women's suffrage or plural marriage and passed the Edmunds-Tucker Act in 1887, stripping Utah women of their voting rights by hiding it in this anti-polygamy bill. Utah was a territory at the time, hoping for statehood. Polygamy was a big part of the new Mormon faith (created in the 1820s), and it was the reason given as to why Utah, unlike Wyoming, was not invited into the union. Not to be deterred, the women of Utah, Mormon and not, would have none of that—they had been voting for 17 years! It wouldn't happen overnight, but once the LDS Church (the predominant authority in the faith) ended its support of polygamy in 1890, the path to statehood was revived. Upon Utah achieving statehood in 1896, part of the deal was that women retained the right to vote—and hold office. To ensure the US government didn't stage another pull-back, Utah's women ensured their voting rights were enshrined in the state constitution, something they learned from their counterparts in Wyoming when it became a state in 1890. Though the Wyoming Territory had granted the right to vote to its female citizens eight weeks before Utah, the first actual vote cast by a woman in the US or its territories occurred in Utah on February 14, 1870, Valentine's Day.

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Feb

Woolworth's Day (1879): February 22

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Woolworths Day marks the anniversary of the establishment of the first five-and-dime department store in the United States. Once a staple of the American retail landscape, Woolworths traces its origins to a single store founded by Frank Winfield Woolworth. On February 22, 1879, Woolworth opened his first store in Utica, New York, which failed within months. Undeterred, he opened a second location in Lancaster, Pennsylvania, on June 21, 1879, under the name "Woolworth's Great Five Cent Store." This store was successful and marked the beginning of what would become one of the world's leading retail chains. The Woolworths concept was simple yet revolutionary for the time: selling a wide variety of items for just five cents. The store's success led Woolworth to open additional locations and, eventually, to introduce the ten-cent pricing tier. This expansion was the groundwork for the first "five-and-dime" stores, which sold low-priced goods to the mass market. Woolworth's innovation was not limited to pricing strategies; he pioneered merchandising and store design. His stores were known for their large, open layouts, where goods were displayed on tables rather than behind counters, encouraging customers to browse and select items themselves. The F.W. Woolworth Company incorporated in 1912, and by then, it had become one of the largest retail chains in the world. Woolworth was among the original 12 companies listed on the Dow Jones Industrial Average. At its peak, Woolworths operated thousands of stores worldwide, including the famous Woolworth Building in New York City, completed in 1913 and the world's tallest building until 1930. The building stood as a symbol of Woolworth's success. Despite its early triumphs, Woolworths struggled with changing market conditions and increased competition in the late 20th century. The last Woolworths store in the United States closed in 1997, marking the end of an era for the once-dominant retailer. However, the Woolworth name lived on internationally, particularly in countries such as the United Kingdom, Germany, and South Africa, though these businesses were no longer directly connected to the original American company. Today, Dollar Store and Dollar General carry on the tradition created by Woolworth. Though gone, his contributions to retail will never be forgotten.

Africa

Feb

Work Naked Day, Ntl.: February 6

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Work Naked Day is a play on words. Today is about pursuing your dreams and working from home, that is, being your boss. If you've thought about running your own company or starting your own business, this is the day to begin putting your dreams into action. WorkingNaked.com sponsored this day but no longer exists. The day was created by Lisa Kanarek, the sponsor of this day, who is one of the foremost experts on setting up a home office to be productive.

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