By Julian Hough

MARK YOUR CALENDARS

2024 Cape May Fall Festival

OCTOBER 17 to 20

General Registration Opens July

New Jersey Audubon/CMBO Members receive a 10% discount on registration and will be emailed when they can register early and claim their discount.

Not a member? Click HERE

Check out our exciting keynote from last year.

2023 Fall Festival Keynote Presentation by Peter Harrison, “Ocean Nomads: The Albatrosses”

This video begins with remarks by Hugh Carola, who accepted New Jersey Audubon’s 2023 Richard and Patrica Kane Conservation Award.

At the 0:07:30 mark, Brett Ewald, Director of the Cape May Bird Observatory, offered thanks to those involved in the festival planning and execution. His introduction to Peter Harrison begins at 0:11:30, and he highlighted a handful of the milestones of Mr. Harrison’s career. Peter Harrison’s remarks begin at 0:16:00. Enjoy!

Saturday Keynote by Matt Halley

Presentation: The forgotten history of ornithology at ‘Old Cape May’

Dr. Matthew R. Halley is an ornithologist and historian from Chester county, Pennsylvania, the Assistant Curator of Birds at the Delaware Museum of Nature & Science, and a Research Associate at the Academy of Natural Sciences of Drexel University, where he earned his Ph.D. in 2021. Halley has extensive research experience in the United States and abroad, especially in the Neotropics, and has authored dozens of research papers about bird evolution and the history of American science. During the last decade, Halley relocated and exposed a litany of overlooked primary sources, which have reshaped our understanding of historical figures like Wilson and Audubon, and the development of scientific ornithology in the United States.

Overview: The known history of Cape May ornithology was summarized by Witmer Stone (1866–1939) in his well-known work, Bird Studies at Old Cape May (1937). Recently, through a systematic study of (mostly unpublished) primary sources in Philadelphia-based archives, Dr. Halley has uncovered a wealth of primary sources that were unknown to Stone, which shed new light on the history of American ornithology and Cape May in particular.

So.Much.To.Do

Field Trips * Trolley Trips * Indoor Programs * Boat Trips

Raptors * Shorebirds * Songbirds * Seabirds

So. Many. Birds.

Book Your Stay Now

Accommodations can fill up quickly any time of the year in Cape May

The Grand Hotel of Cape May is offering a special rate of $163 for Thursday, and $208 for Friday and Saturday using the code 652328. When booking your stay use the code by entering it into the Group ID box like you see below.

Book your stay at The Grand Hotel today 

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