REGISTRATION OPENS EARLY FEBRUARY
Save The Date: May 14th – 17th, 2026
Cape May, NJ
NJ Audubon members receive 10% off basic registration and special store discounts during the festival. Not a member – join today.
Book Your Stay Now
The Grand Hotel of Cape May is offering a special festival rate of $172.00 (plus tax) on Thursday night and $222.00 (plus tax) on Friday and Saturday nights. Use the Group ID: 717389. You are encouraged to make your reservations early as our block of rooms will fill very quickly. Please feel free to contact [email protected] if you have any trouble and/or you’re looking for accommodations.
NJA/CMBO Members Get One-week to book before other festival guests
Guided birding walks, boat and trolley trips, 100-Bird Dash Trips, Shorebird Express Trolleys, entertaining and informative presentations – it’s all happening at Spring Fest! Capacity is limited so please register early.
SATURDAY KEYNOTE
The Return of the Oystercatcher: Saving Birds to Save the Planet
Scott Weidensaul
At a time when the news for birds – for the planet – has rarely seemed more grim, there is reason for hope. We’ve restored faltering bird populations in the past, bringing back once nearly extinct raptors and waterfowl. And despite the odds today, all around the world, people are actually reviving bird populations, providing a roadmap for wider recovery. In his newest book, The Return of the Oystercatcher, best-selling author and researcher Scott Weidensaul shows why we should never underestimate the resiliency of birds, and why creating a world that works for birds will work for everything, including us. He’ll trace this hopeful arc from a tiny island off the Maine coast to the bird-rich Danube Delta on the Ukrainian border where even war has not stopped progress; from vulture restoration in the mountains of Bulgaria to oases of sanctuary for endangered seabirds in the highlands of Hawaiʻi, and across the world’s largest and most intact forest in Canada where Indigenous communities are permanently protecting hundreds of millions of acres of some of the most important migratory bird habitat on Earth, a win as well for social justice. This is a dose of optimism we all need.
Scott Weidensaul is the author of nearly 30 books on natural history, including the Pulitzer Prize finalist “Living on the Wind” and his New York Times bestseller “A World on the Wing.” His latest book, Return of the Oystercatcher, coming in April 2026, showcases what’s working for bird conservation around the world. Weidensaul is a contributing editor for Audubon magazine, a columnist for BWD (formerly known as Bird Watcher’s Digest), and writes for a variety of other publications including Cornell’s Living Bird. He is a Fellow of the American Ornithological Society and an active field researcher, studying saw-whet owl migration for 30 years, as well as winter hummingbirds in the East, bird migration in Alaska, and the winter movements of snowy owls through Project SNOWstorm, which he co-founded.
Friday Night Movie
On Friday evening, we’ll have a screening of Nature’s Highway: Flyway of Life along with a Q&A session with Director and Producer, Tomas Koeck. The film will be shown in the Crystal Room at the Grand Hotel, so seating will be limited. Another reason to register early!
About Flyway of Life
The Atlantic Flyway is the stream of life that balances ecosystems throughout the entire eastern side of North America. Without it, life would cease to maintain its balance and productive ecosystems would grind to a halt. Join explorer Tomas Koeck as he examines several unlikely relationships along this massive migratory chain that stems from South America and arcs out as far as Alaska.
This project is a 70-minute documentary feature focusing on this Flyway but also encompassing many conservation movements led by pioneering individuals from esteemed scientists to inspiring indigenous leaders. Project is supported, produced and sponsored by Sacred Heart University.
Tomas Koeck is an award-winning filmmaker, Canon USA-backed photographer, speaker/presenter, and expeditionist. In simpler terms, he’s a storyteller, an environmentalist, and, most importantly, an optimist. He has been on assignment for National Geographic, Smithsonian Channel, PBS Nature, and others covering stories throughout North America and seeks to give a voice to wildlife through journalism, storytelling, and advocacy.
Three-Part Bird Photography Workshop with Phil and Becky Witt
A Friday afternoon workshop will cover the basics of bird photography–equipment, composition, background, camera settings, light, and a few post-processing suggestions. This will be preparation for the Part II field workshop at the Ocean City Rookery on Saturday morning where participants will have a chance to photograph nesting wading birds, such as White and Glossy Ibis, Great and Snowy Egrets, and Yellow- and Black-crowned Night Herons. A few days after the festival, we will host a Zoom meeting where Phil and Becky will discuss photo composition and share tools for editing.
