May 23rd and 24th
Location:
At a screen near you
Shop Optics from FeatherEdge Optics
Native Plant Sale – Order Online for pickup June 6 & 7
With the continuing COVID-19 health crisis, we have taken the precautionary step of eliminating the Festival’s in-person format – we are going virtual.
We are truly excited to transport the splendor of spring migration in Cape May right into your own home in a virtual format on May 23rd and 24th. Click HERE for full details and to register.
2020 Cape May Spring Festival
There is no place like Cape May New Jersey for springtime birding and we are going to bring it to you.
Our virtual Spring Festival will feature legendary birding hot spots in Cape May, NJ, including Higbee Beach Wildlife Management Area (WMA), The Nature Conservancy’s (TNC) South Cape May Meadows (aka “The Meadows”), and world renowned shorebird migration locations on the Delaware Bayshore, Heislerville WMA and the Atlantic coast. Any spring trip to Cape May, virtual or not, must include Belleplain State Forest. Webinar-style presentations about these locations, as well as educational topics, will be offered live by some of Cape May’s most knowledgeable birders, including NJ Audubon staff.
“I just registered for the Virtual CMBO weekend – easy peasy! No decisions to make, no potential workshop conflicts, no wardrobe anxieties, and the fridge is SO close. I’m looking forward to this new experience, and am practicing my bird skills here on the home front. Many thanks to you and all the CMBO/NJ Audubon folks for making this event happen!” – A Birder in Bryn Mawr, PA
Each day will also feature a keynote speaker after a lunch break. Like many of you, they were both very excited to come to Cape May; so much so that they’ve agreed to join us virtually from their home patches. You are sure to enjoy Jim Wright, author of the recently released “The Real James Bond,” on Saturday at 12:30 pm, and Jason Ward, host of North American Birds, on Sunday at 12:30 pm, a YouTube sensation that has brought the love of birding to a new, diverse audience.
We are doing our utmost to bring the best of Cape May to you. We hope this sampling of what you might see and hear will inspire you to visit Cape May once again, or for the first time, when it is safe to travel.
Jim Wright Afternoon Keynote, Saturday, May 23, 12:30 to 2:00 pm.
Jim Wright on his new book, The Real James Bond: A True Story of Identity Theft, Avian Intrigue and Ian Fleming
Jim Wright
Jim Wright is an author, blogger, and longtime birding columnist for The [Bergen] Record in northern New Jersey. A prize-winning writer, his books include The Nature of the Meadowlands, Jungle of the Maya, and Hawk Mountain. Born in Philadelphia, he is a lifelong Phillies and Eagles fan. Wright is a marsh warden at the Celery Farm Natural Area in Allendale, New Jersey, where he lives with his wife, Patty. In his spare time, he spies on birds. Follow his adventures on Twitter @1realjamesbond, and read his blog at realjamesbond.net.
Jason Ward Afternoon Keynote, Sunday, May 24, 12:30 to 2:00 pm
Jason Ward, Host, Birds of North America
Jason Ward
Born and raised in The Bronx, NYC, his love for wildlife began at a young age as he fell in love with dinosaurs. An infatuation that provided him with an escape from the obstacles growing up in the South Bronx provided.
Now, he gets to share his love for modern-day dinosaurs with the public in many ways, including guided field trips across the country and in his web series; “Birds of North America”.
Jason’s mission is to change the way the public views wildlife, and to blaze a trail for future generations of children growing up in underrepresented communities.”