FEATURED TRIPS
GENERAL INFORMATION:
Late autumn is a wonderful time to visit the bird-rich Delmarva Peninsula. We’ll visit Bombay Hook and Prime Hook NWR’s in Delaware where huge flocks of waterfowl reside, Bald Eagles hunt, and late-season migrants such as pipits, larks, and perhaps a longspur may be found. From our base in Chincoteague, Virginia, we’ll spend two days birding Virginia’s Eastern Shore at places like Kiptopeke State Park and Chincoteague NWR. Kiptopeke is strategically situated at the bottom of the Delmarva Peninsula and funnels migrants just like Cape May. We should expect to see a large variety of waterbirds, raptors, Brown-headed Nuthatch, and perhaps a rarity or two. Previous trips have recorded such goodies as Eurasian Wigeon, American White Pelican, Swainson’s & Rough-legged Hawks, Sandhill Crane, Bar-tailed Godwit, White-winged Dove, Western Kingbird, Cave Swallow, and Yellow-headed Blackbird, among others. Expect approximately 140 species of birds, plus the Chincoteague ponies, Sika Deer, other mammals, and late-season butterflies and odes.
PACE, WEATHER AND TRAVEL CONDITIONS:
Most days in the field should begin around 7am and end no later than 5pm. The trip involves light to moderate amounts of walking but no strenuous hikes. Some walking may last up to two hours and be on uneven terrain like tree roots and mud, but there are no steep climbs. Breakfast will be at the hotel, with lunch in the field. Dinners at a local restaurant.
The weather can be variable during late fall, but temperatures are likely to be cool to cold on this trip. Layers are preferable to adjust to fluctuations in temperature. Bring a windproof jacket, sweater or vest, light gloves, a warm hat, and comfortable walking shoes. Rain gear is also recommended.
Travel during this tour will be in vans, with no more than 7 participants plus a leader in one passenger van. Tour size is limited to 12 participants.
Additional information about the tour, with specific meeting times, a list of participants, hotel names, lists of things to bring, a reading list, list of probably/possible birds, further information about dress, weather, etc., will be sent to all participants well in advance of the tour.
COST:
Cost for this tour is $1,395/person, based on double occupancy. Single supplement (if you request single or we are unable to find you a roommate) is $200. Price includes round-trip van transportation from NJ to Virginia, three nights’ accommodation, tour leadership, and entrance fees. Meals are not included. A deposit of $500 will hold your place until Oct 6, 2023 when full payment becomes due.
Tour Leaders:
Scott Barnes began birding in the mid-1980’s and has been an avid naturalist ever since. Encouragement and learning came from his parents and many birders, including members of the Delaware Valley Ornithological Club and staff of New Jersey Audubon. An interest in travel and natural history has led him from the Bering Sea to the desert southwest to the tropics of Central America in search of birds and other wildlife. Scott compiles the Sandy Hook Christmas Bird Count, served for thirteen years on the New Jersey Bird Records Committee, led on See Life Paulagics boat trips for 19 years, serves on the NJ Waterfowl Stamp Advisory Committee, and is an eBird reviewer for NJ. He is the assistant director of the NJ Audubon Travel Program. Scott has led NJ Audubon tours in 23 states in the U.S., and Belize, Guatemala, Honduras, Panama, and Trinidad & Tobago. Scott co-led a Monhegan Island, Maine tour with Derek in 2012.
Linda Mack: Linda Mack’s interest in birding began
more than twenty-five years
ago on a Cape May Weekend and she has been hooked ever since. She served as a member of New Jersey Audubon’s Board of Directors for fourteen years and is an Associate Naturalist for All Things Birds. She is a past President, Program Chair, and Conservation Chair for Monmouth County Audubon Society and served as a voting member of the New Jersey Bird Records Committee. Linda has traveled extensively throughout North America and to Trinidad & Tobago, Belize, Costa Rica, and Panama in Central America. Her infectious enthusiasm and willingness to share knowledge are well known. She has co-led tours to 22 states in the U.S., and is a regular leader on long weekend trips to coastal Massachusetts, the Adirondack Mountains, and Bombay Hook.
Coastal Maine and New Hampshire
June 17-25, 2023
with pre-tour extension June 15-17
GENERAL INFORMATION:
Early summer birding in one of the most beautiful and sparsely populated areas in the eastern United States during the peak of breeding bird activity. From coastal wetlands near Portland where “southern” species can be found, to the top of Mount Washington for Bicknell’s Thrush, through the stunning scenery of the Bold Coast and its seabirds, this tour will survey the wide diversity of summering birds found in the region with a focus on the coast. On our boat trip to Machias Seal Island, we’ll see terns and alcids, including Razorbills and Atlantic Puffins at close range. Storm-Petrels and shearwaters may be numerous offshore, and we’ll do a second boat trip looking for seabirds and whales from Bar Harbor. And there will be plenty of opportunities to indulge in lobster!
Species we’ll focus on viewing on this tour include Spruce Grouse, Upland Sandpiper*, Roseate, Arctic and Black Terns, Atlantic Puffin, Razorbill, Common Murre, Black Guillemot, 2-3 species of shearwaters, Wilson’s and Leach’s Storm-Petrels, Bicknell’s Thrush*, Black-backed Woodpecker*, Philadelphia Vireo*, Yellow-bellied Flycatcher, Saltmarsh and Nelson’s Sparrows, and the possibility of up to 20 species of warblers. An Asterix next to species mentioned above are likely to be pre-tour extension-only.
PACE, WEATHER, AND TRAVEL CONDITIONS:
We will have a few very early starts to take advantage of early morning bird activity. Early days will be balanced by afternoon breaks. All days in the field should end no later than 6:00 p.m.
Temperatures and weather on this trip will vary. It may be very warm (80’s) and humid to possibly cold, wet, and windy on Mount Washington. Cold and damp weather (feeling like the 40’s or 50’s) is also possible on boat trips off the Maine coast. Rain or thunderstorms are always possible, so bring good rain gear, which is also helpful on our boat trips. Dressing in layers is important for warmth and comfort. Biting insects such as mosquitoes and black flies will be present, and possibly abundant at some locations depending on recent rainfall.
Additional information about the tour, with specific meeting times, a list of participants, addresses of motels, lists of things to bring, a reading list, a list of probable/possible birds, further information about weather, dress, etc., will be mailed to all participants well in advance of the tour.
GROUP SIZE: Travel during this tour will be in vans, with no more than 7 participants plus a leader in one “12 person” van. If needed, a minivan will be our second vehicle. Tour size is limited to 12 participants.
ACTIVITY LEVEL: Easy to Moderate
The trip involves light to moderate amounts of walking but no strenuous mountain hikes. Some walking may last up to two hours and be on uneven terrain like tree roots and mud, but there are no steep climbs or descents.
DATES:
PRE-TOUR EXTENSION: Thursday June 15 (meet at our hotel in Portland at 6:30 p.m.) to Saturday June 17, 2023.
PRIMARY TOUR: Saturday June 17, 2023 to Sunday June 25, 2023.
PRICE: Cost for the primary tour is $3,995.00 per person, based on double occupancy. Single supplement (if we cannot find you a roommate, or you request single) is $700.00. A deposit of $500 will hold your place until May 17, 2023 when full payment becomes due.
Cost for Pre-tour Extension is $1,195.00 per person, based on double occupancy. Single supplement is $200.00. Registration can be for both tours, or just one or the other.
PRICE INCLUDES:
Hotel accommodations for two nights lodging (pre-tour extension) and/or eight nights (primary tour), tour leadership, ground transportation while in New Hampshire/Maine, two boat trips, and entry fees.
Price does not include: meals, personal incidentals or airfare to/from Portland.
SEND DEPOSITS & OTHER PAYMENTS TO:
NJAudubon Eco-Travel, c/o Rene’ Buccinna, 600 Route 47 North, Cape May Court House NJ 08210 tel. 609-400-3852. Email [email protected] Please make checks payable to New Jersey Audubon. Visa, MasterCard and Discover are also accepted.
Tour Leaders:
Scott Barnes began birding in the mid-1980’s and has been an avid naturalist ever since. Encouragement and learning came from his parents and many birders, including members of the Delaware Valley Ornithological Club and staff of New Jersey Audubon. An interest in travel and natural history has led him from the Bering Sea to the desert southwest to the tropics of Central America in search of birds and other wildlife. Scott compiles the Sandy Hook Christmas Bird Count, served for thirteen years on the New Jersey Bird Records Committee, led on See Life Paulagics boat trips for 19 years, serves on the NJ Waterfowl Stamp Advisory Committee, and is an eBird reviewer for NJ. He is the assistant director of the NJ Audubon Travel Program. Scott has led NJ Audubon tours in 23 states in the U.S., and Belize, Guatemala, Honduras, Panama, and Trinidad & Tobago. Scott co-led a Monhegan Island, Maine tour with Derek in 2012.
Derek Lovitch, originally from East Brunswick, NJ and a graduate of Rutgers University, has lived in Maine for nearly 20 years. He and his wife Jeanette own and operate Freeport Wild Bird Supply, a retail store that caters to birders of all levels. The store serves as a vehicle for Derek to continue to share his enthusiasm for birding, birds, and bird conservation. The store is also the home base for a growing tour guiding operation, and has included work for other birding tour operators, including New Jersey Audubon. His first book, How To Be a Better Birder, was published in March 2012 by Princeton University Press. His second book, Birdwatching in Maine: A Site Guide was published in May 2017 by the University Press of New England.. He was also the “Tools of the Trade” Department Editor for Birding magazine for 6 years and remains a regular contributor to it, and its companion magazine, Birder’s Guide. Derek’s writing has also appeared in Birder’s World, Bird Observer, Bird Watcher’s Digest, NJ Audubon, and North American Birds. Along with birding, Derek enjoys hiking, exploring new natural areas, developing his native plant garden, good food, and beer.
OREGON IN SUMMER:
From the Coast to the Cascades
August 1-10, 2023
GENERAL INFORMATION:
A thorough sampling of the many scenic and avian wonders of Oregon in mid-summer. We’ll spend time along the famously beautiful coast where ducks, loons, grebes, shorebirds, gulls, and alcids are numerous, then head east through the Cascade Mountains seeking out high-elevation breeding birds and visit varied drier forests and sagebrush habitats around Bend.
This ten-day itinerary includes eight full days of birding and at least a half-day of birding as we make our way back to Portland. There is only one day with a long drive. By staying four nights in the Bend/Redmond/Sisters area we can explore all of the primary habitats of this sub-region–montane and sub-montane fir-pine forests, drier pine-juniper forests, the high desert sagebrush steppe and high mountain lakes. We will set aside the last morning in the Bend area for clean-up of any target species that we may have missed.
PACE, WEATHER, AND TRAVEL CONDITIONS:
Most days in the field should begin around 6 a.m. and end no later than 5:00 p.m. The trip involves light to moderate amounts of walking but no strenuous mountain hikes. Some walking may last up to two hours and be on uneven terrain like tree roots and mud, but there are no steep climbs or descents.
Temperatures and weather on this trip will vary. Average August temperatures along the coast are highs in the mid-60’s and lows in the lower 50’s. Inland at Bend, temperatures peak around 80 with overnight lows in the upper 40’s. Rainfall chances during summer are relatively low, but a good waterproof jacket/windbreaker is always a good item to pack.
Travel during this tour will be in vans, with no more than 7 participants plus a leader in one passenger van. Tour size is limited to 14 participants.
Additional information about the tour, with specific meeting times, a list of participants, hotels names, lists of things to bring, a reading list, a list of probable/possible birds, further information about weather, dress, etc., will be mailed to all participants well in advance of the tour.
PRICE:
Cost for this tour is $3,795.00/person, based on double occupancy. Single supplement, if you request single occupancy or we are unable to find you a roommate, is $500. A deposit of $500 will hold your place until June 30, 2023 when full payment becomes due.
PRICE INCLUDES:
Hotel accommodations for nine nights lodging tour leadership, ground transportation while in Oregon, and entry fees. It does not include meals or airfare to/from Portland.
SEND DEPOSITS & OTHER PAYMENTS TO:
NJA Eco-Travel, c/o Rene’ Buccinna, 600 Route 47 North, Cape May Court House NJ 08210 tel. 609-427-3006. Email rene.buccinna@njaudubon.org Please make checks payable to New Jersey Audubon.
Tour Leaders:
Dave Irons had the good fortune to have parents who were birders and went on his first birding outingsat age six. During his senioryear of high school, he made connections with other birders his age and birding has been a driving force in his life ever since. His curiosity about vagrancy, biogeography, and the finer points of field ID sustain his passion nearly five decades later. Dave is a past member of the Oregon Bird Records Committee, and he served for more than a decade as the Oregon/Washington regional editor for North American Birds. He finds great joy in passing forward what he’s learned over a lifetime of birding through writing and teaching. He authored the ABA Field Guide to the Birds of Oregon (published in 2018) and has written articles for several other publications. Over the past two decades Dave has lead field trips and taught birding classes for Lane Community College, the Pacific Northwest College of Art, the Siskiyou Field Institute, the Audubon Society of Portland (OR), Lane County Audubon Society, Western Field Ornithologists, Oregon Birding Association and the Rio Grande Valley Birding Festival. He and his wife Shawneen Finnegan make their home in Beaverton, Oregon and they are the eBird review coordinators for Oregon.
Scott Barnes began birding in the mid-1980’s and has been an avid naturalist ever since. Encouragement and learning came from his parents and many birders, including members of the Delaware Valley Ornithological Club and staff of New Jersey Audubon. An interest in travel and natural history has led him from the Bering Sea to the desert southwest to the tropics of Central America in search of birds and other wildlife. Scott compiles the Sandy Hook Christmas Bird Count, served for thirteen years on the New Jersey Bird Records Committee, led on See Life Paulagics boat trips for 19 years, serves on the NJ Waterfowl Stamp Advisory Committee, and is an eBird reviewer for NJ. He is the assistant director of the NJ Audubon Travel Program. Scott has led NJ Audubon tours in 23 states in the U.S., and Belize, Guatemala, Honduras, Panama, and Trinidad & Tobago.
CAUGHT IN MONHEGAN’S TRAP
Monhegan Island, Maine
September 15-20, 2023
GENERAL INFORMATION:
Leave the noise and bustle of everyday life behind as we venture to this picturesque and serene island off the coast of Maine! Its remote location 10 miles offshore and diverse habitats help to make Monhegan one of the top migrant “traps” on the East Coast. Our time will be filled observing some of the incredible array of birds that reside on or visit this island, such as flycatchers, thrushes, vireos, warblers (over 20 species possible), sparrows, finches, and blackbirds. We will scan the ocean waves for waterfowl, alcids, shearwaters, jaegers, and other seabirds, while raptors pass by in their search for prey on the island. The list of possibilities reads like a checklist, and we’ll search for species such as Northern Gannet, Great Cormorant, Black Guillemot, Manx Shearwater, Wilson’s Storm-Petrel, Merlin, Peregrine Falcon, Parasitic Jaeger, Red-necked Phalarope, Yellow-crowned Night-Heron, Philadelphia Vireo, Connecticut Warbler, Prairie Warbler, Orange-crowned Warbler, Yellow-breasted Chat, Clay-colored Sparrow, and many more!! Regularly sighted vagrants include Western Kingbird, White-eyed Vireo, Dickcissel, Lark Sparrow, Orchard Oriole, Blue Grosbeak, and more. Monhegan has also hosted a stunning list of rarities, topped by the likes of Magnificent Frigatebird, Bridled Tern, Swallow-tailed Kite, Say’s Phoebe, White-winged Dove, Northern Wheatear, Bell’s Vireo, Virginia Warbler, Lazuli Bunting, and Lark Bunting! We will be leaving our vehicles on the mainland and soaking it all in while covering some of the many trails on this small and peaceful island (only 1.7 miles long and .5 miles wide), which includes a fresh water ice pond, nine-acre meadow, and the tallest cliffs on the eastern seaboard (160’). Wonderful birding, breathtaking scenery, and an enchanting atmosphere – Monhegan has it all!
The tour starts/ends in Boothbay Harbor, Maine. Besides the spectacular birding, coastal Maine has a natural beauty beyond compare. Monhegan itself has a quaint fishing village and artist’s retreat, with several shops and galleries; it is a favorite tourist day-trip destination in the summer. Maine is also famous for its historical lighthouses, one of which is located right on the island. This tour will truly be a memorable coastal experience!
Additional information about the tour, with specific meeting times, accommodations, lists of things to bring, a reading list, further information about weather, dress, and so forth, will be given to all participants well in advance of the tour.
TOUR SIZE: This tour is limited to 10 participants.
ACTIVITY LEVEL: Moderate. This tour has been given an activity level of Moderate. It is considered a more active tour with daily intermediate to long-distance walking on sloping or uneven terrain, and/or climbing stairs. It also involves a water crossing over open ocean, with the possibility of rough seas. Those with physical limitations or trouble with seasickness should take these factors into consideration or contact the tour leader for details.
PACE, WEATHER, AND TRAVEL CONDITIONS:
The focus of the tour will be birds and scenery, but we will have time for other wildlife, botany, and photography. There is no ground transportation, as we will be walking throughout the tour. All accommodations are at an inn or guesthouse. Expect a warm to cool climate, depending on current weather systems, with daily high temperatures usually in the 60s and lows in the mid to upper 40s. The pace is relaxed, with some hikes of one-two miles on easy to moderate terrain (some woodland trails with exposed roots and uneven ground).
DATES: Friday, September 15 to Wednesday, September 20, 2023
PRICE: $2195 based on double occupancy; $650 single supplement (payable if you request single occupancy or if we cannot find you a suitable roommate). A deposit of $500 will hold your place until July 15, 2023 when full payment becomes due.
PRICE INCLUDES: Professional guide services are included for the duration of the tour. This tour also includes five nights of seaside accommodations at a hotel/inn or guesthouse. Each room has a private bath. All rooms are furnished with one queen or king bed. Smoking is not permitted inside the building. Dinner at three of the fine local restaurants is provided (Friday, Saturday and Tuesday), as well as breakfast each morning. All other meals are the responsibility of the individual tour participants. The cost of the ferry crossing is included. Transportation to/from Boothbay Harbor is not included – for those flying into Portland, there are several options to travel to Boothbay Harbor. For those driving to Boothbay Harbor, parking will need to be arranged for the duration of the time on Monhegan.
SEND DEPOSITS AND OTHER PAYMENTS TO:
NJ Audubon Eco-Travel
c/o Center for Research and Education
600 Route 47 North
Cape May Court House, NJ 08210
Phone: (609) 400-3852
Please make checks payable to New Jersey Audubon
OR
by email to [email protected]
Call 609-400-3852 with questions.
RESPONSIBILITY:
The New Jersey Audubon Society, as tour operator, does not act as an agent for any person or firm providing transportation, accommodations, or services on the tour; and the Society accepts no responsibility for any loss, damage, expense, injury or claim arising from any defect in any vehicle, conveyance, or accommodation provided by any such person or firm. Neither shall the New Jersey Audubon Society be held responsible for any loss or delay caused by changes in transportation services, strikes, illness, weather, or other cause. We strongly recommend the purchase of trip cancellation insurance to protect yourself.
TERMS:
The New Jersey Audubon Society reserves the right to alter itinerary or arrangements, if necessary, without penalty; and to prorate any increases or decreases in trip price caused by such alterations; and to cancel the tour at any time prior to departure, with full refund as settlement to tour participants.
Tour Leaders:
Brett Ewald is the Director of New Jersey Audubon’s Cape May Bird Observatory, facilitating the appreciation and understanding of birds and nature through their full schedule of walks, workshops, presentations, and research. He has been enthralled with birds for over 40 years, specializing in migration and distribution patterns, including as Director of the Hamlin Beach Lakewatch for Braddock Bay Raptor Research in New York. These endeavors have taken him from the mountains of New Mexico to the beaches of New Jersey – including a stint (no pun intended) as the Cape May hawkwatch counter in 1990. For sixteen years, he was the owner and guide for Lakeshore Nature Tours, focusing on the birdlife of North America at the premier destinations, from the Arctic Ocean in Alaska to the Rio Grande Valley of Texas (including multiple tours to Monhegan Island). He currently resides in Cape May and shares his favorite moments with his wife, Sheryl, and their energetic companion, Neah Bay, a Treeing Walker Coonhound. He looks forward to putting his knowledge, experience, and enthusiasm to work for you.
Contact us at : t[email protected] or 609-400-3852 for trip details and tickets
WHY ECO-TRAVEL
New Jersey Audubon’s Eco-Travel Program has taken participants around the world for over 30 years.
NJ Audubon staff design natural history and birding trips to a variety of domestic and foreign destination sites, ranging from relaxed nature getaways to relatively intensive birding adventures. Specific trip goals are stated in each trip’s itinerary, but one goal of every trip is for participants to better understand ecological systems both far and near, and from that understanding to maintain a high ethic concerning earth and resource stewardship in their daily lives. By traveling with New Jersey Audubon, you are helping preserve your natural heritage, since proceeds from our Eco-Travel Program directly support NJAudubon’s mission of conservation, environmental education, and wildlife research.
Program Goal
The goal of NJ Audubon’s Eco-Travel Program is to reflect our broad conservation mission through a balanced offering of natural history and birding ecotours for NJ Audubon members, New Jersey residents, and any other interested individuals.
These tours reflect natural systems education and maintain a high ethic concerning earth and resource stewardship.
HEALTH PROTOCOLS FOR NJA ECO-TRAVEL
NJ Audubon continues to put health and safety first. We follow federal and state health guidance about best practices to ensure the health and safety of participants, staff and volunteers.
We highly recommend that all travelers be vaccinated for COVID-19 and that travel participants self-test no more than 3 days prior to the tour to do everything possible to keep everyone safe. If the tour is visiting an international destination, there may be additional requirements to enter/exit the country.
Pre-tour recommendations to minimize your exposure:
- Avoid mid to large size gatherings.
- Practice social distancing.
- Purchase travel insurance that specifically covers illnesses and expenses.
During the tour:
- Use of face coverings is optional and based on individual comfort level, unless it is required by a transportation conveyance or country/state/local policy
- Bring several well-fitting face masks and plenty of hand sanitizer on the tour.
- If you feel ill or exhibit any possible COVID-19 symptoms during the tour, let the tour leader know immediately.
NJ AUDUBON ECO-TOURS FEATURE:
- Small group size (maximum 12 on most trips)
- Leader to participant ratio of 1:6 or better on domestic tours
- Destinations planned to coincide with greatest bird diversity
- Window seats for all participants on most domestic tours
WE OFFER TOURS WITH A VARIETY OF PACES AND GOALS:
- Relaxed vacations with nature
- General ecology exploring a diversity of animal and plant groups, as well as geology
- General ecology with a focus on birdlife
- Intensive birding adventures
A NOTE on PHOTOGRAPHY
NJ Audubon tours provide plenty of opportunities to take photos of birds, other animals and scenery. If you enjoy digiscoping, please contact the tour leader about bringing your own telescope as the leader’s scope will be utilized for all tour participants. Serious photography is not a focus of NJ Audubon tours, unless specified. The NJ Audubon tour leader will manage participants’ photographic desires with birdwatching activities.
Learn about past Eco Travel tours
Hear from our guides and attendees, view stunning images and discover what species they encountered
Activity Levels Defined
Be Prepared!
In addition to being properly prepared for the trip in terms of attire and optical equipment, for maximum enjoyment of any Eco-Travel tour, you should be properly prepared for the activity level of the tour. We have developed the following logos and descriptions for use to define the activity level of each of our tours. Please make sure your tour selection matches your expectations in terms of daily activity. For instance, if you are a recreational birder who enjoys short walks, or are not capable of hiking, then a tour listed as “Moderate” or “Active” is not for you. However, if you enjoy long hikes in more remote areas, then you should focus on our “Active” tours. In all cases, please contact us if you have any questions regarding the activity level for any tour.
Easy:
A relaxed tour with low activity. Daily walks include walking relatively short distances over level terrain or paved walkways. Tour involves mostly van travel, with stops at various sites. Minimal steps. Free time to relax between morning and afternoon outings.
Moderate:
A more active tour with daily intermediate- to long-distance walking on sloping or uneven terrain, and/or climbing stairs. Includes several long field days, with many lunches in the field. Those with physical limitations should take this into consideration, or contact the tour leader for details.
Active:
An intensive tour with long-distance, sometimes strenuous hiking most days. Participants should be physically fit.
Eco-Travel Policies
Be sure to read and understand the following New Jersey Audubon Society Eco-Travel Policies before booking a trip with us.
Click Here to download our policy document in PDF format.
PARTICIPATION
Participants in NJ Audubon Eco-travel are expected to understand and accept the conditions covering tour price, refund policy, responsibility, and terms as outlined in the tour information. By registering, participants affirm that they have read the itinerary and are in general good health and are physically able to keep up with the group in the ordinary course of field activities. Participants accept as their personal risk the hazards of participation inherent in field activities, and will not hold the New Jersey Audubon Society or its tour leaders responsible for same.
NJ Audubon reserves the right, at the sole discretion of the tour leader, to ask a participant to leave any group trip at their own expense, if, in the leader’s judgment, that person’s continued participation is detrimental to the overall quality of the tour, to other trip members or to the individual. In such a case, NJ Audubons’ liability would be limited to costs recoverable, if any, by NJ Audubon from vendors and tour operators of unused portions of the tour. We reserve the right to decline the registration of any individual whose previous conduct on a NJ Audubon program has been deemed detrimental.
Minors (children under the age of 18) are welcome as participants on some (not all) of our tours. Minor participants must be accompanied by a parent/guardian. Please confirm suitability of the tour for minors with the tour leader before registering.
REGISTRATION
To register for a specific tour, to request detailed itineraries for specific tours, or for additional information, contact:
NJ Audubon ECO-TRAVEL
600 Route 47 North
Cape May Court House, NJ 08210
(609) 400-3852
E-mail: [email protected]
Click Here to download the Registration Form in fillable PDF format.
Click here to download the Registration Form as a fillable word document
A registration form must be completed in full and signed by the participant (s) for all tours.
All tours require a $500 deposit on registration, with the balance due 60 days prior to the start of the tour for domestic tours, unless otherwise noted in the tour information. For international tours, refer to the individual tour information.
DEPOSITS
Deposits are required to reserve your space, unless otherwise stated in the tour itinerary. All tours require a $500/person deposit on registration, with the balance due 60 days prior to the start of the tour for domestic tours, unless otherwise noted in the tour information. For international tours, please refer to the individual tour information.
For weekend van tours, the required deposit is $500/person, with the balance due 30 days prior to the start of the tour.
PAYMENT
We accept Visa, Mastercard, American Express, Discover, personal check, or cash as payment for tours.
EXCLUSIONS
The following items are not included in the tour price unless specifically stated in the tour itinerary: Airfare to and from departure city, passports, visas, departure taxes, immunizations, excess baggage charges, optional excursions, telephone calls, alcoholic beverages, laundry, room service, snacks and anything of a purely personal nature, excursions deviating from the scheduled tour, gratuities to non NJ Audubon employees (bus drivers, local guides, tour operators, lodge staff etc.). NJ Audubon employees are unable to accept gratuities.
TERMS
The New Jersey Audubon Society reserves the right to alter itinerary or arrangements, if necessary, without penalty; and to prorate any increases or decreases in trip price caused by such alterations; and to cancel the tour at any time prior to departure, with full refund as settlement to tour participants.
REFUNDS FOR DOMESTIC TOURS
For cancellations more than 60 days before the starting date of the trip, deposits will be returned less a $50.00 service charge. Cancellations made 60 days or less before the starting date of the trip will be charged $250.00, unless the space can be filled (in which case the $50.00 service charge would apply). However, if cancellations made less than 60 days before the start of the tour take place after hotels and vans have been booked and other services contracted for, hotel, van rental and other service policies will determine what portion, if any, of payments are recoverable. No refunds will be made to no-shows or for any unused portion of the tour, unless arranged prior to departure date.
Deposits transferred from tour to tour are subject to service charge schedule for cancellations and are conditional upon available space for tours.
All cancellations must be in writing and are presumed final.
FOR INTERNATIONAL TOURS
Refer to the individual tour information.
IN CASE OF CANCELLATION OF A TRIP BY NJ AUDUBON
Rarely, NJ Audubon Eco-travel programs must be cancelled by us.
We make every effort to avoid this situation. If a trip is in danger of being cancelled, we will notify any participants of that fact two weeks prior to the date final payment for the trip is due.
If NJ Audubon cancels a trip, and has notified participants of the potential cancellation 10 weeks prior to departure, and notifies participants of final cancellation four or more weeks before scheduled departure, our liability is restricted to refunding in full any deposits or payments that have been made to NJ Audubon for the trip.
AIR TRAVEL
Tour participants are required to make arrangements for their own air travel unless this is covered by the tour price. Please do not purchase non-refundable air tickets until assured that the trip will run as planned. We recommend purchasing travel insurance and/or deferring the purchase of airline tickets until the date final payment is due (normally 60 days prior to departure), at which time it will be known whether the trip will run or is in danger of cancellation.
RESPONSIBILITY
New Jersey Audubon, as tour operator, does not act as an agent for any person or firm providing transportation, accommodations, or services on the tour; and the Society accepts no responsibility for any loss, damage, expense, injury or claim arising from any defect in any vehicle, conveyance, or accommodation provided by any such person or firm. Neither shall New Jersey Audubon be held responsible for any loss or delay caused by changes in transportation services, strikes, illness, weather, or other cause. We strongly recommend the purchase of trip cancellation insurance.
Download our TRAVEL POLICIES document in PDF format.