FEATURED TRIPS
MINNESOTA: NORTH WOODS WARBLERS
June 8-14, 2025
With Scott Barnes and Linda Mack
GENERAL INFORMATION:
A short tour with no hotel changes focusing on the diverse breeding birds and wildlife of northeastern Minnesota. The boreal forests, aspen woodlands, wetlands, and meadows of northern Minnesota are beautiful and home to a great diversity breeding birds, including Sandhill Crane, Yellow Rail, Great Gray Owl, Black-backed Woodpecker, Black-billed Magpie, Canada Jay, Boreal Chickadee, twenty species of breeding warblers including Golden-winged, Mourning, and Connecticut, LeConte’s Sparrow, and Clay-colored Sparrow. We’ll visit the famous Sax-Zim Bog and Superior National Forest where non-avian highlights could include black bear and moose.
We’ll have two days to explore the expansive area that makes Sax-Zim Bog (actually a mix of boreal bogs, forests, wetlands, aspen groves, meadows, and pastures) such a great location in early summer for breeding birds, butterflies, blooming orchids, and other wildflowers. Most birding is on short boardwalks and along lightly traveled gravel roads. Early June is peak season for bird song and we’ll spend time enjoying and learning various species’ vocalizations.
Scenic forests interspersed with alder-lined streams and beaver ponds north of the lakeside town of Two Harbors offer more opportunities to see many breeding birds and other wildlife, and we’ll have ample time to enjoy the productive birding there. Early June is at the start of the nesting season, and most birds should be singing vociferously. The chorus of birds should include Winter Wren, Blue-headed Vireo, Hermit and Swainson’s Thrushes, Lincoln’s Sparrow, and up to 20 species of warblers. Other birds found in this region include Common Loon, Ruffed Grouse, Black-backed Woodpecker, Yellow-bellied and Olive-sided Flycatchers, Philadelphia Vireo, and Purple Finch.
We’ll also do a little traveling, birding, and sightseeing along Lake Superior’s scenic North Shore, and may visit other birding sites in Duluth including Park Point. Depending on what we’ve seen or missed, we may explore some good birding sites in nearby Aitkin County for boreal species, breeding warblers, and denizens of wet meadows like Sedge Wren, Le Conte’s, and Nelson’s Sparrows.
PACE, WEATHER, AND TRAVEL CONDITIONS:
The tour is based out of one hotel with lakefront rooms overlooking Lake Superior and nearby restaurants. There are no hotel changes during this tour. Our days in the field will usually begin about 6:30 a.m. and will end around 4:00 p.m. On most days lunches will be in the field (we have coolers for cold food and drinks), and we will provide ample opportunity to get them before the day begins. The trip involves easy to moderate walking over mostly flat terrain. There are no long hikes. Most restrooms around Sax-Zim Bog and north of Two Harbors are port-a-poddies.
Temperatures will be generally warm, though early morning and evening may cool down. Expect a temperature range from 50-75 degrees. Rain is a possibility, so raingear is advised. The sun may be strong, so sunscreen and a brimmed hat are advised.
Travel during this tour will be in vans, with no more than 7 participants plus a leader in one “12 person” van and up to 5 participants in a second vehicle. Tour size is limited to 12 participants. Most terrain is flat and walks are not strenuous. Biting insects such as mosquitoes, black flies, and deer flies could be bothersome during the tour. Insect repellant is advised, as are long-sleeved shirts and pants to help protect yourself from bugs.
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, and so forth, will be mailed to all participants well in advance of the tour.
DATES:
Sunday June 8 (meet at our hotel in Duluth at 5:00 pm) to Saturday June 14, 2025 (travel/flights home).
PRICE:
Cost for this tour is $3,095 based on double occupancy; single supplement $400. A deposit of $500 will hold your place until April 15, 2025 when full payment becomes due.
PRICE INCLUDES:
Hotel accommodations for 6 nights, tour leadership, ground transportation while in Minnesota, and entrance fees to all areas on the itinerary. It does not include meals or airfare to/from Duluth.
SEND DEPOSITS & OTHER PAYMENTS TO:
NJ Audubon Eco-Travel
Attn: René Buccinna
2350 Route 47 North, Bldg. 1
Woodbine, NJ 08270
Phone: 609-400-3852
Email: [email protected]
Make Checks payable to New Jersey Audubon.
TOUR LEADERS:
Scott Barnes
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, was a leader 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, Trinidad & Tobago, Portugal, and Spain.
Linda Mack
Linda Mack’s interest in birding began more than thirty years ago on a Cape May Fall 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 and birded extensively throughout North America and to Europe, Central and South America. Her infectious enthusiasm and willingness to share knowledge are well known. She has co-led NJ Audubon tours to 22 states in the U.S. and is a regular leader on long weekend van tours.
Panama Canopy Lodge
July 23 to 30, 2025
With Tom Reed and Local Guide
GENERAL INFORMATION:
Situated in El Valle, about 60 miles west of Panama City, the Canopy Lodge provides some of the most comfortable and enticing accommodations in Central America, and the wildlife here is equally superb. This centrally located lodge allows us access to highlands, lowlands, the Pacific, and the Caribbean, allowing us to see a great number of species across a number of habitats. A few of the more sought-after species during this tour include Spectacled Owl, Rosy Thrush-Tanager, Veraguan Mango, Spot-crowned Barbet, and perhaps even the elusive Rufous-vented Ground-Cuckoo. There are very good chances for many other charismatic species, such as Sunbittern, Collared Trogon, Tody Motmot, and an excellent variety of colorful tanagers.
WHY PANAMA IN JULY?
There’s a common misconception that in summer, when it’s hot and humid in New Jersey, it must be terribly hot and humid in the tropics. Of course this isn’t true; the tropics enjoy roughly the same temperatures year-round. The Canopy Lodge is at an elevation where the temperatures will be much more comfortable than is typical for July in New Jersey. Nestled in the caldera of an enormous, ancient volcano, the surrounding cloud forest-covered jagged peaks create a serene backdrop, and an inviting climate makes it feel like spring all year-round. Many of the birds we see will be involved with nesting activities, and we could also see some early songbird migrants from the north, as well as some southbound sandpipers during a visit to the Pacific coast. And because of the misconception about heat, there are fewer tourists visiting Panama in July. We have found this to be a wonderful season for visiting the Central American tropics.
PACE, WEATHER, AND TRAVEL CONDITIONS:
Our tour will include a mix of longer, full-day trips, along with days that feature shorter AM/PM trips closer to the lodge. Our pace will be generally easy and at a slow, “birding” speed while on walks. The climate is moderate and refreshing in the area of the lodge, with chances for occasional rain showers. Warmer temperatures can be expected during daytrips to the lowlands. Roads are generally good and travel is primarily in comfortable, small buses.
GROUP SIZE: Tour size is limited to 10 participants.
ACTIVITY LEVEL: Moderate
The trip involves light to moderate amounts of walking but no strenuous hikes, with roads and trails in generally good condition. Extensive field time is balanced with well-placed breaks and meals.
DATES:
Wednesday, July 23 to Wednesday, July 30, 2025.
PRICE:
Cost for the tour is $3,040 per person, based on double occupancy. Single supplement (if we cannot find you a roommate, or you request single) is $300. The number of single rooms available is limited. A deposit of $300 will hold your place until May 23, 2025, when full payment is due.
PRICE INCLUDES:
Services of two guides, airport transfers, lodge accommodations, meals associated with stay at the lodge, all ground transportation in Panama, park entrance fees. Tour starts and ends in Panama City.
Price does not include: Airfare to/from Panama City, airport taxes, passport/visa fees, alcohol, personal items, travel insurance, or tips.
PLEASE NOTE:
Your passport must be valid for at least six (6) months beyond your travel dates.
SEND DEPOSITS & OTHER PAYMENTS TO:
NJ Audubon Eco-Travel, c/o Rene’ Buccinna, 2350 Route 47 North, Building 1, Woodbine, NJ 08270. Email [email protected] Please make checks payable to New Jersey Audubon. Visa, MasterCard, American Express and Discover are also accepted.
ITINERARY
Day 1: Upon arrival at Panama City, we will transfer to the Canopy Lodge. Our first official gathering will consist of dinner and some down time to get acquainted with the lodge.
Day 2: An early start will consist of breakfast at the lodge and then a morning visit to Las Minas. There is an excellent path for birding here, with breathtaking scenery. This can be a good area to search for Wedge-tailed Grass-Finch, Black-crowned Antpitta, various tanagers and hummingbirds, and even some raptors. After a lunch break at the lodge, we’ll head to nearby Cara Iguana to do some birding in the Pacific dry forest. Some of the birds we could potentially see here include Lance-tailed Manakin, Rosy Thrush-Tanager, Tody Motmot, and White-bellied Antbird. Dinner back at Canopy Lodge.
Day 3: After another enjoyable breakfast, we’ll head to La Mesa Road, just 15 minutes from the lodge. The farms and pastures here mix with secondary forest to host specialties such as Spot-crowned Barbet, Cinnamon Becard, several tanagers and hummingbirds, and Spot-crowned Antvireo. In the afternoon, we’ll make another 15-minute drive from the lodge to visit Mata Ahogado Road. This is another location that can hold Rosy Thrush-Tanager and Tody Motmot, along with Black-headed Saltator, Great Antshrike, and White-ruffed Manakin.
Day 4: Today we take a full-day trip down to the Pacific Lowlands, complete with lunch at the beach! Lots to see in different habitats today, and we’ll search for the endemic Veraguan Mango, along with Golden-fronted Greenlet, Crested Bobwhite, Brown-throated Parakeet, Blue Ground Dove, and Sapphire-throated Hummingbird, among a host of other fun possibilities. Along the Pacific coast we could spot Royal and Elegant Terns, Brown Booby, and others, including some of the first southbound migrating shorebirds.
Day 5: Our morning field trip takes us to Cerro Gaital, another quick drive from the lodge. Here, we get to experience the cloud forest. We’ll search for Black Guan, Gray-headed Kite, White Hawk, Black-headed Antthrush, Northern Emerald-Toucanet, and so much else in this lovely protected area. After lunch at the lodge, we’ll head back out Valle Chiquito, where we’ll take some short walks to look for Sepia-capped Flycatcher, Yellow-billed Cacique, Black-headed Tody-Flycatcher, Little Tinamou, and several wren species.
Day 6: Today we head over to the Caribbean slope, with a full day scheduled to explore this region. This under-birded area gives us the opportunity to find a number of new species, with specialties including Barred Puffbird, Spot-crowned Barbet, and Sulphur-rumped Tanager. Other possibilities include Black Hawk-Eagle, Band-rumped Swift, Black-chested Jay, and various hummingbirds. We’ll enjoy lunch along the Jordanal River before birding our way back to Canopy Lodge.
Day 7: Our final day features one last full-day trip, this time to Altos Del Maria. We’ll again depart after breakfast and travel in SUVs, heading up into the mountains. We traverse the continental divide, eventually arriving in the cloud forest at 3,600ft. Birds we’ll search for here include Yellow-eared Toucanet, Barred Forest-Falcon, Collared Trogon, Red-faced Spinetail, Russet Antshrike, Sulphur-rumped Flycatcher, Gray-breasted Wood-Wren, and again various tanagers. A number of hummingbirds are possible here, including the Brown-billed Scythebill. We’ll enjoy a field picnic and then do some more birding in this region during the afternoon, returning to the lodge around mid-afternoon before our final dinner.
Day 8: After breakfast, we’ll take one last look around the gardens and at the feeders, then head back to Panama City for flights home.
Note: this is a general itinerary and is subject to change based on local conditions, recent sightings, and other considerations.
TOUR LEADERS:
Tom Reed is the Migration Count Coordinator for NJ Audubon’s Cape May Bird Observatory, responsible for overseeing the observatory’s migration monitoring programs, community science initiatives, and the Monarch Monitoring Project. In addition to Eco-Travel, “TR” also plays a role in our Guide-for-Hire and School of Birding programs. Each year he pens Cape May’s annual bird report- a full accounting of every species recorded in a given year, and the only effort of its kind in North America! Tom Reed has a passion for birds and birding and is passionate about sharing his knowledge with others. As the Migration Count Coordinator, Tom has studied bird migration not only in Cape May but at other internationally known migration watches including Hawk Ridge in Duluth. He has traveled widely throughout the US, along with multiple trips to Central America, Europe, and the Middle East. Tom co-led the 2024 Minnesota in Winter Tour.
TEXAS: THE LOWER RIO GRANDE VALLEY
November 12—20, 2025
Led by Scott Barnes and Dave Irons
GENERAL INFORMATION:
One of the premier destinations for birding in the U.S., the Lower Rio Grande Valley has over 30 species of birds found nowhere else in the states. Ecologically, this area is the northern most extension of the Tamaulipan thorn-scrub habitat of northeastern Mexico. From colorful Green Jays and Great Kiskadees to more subtle specialties like Long-billed Thrasher and Olive Sparrow, there are always lots of birds to see and search for in the valley. In some years rarities from Mexico appear—and although not expected, past NJA tours have seen Masked Duck, Hook-billed Kite, Tropical Parula, and Blue Bunting. Many resident species should be active and visible, and wintering waterfowl, shorebirds, and warbler flocks should keep us busy. Places we are likely to visit include Laguna Atascosa and Santa Ana National Wildlife Refuges, Estero Llano Grande, Resaca de La Palma, and Falcon State Parks, and Frontera Audubon Thicket. Some of the many species we should encounter include Least Grebe, Buff-bellied Hummingbird, Common Paraque, White-tailed and Harris’s Hawks, Plain Chachalaca, Ringed and Green Kingfishers, Golden-fronted Woodpecker, Northern Beardless-Tyrannulet, Black-crested Titmouse, Altamira and Audubon’s Orioles.
PACE, WEATHER, AND TRAVEL CONDITIONS:
Our days in the field usually begin about 7:00 a.m. and will generally end by 6:00 p.m. A few evening outings are possible to see parrots coming to roost (mostly Red-crowned Parrot and Green Parakeet) and to bird the Rio Grande at a productive time of day. The trip involves easy walking on flat ground. One some days we may spend 2-3 hours walking and standing as we bird.
Temperatures can be variable at this time of year, but will likely be warm to hot, with high humidity. Expect a temperature range from lows in the mid-50’s to highs in the mid-80’s. Rain is always possible, so bring a poncho or rain jacket. Biting insects such as mosquitoes or chiggers may be present.
Travel during this tour will be in vans, with no more than 7 participants plus a leader in one van. Additional van if warranted. Tour size is limited to 12 participants.
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.
DATES: Wednesday November 12, 2025 (meet at our hotel in at 7:00 p.m.) to Thursday November 20, 2025 (flights home anytime that day).
PRICE: Estimated cost for this tour is $3,195 based on double occupancy; single supplement (if we are unable to find you a roommate, or if you request single occupancy) is $400. A deposit of $500 will hold your place until September 6, 2025 when full payment becomes due.
PRICE INCLUDES:
Hotel accommodations for seven (7) nights, tour leadership, ground transportation while in Texas, and entry fees. It does not include meals, incidentals, personal items or airfare to/from Texas.
SEND DEPOSITS & OTHER PAYMENTS TO:
NJ Audubon, c/o Rene’ Buccinna/Eco-Travel, 2350 Route 47 North, Building 1, Woodbine, NJ 08270 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 has compiled the Sandy Hook Christmas Bird Count for over twenty years, served for thirteen years on the New Jersey Bird Records Committee, led for See Life Paulagics tours for nineteen years and leads on Hillstar Nature Pelagic trips, serves on the NJ Waterfowl Stamp Advisory Committee, teaches Beginner Birding Courses for Princeton Adult School, 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 internationally in Belize, Guatemala, Honduras, Panama, Spain, and Trinidad & Tobago. Scott has led five previous tours to south Texas and has birded the valley several additional times.
Dave Irons had the good fortune to have parents who were birders and went on his first birding outings at age six. During his senior year 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. Dave has been a field trip leader annually on the Rio Grande Valley Birding Festival since 2011. 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. He and his wife Shawneen Finnegan make their home in Beaverton, Oregon and they are the eBird review coordinators for Oregon.
Tom Reed is the Migration Count Coordinator for NJ Audubon’s Cape May Bird Observatory, responsible for overseeing the observatory’s migration monitoring programs, community science initiatives, and the Monarch Monitoring Project. In addition to Eco-Travel, “TR” also plays a role in our Guide-for-Hire and School of Birding programs. Each year he pens Cape May’s annual bird report- a full accounting of every species recorded in a given year, and the only effort of its kind in North America! Tom Reed has a passion for birds and birding and is passionate about sharing his knowledge with others. As the Migration Count Coordinator, Tom has studied bird migration not only in Cape May but at other internationally known migration watches. He has traveled widely throughout the US, along with multiple trips to Central America, Europe, and the Middle East. After all, you never know what will show up at Cape May, so you have to be ready for anything.
George Armistead, a birder since the age of nine, has a long history in connecting people with nature through guided trips and expedition travel. Leading field trips since his teenage years he began guiding tours professionally in 2002. After 20 years of developing and guiding tours to dozens of countries across all seven continents, he formed Hillstar Nature with the goal of bringing together a team who can provide fulfilling and authentic wildlife experiences. George has authored two books on birds including Contact us at : [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
Attn: René Buccinna
2350 Route 47 North, Bldg. 1
Woodbine, NJ 08270
Phone: 609-400-3852
Email: [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.