peregrine falcon

The New Jersey Meadowlands has been my home for almost all my life. Growing up birding and exploring this very special place has given me a wonderful, unique childhood and blessed me with the love of nature that will be with me always.

To say the least it has meant so very much to me that I have had the honor and privilege of helping to pass on what I love by leading nature walks in the Meadowlands for going on 10 years. Bergen County Audubon Society’s partnership with the NJ Meadowlands Commission and now the NJSEA has allowed us to introduce people to the wonders of the Meadowlands like never before.

The comeback of New Jersey Meadowlands is one of the most amazing environmental success stories in the country – from a place which was once left for dead and suffered some of the worse environmental abuses that could be imagined to today have become one of the best urban birding places in the United States. An achievement very much worth celebrating. On Saturday, October 7th Bergen County Audubon Society and the NJSEA will hold the Meadowlands Birding Festival, an event long overdue.

Our Meadowlands has documented more than 280 species of birds that have visited the water, fields and woods of this unique habitat, many of which are threatened or endangered species, a testament to how important the Meadowlands is to protecting and preserving our wildlife for future generations to come.

There are not too many things in our environment today that we can say have gotten better and yet the Meadowlands has. It is a true environmental victory , one that needs to be bragged about, celebrated and held up high as an example for future generations to prove that we can do anything when good people stand up for what is right

Our Meadowlands Birding Festival will be free of charge so everyone, no matter who you are, can come out and learn to love the Meadowlands the way we all do.

The Festival will be held at Richard W. DeKorte Park in Lyndhurst and will feature Keynote speaker Richard Crossley, an internationally acclaimed birder, photographer and award winning author.

We will have live birds of prey demonstrations by Giselle Smisko of the Avian Wildlife Center, a nature talk and wildlife photography seminar by Jim Wright and Ron Shields, pontoon boat trips by the Hackensack Riverkeeper, bird walks to places like Harrier Meadow and even events for children will make the festival a true celebration of this unique and incredible place that I grew up being so passionate about.

I hope you will join me in the Meadowlands on this very special day so that we can all celebrate together  what the Meadowlands has become and what we all hope it will always will be .

To register for the Meadowlands Birding Festival and to see a full schedule of events click here