Let the countdown begin – The Meadowlands Eagle Festival is this Sunday, Jan. 11! The event is an awesome opportunity to kick off the New Year with a special day devoted to all things eagle!

The return of our national symbol to the Meadowlands after being on the verge of extinction is an amazing story that underscores the area’s environmental comeback.

The festival, co-presented by the New Jersey Sports and Exposition Authority and the Bergen County Audubon Society, is from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. at DeKorte Park and the Meadowlands Environment Center in Lyndhurst.

This celebration of the majestic raptor is packed with fantastic activities for all ages, including eagle watch walks, talks, plenty of kid’s activities, a host of information tables, live raptors, a raptor photography workshop, music and more. Kids are encouraged to bring their eagle artwork!

Renowned author Tina Morris will sign copies of her acclaimed book, “Return to the Sky: The Reintroduction of the Bald Eagle.” Morris will also be among those honored by the BCAS as they present their 2025 Frank M. Chapman Awards and Harold Feinstein Awards. Visitors can meet author and photographer Kevin Karlson, who will also receive the Frank M. Chapman Award.

DeKorte Park and the Meadowlands Environment Center are located at 1 DeKorte Park Plaza.

For all of your Eagle Festival inquiries, contact BCAS President Don Torino at greatauk4@gmail.com or 201-230-4983.

Credit: Tariq Zehawi/NorthJersey.com

A big thanks to Jim Wright, whose article, Celebrate our nation’s symbol at North Jersey bald eagle festival, appears on northjersey.com and celeryfarm.net Jim details all of the great activities happening at the Meadowlands Eagle Festival on Sunday, Jan. 11, from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. at DeKorte Park and the Meadowlands Environment Center in Lyndhurst. The festival is co-hosted by the NJSEA and the Bergen County Audubon Society.

The article details the amazing return of Bald Eagles to the Meadowlands and New Jersey, from the verge of extinction to 264 active Bald Eagle nests in 2024, including roughly a dozen nests in Bergen and Passaic counties.

Join us on Sunday, Jan. 11, to join Eagle Watch Walks, attend talks, see some live raptors, and much more.

DeKorte Park and the Meadowlands Environment Center are located at 2 DeKorte Park Plaza in Lyndhurst.

For more information, contact Don Torino at greatauk4@gmail.com or 201-230-4983.

Full schedule:

Celebrate the New Year with the Bergen County Audubon Society as they lead a walk through DeKorte Park, the jewel of the Meadowlands park system.

Please Note: The park will open for the walk at 9:30 a.m. – it is not opening at 7 a.m. – and close promptly following the walk.

Meet outside the Meadowlands Environment Center, 2 DeKorte Park Plaza, Lyndhurst.

Information: Don Torino at 201-230-4983 or greatauk4@gmail.com

Please note the following schedule for the NJSEA administrative offices and DeKorte Park for Wednesday, Dec. 31, though Friday, Jan. 2.

Dec. 31 – Offices close at noon.

Jan. 1 – Offices and DeKorte Park closed.

Jan. 2 – Offices closed.

Tina Morris will sign copies of her acclaimed book, “Return to the Sky: The Reintroduction of the Bald Eagle,” at the Meadowlands Birding Festival on Sunday, Jan. 11, at the Meadowlands Environment Center in DeKorte Park, Lyndhurst. The festival is from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. The festival schedule can be found at the bottom of this post.

“Return to the Sky” is a fascinating journal of Tina Morris’ life and birding journey that brings the page to life through her remarkable storytelling. As the Bald Eagle, our national symbol, was facing extinction in the continental U.S. in 1976, Tina was beginning her graduate work at Cornell University. By luck and circumstance, she was selected to reintroduce the species into New York State in the hope that eagles could repopulate in eastern North America. 

Young, female and wiith no experience, Tina faced the challenges of saving the iconic bird while striving for acceptance in the unfamiliar, male-dominated world of raptor biology. Playing mother to seven eagles forced her to transcend the isolation and tedium of field research to rescue an endangered species while in turn rescuing herself.

More About Tina Morris

Tina Morris completed her graduate work in ornithology and wildlife biology at Cornell in 1978, writing her thesis on the adaptations of hacking techniques to reintroduce Bald Eagles. Following her studies at Cornell, Tina worked for the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and the Nature Conservancy for several years, focusing on endangered species and critical habitat conservation.

She then embarked on a 23-year career teaching English and biology. Since her retirement in 2020, Tina has devoted her time to her own writing, especially creative non-fiction with a science or nature focus. Thirty years ago, with four children in tow, Tina and her husband bought a farm in northern Massachusetts, which they manage as a wildlife sanctuary promoting biodiversity and habitat protection for species in decline.

Celebrate the New Year with the Bergen County Audubon Society as they lead a walk through DeKorte Park, the jewel of the Meadowlands park system.

Please Note: The park will open for the walk at 9:30 a.m. – it is not opening at 7 a.m. – and close promptly following the walk. The park will be listed on the blog and website as closed but will be open for this short time period.

Meet outside the Meadowlands Environment Center, 2 DeKorte Park Plaza, Lyndhurst.

Information: Don Torino at 201-230-4983 or greatauk4@gmail.com

DeKorte Park has been plowed and is now open. Please use caution as some areas may remain slippery.

Please note the NJSEA and DeKorte Park Hours for Dec. 24-26:

The NJSEA offices will close at noon on Dec. 24. The offices will be closed on Dec. 25 and Dec. 26.

DeKorte Park will be closed on Thursday, Dec. 25.

Have a wonderful holiday!

Bergen County Audubon Society President Don Torino’s interview with Tina Morris for The Nature Connection radio show airs on Sunday, Dec. 28, from 6:30 a.m. to 7 a.m. The Nature Connection runs the fourth Sunday of each month on WFDU FM (89.1) and is archived on the station’s website for the following two weeks.

Tina Morris is a renowned ornithologist and the author of “Return to the Sky: The Reintroduction of the Bald Eagle.” As one of this year’s BCAS Frank M. Chapman Award Winners, Morris will be at the Meadowlands Eagle Festival on Sunday, Jan. 11, at DeKorte Park in Lyndhurst. (See flyer at end of post for festival information).

About Return to the Sky: The Reintroduction of the Bald Eagle, By Tina Morris
As the Bald Eagle, our national symbol, was facing extinction in the continental U.S. in 1976, Tina Morris was beginning her graduate work at Cornell University. By luck and circumstance, she was selected to reintroduce the species into New York State in the hope that eagles could repopulate eastern North America. 

Young, female, with no experience, she faced the challenges of saving this iconic bird while striving for acceptance in the unfamiliar, male-dominated world of raptor biology. Playing mother to seven eagles forced her to transcend the isolation and tedium of field research to rescue an endangered species while in turn rescuing herself.

About Tina Morris

Tina Morris completed her graduate work in ornithology and wildlife biology at Cornell in 1978, writing her thesis on the adaptations of hacking techniques to reintroduce Bald Eagles. Following her studies at Cornell, she worked for the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and the Nature Conservancy for several years, focusing on endangered species and critical habitat conservation, before embarking on a 23-year career teaching English and biology. Since her retirement in 2020, she has devoted her time to her own writing, especially creative non-fiction with a science or nature focus. Thirty years ago, with four children in tow, Tina and her husband bought a farm in northern Massachusetts, which they manage as a wildlife sanctuary promoting biodiversity and habitat protection for species in decline.

Parent Alert – The NJSEA and Bergen County Audubon Society have a great, educational activity for kids during the holiday break: Eagle Artwork!

Kids who bring their Eagle Artwork to the Meadowlands Eagle Festival on Sunday, Jan. 11, can take pride in supporting the proud raptor that represents the country. Participants will receive a prize while supplies last.

The Meadowlands Eagle Festival is Sunday, Jan. 11, from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. at the Meadowlands Environment Center, 2 DeKorte Park Plaza, Lyndhurst. The full schedule is below.

See you on Jan. 11!