Here are some of the upcoming field trips I will be leading in my home region.

Cape May: Our home is in Cape May for a reason -- this is a superb natural history destination.  Nature enthusiasts can find much to enjoy in this seaside locale at any time of year, but Cape May really shines in autumn, when literally millions of southbound birds and insects pass through our airspace.  Enjoy it all from the shadows of the stately Cape May Point lighthouse on any of these programs. 

Road Scholar (formerly Exploritas, formerly Elderhostel): In 2012 I will again be leading Road Scholar birding programs at Cape May.  Birds are the primary focus, but a tiny taste of Cape May’s history and culture are also included, thanks to co-leader Bob Heinly, also known as “Dr. Emlen Physick” and “The Beachchair Birder.”  For details check the website www.elderhostel.org.  The Cape May birding Road Scholar programs for 2012 are scheduled for May 13 - 18, Sept. 23 - 28, and October 14 - 17.

ANS field trips:  The next field trips I will be leading for the Audubon Naturalist Society visit Cape May at the cusp of winter and spring, March 2 - 4, a time when early spring migration is underway, American Woodcocks are engaged in their elaborate courtship displays, Scoters and Gannets are abundant offshore, and frogs are beginning to sing.  See details of all upcoming ANS programs at: www.audubonnaturalist.org.

NJ Audubon Cape May Spring Festival and Fall Weekend:  The New Jersey Audubon Society annually sponsors 2 annual events jam-packed with activities, from field walks and boat trips to presentations, workshops, displays, and dinner banquets with noted speakers.  The next programs are scheduled for October May 17 - 21 and October 26 - 28, 2012.  Contact the Cape May Bird Observatory for details, www.cmbo.org or (609) 884-2736.

Audubon Naturalist Society forays:  Watch the ANS publications to see all the trips I’ll be leading in the mid-Atlantic region in 2012.  Next one, “Soggy Bogs, Tiny Trees, and Walks on the Wild Side,” will be in the NJ Pine Barrens June 23 - 24.  This surprisingly wild region features rare plants, bizarre plant communities (such as the “pygmy forests”), and miles of back roads where you rarely pass another car.

New River Birding & Nature Festival:  I will be returning to West Virginia’s New River region next spring for this wonderful, relaxed and warbler-rich birding festival.  I can’t think of a better place to be at the end of April and beginning of May!  The festival runs from April 30 to May 5 in 2012.  Details won’t be ready for a while, but for more info check the website http://www.birding-wv.com.

Private Tours: Want to set up a field trip or tour for a group of friends or family?  We can do this for you!  I have planned and led private tours to Costa Rica, Alaska, the Pacific Northwest, Tanzania, and of course around Cape May and other areas close to home.  Drop me a note by e-mail if you’d like to explore this possibility.

Speaking gigs:  Every year I give talks to a few birding clubs, nature festivals, etc.  In recent years I’ve given the talk, “The Wilds of Alaska” for the Smithsonian in Washington, and “Tropical Birds Do the Coolest Things” to many different groups.  The latest talks, “Birds are Crazy!” and “101 Great Birds from Around the World,” have been well received at several venues.  I’ve also been a featured speaker for the Rio Grande Valley Birding Festival in southern Texas, and at the New River Birding and Wildlife Festival.  I’ve presented programs to various Audubon groups and birding clubs in Pennsylvania, New Jersey, Maryland, and beyond.  The most recent talk was to the Midwest Birding Symposium, in Ohio, in September 2011.  Next will be a talk on monarch butterflies at Bowman’s Hill Wildflower Preserve on Jan. 29.  Interested in having me speak to your group?  Contact me at mgnature@mac.com for rates and scheduling information.