If you have ever heard melodic sounds from your backyards, or caught a glimpse of something maneuvering stealthily through the tree limbs or shrub bushes, and wondered what is that – then you will know or learn the value of the Space Coast Birding and Wildlife Festival (SCBWF).For decades the Space Coast has been pairing the curious amateur with the top expert birders in the country together for five days of fun and camaraderie.

Are you new to Florida and curious for a way to safely see and learn about the natural side of the state, then you need to know that SCBWF offers the most ways to see different Florida environs, along with meeting so many other birders and naturalists from across the state!

Join us as we celebrate the 25th Space Coast and Birding Wildlife Festival. The official festival bird in 2024 will be the Sandhill Crane, chosen because cranes represent aspiration, travel, open mindedness, and inspire us to honor the miracles of nature around us.  That is the Space Coast’s birding claim to fame – the abundance and variety of habitats and birds we love to show off in January!

Festival planning is in the preliminary stages and this site will be continually updated as speakers, field trips, photographers, sponsors, and exhibitors are finalized.  Please be sure to enter your email address so you are kept informed as planning progresses. There are so many reasons not to allow the disruptions of the past few years to take away from one of the largest, most comprehensive birding and wildlife festivals in the country. Come join us, we are not flying into extinction, we are coming back better than ever!

Schedule of Events:

Wednesday, January 24, 2024

Speaker Schedule:

4:00pm: Sharon Stiteler, The Bird Chick, ” Todays Office”

Talk Description: For over 20 years, Sharon Stiteler successfully lived up to her goal to get paid to go birding. She’s written books, created an online tv series, hosted a birding podcast, conducted bird surveys, appeared in a birding reality show, and worked as a field trip leader. During the pandemic she decided that bears actually pay more money and shifted careers to working inside Denali National Park and Preserve in Alaska. Through her work she has had many hilarious incidents happen while trying to do her job including life changing moments in bird surveys, birding in nude beaches, and trying to decide to date a birder versus a non-birder.

Sharon Stiteler – Bio – Sharon Stiteler is known online as “The Birdchick” and is an OG bird blogger and writer who helped popularize the phrase “cobra chicken” to refer to Canada Geese in her book North American Bird Watching for Beginners. She’s written several books on birds and one on rabbits as well as appeared on NBC Nightly News, National Public Radio, and several podcasts answering bird questions. Her writing has been found in several publications from Audubon Magazine to The Washington Post. She currently works and resides inside Denali National Park and Preserve in Alaska. She escapes down to the Rio Grande Valley, Texas whenever winter storms will allow it.

Limit 100 Registrants $20

Presentations:

Presentations are FREE with the purchase of a Full & Weekend Conference Registration

1:15PM – 2:15PM: Digiscoping Birds & Wildlife Made Easy

Jeff Bouton & Robert Wilson, KOWA

Talk Description: Join Robert & Jeff as they cover digiscoping basics and review gear, tips & tricks. The subsequent field component will include personalized hands-on demonstrations teaching attendees how to get the best results in the field using hacks, and simplistic shortcuts for best bets using mobile phones & cameras through spotting scopes and binoculars to capture images of wildlife. Harnessing the powerful magnification of a spotting scope to reach unmatched focal lengths of up to 5,000 mm lens equivalents offers unique photographic challenges and field craft makes a huge difference on quality of images. Come pick the brains of the pros, and learn how to take stunning images, preserve your wildlife images or even document your rare sightings simply and effectively! There will be a short 30-40 minute classroom session coupled with a field component for possibly 2 hours of comprehensive workshop. If accessible it seems the nearby Manatee Sanctuary Park (1/2 mile due west of hotel) could provide an easy location for field craft.

Bio – Jeff Bouton has worked as a bird bander, field research biologist, professional bird tour guide and as an optics professional for over 35 years. He has written dozens of articles for major birding magazines and had hundreds of digiscoped images published here as well. He’s been a featured speaker and guide at Space Coast dating back to 1999 and a digiscoping pioneer for 2 decades. Robert Wilson is a career photographer retired from Lockheed Martin, who discovered digiscoping after retiring and quickly converting from traditional methods to being a digiscoping junkie as well.

Location:  Jamaica Room

1:15PM – 2:15PM: Steve Ingraham’s 7-Fold Path to Better Birding

Steven Ingraham, Point and Shoot Nature Photography

Talk Description: A lighthearted look at all the things you might wish someone would tell you about how birders learn to bird. Something here for beginners and seasoned birders. It is not about identification, it is about recognition. Based on Steve Ingraham’s 7 Fold Path to Better Birding: the book.

Bio – Steve Ingraham has been a birder for over 40 years. He is well known around the community, as for 12 years he was the “ZEISS” guy at birding festivals and events. He currently publishes The Point and Shoot Nature Photographer website, and is active teaching birding and photography in workshops nationwide and around the world.

Location: Bermuda Room

1:15PM – 2:15PM: Taking a Peak at Bird Beaks

Dee Simpson, Birding with David Simpson

Talk Description: Using puppets, models and somewhat off-beat demonstrations, Dee will answer all the questions you might have about bird beaks – What are they made of? How are they used? Did that bird just stick his tongue out at me?

Bio – Dee is the creative side of Birding with David Simpson. She uses her skills as a Florida Master Naturalist to design the classes that she and David teach. In addition, she also creates the props and videos used in their classes. Dee also photographs and writes a daily blog (http://www.deeat8am.com) that she uses to entertain and educate people about the flora and fauna of Florida. She has self-published 2 books based on her blog. Her latest book is The Rhyming Guide to Florida Spiders.

Location: Antigua Room

2:30PM – 3:30PM: Call of The Wild: The Amazing Sounds of Florida’s Wildlife

David A Mann, Haikubox

Talk Description: In this captivating talk, David delves into the symphony of animal sounds that resonate throughout the diverse ecosystems of Florida. From the mesmerizing underwater harmonies of fish choruses, dolphins’ melodic whistles, and manatees’ endearing squeaks, to the alluring calls of Florida’s bird species, this talk unveils the intricate auditory world of the Sunshine State. Along the way, you’ll learn about new cutting-edge birdsong detection technology being used to build a community science monitoring network. David will share distinctive audio recordings to showcase the vast array of living creatures that enrich Florida’s distinctive acoustic environment, underscoring their significance and the importance of safeguarding these fragile ecosystems for the benefit of future generations.

Bio – David has extensive experience in bioacoustics research and scientific instrumentation development. He earned his PhD in Biological Oceanography from MIT and the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution, followed by 12 years as a faculty member at the University of South Florida where his lab studied hearing and acoustic communication in fishes and marine mammals.  In 2003, he founded Loggerhead Instruments to design and sell underwater acoustic equipment for scientific research. Haikubox was hatched when David and a long-time colleague at the Cornell Lab of Ornithology envisioned an automatic birdsong identification product developed and sold by Loggerhead Instruments which incorporates technology created at the Lab.

Location: Jamaica Room

2:30PM – 3:30PM: Conservation & Wildlife of the Western Caribbean, Bocas del Toro, Panama

Jim Kimball, Tranquilo Bay Eco Adventure Lodge

Talk Description: Bocas del Toro, Panama, is not only unique, but also breathtaking! There are few places on earth where you can see all life-zones known to the Tropics, and we’re one of them. Bocas del Toro could be the most ecologically diverse place on planet Earth, we just haven’t found everything yet. Endemism of the local flora and fauna is off the charts. There are over 70 regionally endemic species of birds alone. A biological corridor of connected protected areas, creates an extremely important zone for altitudinal tropical migrants, that rely on high altitude and low humid coastal forests to support their breading and seasonal fruit foraging. The same habitat is also crucial for all the North American migrants we know and love. We created a 700- acre reserve, including all stakeholders, to ensure that local habitats are protected and to provide a sustainable way of life for future stakeholders.

Bio – Jim Kimball, is an owner/operator of Tranquilo Bay Eco Adventure Lodge in Bocas del Toro, Panama. He has lived on sight for over 20-years with his wife and business partner, creating a world class, full service, wildlife preserve. In doing so, they have in protection nearly 700-acres of old growth Low humid Atlantic forest in the Western Caribbean, a habitat vitally important to an extraordinary cornucopia of regionally endemic species of flora and fauna.

Location: Antigua Room

Thursday, January 25, 2024

Speaker Schedule:

4:00pm: Kevin Loughlin and John C. Kricher, Co-Authors, “Galapagos Islands, A Journey of Wonder”

Talk Description: At one time the islands were only a way station for whalers and pirates.  Then the Galápagos Islands, an archipelago 600 miles west of the coast of Ecuador, found a new identity when a young British man, Charles Darwin, arrived during the voyage of the HMS Beagle in September 1835.  Darwin spent several weeks exploring four of the main islands and his observations were pivotal to his eventual realization that organisms change with time, that they evolve and adapt. Today the Galápagos finches remain a clear and unambiguous example of the reality and ongoing nature of evolution by natural selection.

Kevin Loughlin, owner of Wildside Nature Tours, and ecologist John Kricher—co-authors of the book Galápagos: A Natural History (Princeton University Press 2022)—take pleasure in the opportunity to discuss the unique and enigmatic fauna and flora of the Galápagos Islands. Together they will share their adventures while delving into the remarkable natural history of the archipelago, while Kevin’s colorful photographs, taken while leading 48 tours to the Galapagos, fill the screen.

Kevin Loughlin [pronounced LOCK-lin] – Bio – Kevin Loughlin has been photographing the natural world for over 50 years. He founded Wildside Nature Tours in 1993 and has been leading birding tours and photo workshops ever since. Kevin’s articles and photographs have been published in numerous magazines such as Birding, Outdoor Photographer, Nature Photographer, Living Bird and others. Although Kevin travels the world over, one of his favorite destinations is the Galapagos Islands, and has led 46 tours to this amazing archipelago. Co-authored with John Kricher, Kevin’s new book GALAPAGOS: A NATURAL HISTORY includes over 650 of Kevin’s photos

John Kricher – Bio – John Kricher was a Professor of Biology at Wheaton College, Norton, Massachusetts since 1970, until he recently retired. A graduate of Temple (B.A.) and Rutgers Universities (Ph.D.), Dr. Kricher teaches courses in ecology, ornithology, and vertebrate evolution.

John has conducted Earthwatch-sponsored research on migrant birds on their wintering grounds in Belize and is the author of over 100 papers and articles in scientific journals, magazines, and newspapers. His most recent books are The New Neotropical Companion (2017) and Tropical Ecology (2011), both published by Princeton University Press. He has also authored The Balance of Nature: Ecology’s Enduring Myth (Princeton University Press 2009), Galapagos: A Natural History, published in hard-cover by Smithsonian Institution Press (2002) and in soft-cover by Princeton University Press (2006). Other books include three ecology field guides (Eastern Forests, Rocky Mountain and Southwestern Forests, California and Pacific Northwest Forests) in the Peterson series. His widely-used book, A Neotropical Companion has been translated into Spanish through the Birders’ Exchange Program of the American Birding Association and the third edition, The New Neotropical Companion, was released in 2017. He most recently co-authored Galapagos: A Natural History 2nd Edition, also published by Princeton University Press (2022).

John is a Fellow in the American Ornithologists Union and has served as president of the Association of Field Ornithologists, the Wilson Ornithological Society, and the Nuttall Ornithological Club. He has been a member of the boards of directors of the Manomet Center for Conservation Sciences, the New Jersey Audubon Society, and the American Birding Association.

Limit 100 Registrants $20

Presentations:

Presentations are FREE with the purchase of a Full & Weekend Conference Registration

1:15PM – 2:15PM: Battles of Midway Atoll – Restoring paradise for seabirds and birdwatchers

David Grant, Shark Research Institute

Talk Description: Located in the Pacific’s most isolated island archipelago, World Heritage Site Papah?naumoku?kea harbors a world of superlatives, including the planet’s largest albatross colony, and a refuge for hundreds of endangered and endemic species.

Join Island Conservation and millions of seabirds during the largest island restoration effort ever attempted on Midway Atoll. The project required the capture, isolation and protection of native species and removal of invasive rodents – which attack nesting seabirds – including the million albatrosses.

The project coincided with the 81st Memorial of the great naval battle against the Japanese Navy in WWII, and participants celebrated that victory with three surviving veterans. Dave Grant will guide us with a bird’s-eye view through the epic naval engagement, stories of legendary sharks that cruise these waters, and the ongoing struggles to save and protect this exceptional paradise for seabirds and birdwatchers.

Bio – Conservation Director – Shark Research Institute, Princeton, NJ, and past director of Brookdale College’s Ocean Institute at Sandy Hook, NJ. He has researched oceanography and birds for NOAA, USNPS, USF&WS; taught at Rutgers University Dept. of Meteorology; and studied shark fisheries in the Atlantic and Pacific. Most recently he co-directed the Women Researchers In Science – Journey to the Sea of Cortez Expedition; participated in climate monitoring, albatross surveys, biological research on Laysan duck disease and recovery, and invasive species removal at Papahanaumokuakea – Midway Atoll; and completed his ninth Antarctic cruise.

Location: Antigua Room

1:15PM – 2:15PM: Mixing Birding and Photography – yes, you can!

Clay Taylor, Swarovski Optik

Talk Description: Clay will give a brief recap of bird photography from 35mm cameras to digital, and how the landscape of birding has changed because of it. We will discuss the different options that birders have available for taking bird photos in the field – DSLRs and Mirrorless ILC cameras with telephoto lenses, SuperZoom cameras and of course Smart Phones. SmartPhone cameras can be used to shoot through binoculars, while both phones and DSLR / ILCs can take high-magnification images through spotting scopes (aka Digiscoping).  The Pros and Cons of each system will be discussed, with tips for getting the best quality out of each one.

Bio – Clay Taylor started birding in 1975 using only a Nikon Ftn camera with 500mm f/8 Nikkor mirror lens to both ID and photograph birds. At that time, VERY few birders carried cameras and most rarities were documented with field sketches and extensive written descriptions.  Almost 50 years later, almost every birder carries some kind of a digital camera or SmartPhone and images are the preferred proof for eBird sightings. He started working for Swarovski Optik in 1999 and bought his first digital camera in 2001. When cameras were incorporated into cell phones, Clay took one of the first “Phonecoping” images in 2005, and to this day he is always looking at the newest imaging options for birders.

Location: Bermuda Room

2:30PM – 3:30PM: Bird Migration in Iberia (Portugal & Spain)

João Jara, Birds & Nature Tours Portugal

Talk Description: This is a photographic presentation with an emphasis on the importance of the Iberian Peninsula (Portugal & Spain) as a bird migration route between Africa and Central/North Europe. The presentation starts with a brief introduction about the history of the man knowledge about migration. Joao will talk about some of the practical aspects, should you plan a visit.

Bio – João was born in Lisbon and studied Biology at the Faculdade de Ciências de Lisboa, from where he developed his professional career in the pharmaceutical industry, as senior manager and director of various multinational companies. With more than 40 years of field experience, he has an intimate knowledge of the birds and birding in Portugal and Spain. He has travelled extensively in Europe, Africa, Asia and the Americas with birding as the main objective. João was a member of the national board of SPEA (BirdlLife International partner in Portugal) and was a voting member of the Portuguese Rarities Committee from 2005 until 2011 and chairman of the committee from 2007 until 2011. Author and co-author of articles about birds, João is also co-author of the book Where to Watch Birds in Southern Portugal. In 2008, he launched the first Portuguese company totally dedicated to the organization of birdwatching tours, Birds & Nature Tours Portugal, which he manages and guides many of its tours, as well as presenting bird identification courses. Besides birds, he has an active special interest in amphibians, reptiles and fish.

Location: Antigua Room

2:30PM – 3:30PM: Tourism and Birdwatching in Uganda

Kalema Livingstone, Livingstone African Safaris Ltd

Talk Description: UGANDA “The Pearl Of Africa” (Sir Winston Churchill) is gifted by nature, a virgin tourism destination with a variety of flora and fauna, Equatorial climate, rich culture, and has one of Africa’s friendliest people. It hosts National Parks, Game viewing, Gorilla trekking, Chimpanzee tracking, Bird-watching and is the best place to see the ” Shoebill” on boat rides. It’s the home of the biggest number of the world endangered Mountain Gorillas, world primates, capital stunning sceneries, Murchichison Falls (the most powerful falls), Source of the Nile and a rich culture. Named the best tourism destination in 2012.

Bio – Livingstone started loving nature at an early age, taking on field trips with his father who worked at the National Geological department where he used to spend time observing nature. He studied tourism in general, but later trained and specialized as a field guide. He spent several years in Ugandan National Parks studying birds and guiding enthusiastic birders, working with researchers, before joining the private sector where he worked with a few Tour Companies before founding his own company which run birding tours in Uganda and the east African region. He has participated in several local birding events and missions, co-founded Uganda Safari Guides Association, Livingstone’s African Safaris, ground handler of major international birding companies and guided Noah Strycker in 2015 on his Big Year mission while in Uganda. He is now one of the leading bird-guide in Uganda and the East African region.

Location: Bermuda Room

2:30PM – 3:30PM: What Unique Bird Beauties We Have in Florida!

Juanita Baker, Pelican Island Audubon Society

Talk Description:  Juanita N Baker, Ph.D., loves finding art and beauty in nature­—especially if birds are in it! Professor Emerita of Psychology at Florida Institute of Technology, Melbourne, Florida. Full-time faculty: 1984-2007, and since 2011: overseer of the Psychology Science Minute podcast and broadcast on WFIT. Her study of ornithology focuses much on the behavior of birds. With exceptional birding expert David Simpson, Juanita taught the Pelican Island Audubon Society (PIAS), Intensive Beginning Birding Class 2014-2023, plus field trips for 30 students/year, introducing birding to so many new enthusiasts.

Juanita held a Bird Photo of the Month for the PIAS, leading to their publishing of her book, Florida Birds Exposed (2019), with 53 award-winning photographers and their 227 stunning bird photos that bring the birds alive. With passion, Juanita shares her poems and insights, bringing out Florida’s birds’ remarkable characters.

Join this author as she presents her marvelous, Florida Birds Exposed, invaluable to even skilled birders. Come have a conversation with this dynamic author!

Bio –  Juanita Baker, Ph.D., Professor emerita in Psychology, at Florida Institute of Technology. Full-time faculty: 1984-2007, overseer of the Psychology Science Minute podcast, broadcast on WFIT since 2011. Her study of ornithology focuses on the behavior of birds. Her book, Florida Birds Exposed, published by Pelican Island Audubon (2019) Introduces Florida’s birds in all their beauty and uniqueness with 53 Bird Photography award winners, Photo-of-the-Month Pelican Island Audubon Society (PIAS), 2009-2023 award-winning photographers. With exceptional birding expert, David Simpson, Juanita taught the PIAS Intensive Beginning Birding Class/Field Trips 2014-2023. Juanita has engaged in worldwide birding from South America, Africa, Pakistan, to Papua New Guinea.

Location: Jamaica Room

Friday, January 26, 2024

Speaker Schedule:

4:00pm: Laurilee Thompson, “The Story of Rock Shrimp, Calico Scallops and Preserving the Oculina Coral Bank”

Talk Description: 15-30 Miles off the central east coast of Florida lies a narrow strip of mounds made up of the slow-growing ivory bush coral, Oculina varicosa. A deepwater coral that typically only grows 1-2 meters tall, Oculina bush coral flourishes along the edge of the Gulfstream. Here, the species forms massive thickets, and Oculina pinnacles and ridges rise 10 to 30 meters above the ocean floor. The coral thickets support diverse communities of finfish and invertebrates, and consequently have been designated as essential habitat for many species of fish.
Once plagued by World War II-era bombings to destroy German U-boats, fishing impacts, and episodic die-offs, this important ecosystem is now protected in federal waters of the U.S. South Atlantic Bight. Two economically important fisheries exist around the Oculina bank: rock shrimp and calico scallops. Join this popular local storyteller as she shares historic and present-day pictures and videos to tell the story of her family’s journey to introduce rock shrimp to the world and establish protections from fisheries for this unique coral ecosystem, the likes of which are found nowhere else on Earth.

Laurilee Thompson – Bio – Laurilee’s earliest memories are of running wild and free on her grandfather’s fishing pier, hanging out on her father’s dredge, and plucking wildflowers with her grandmother. As soon as she could hold one, a fishing pole was gifted and thus began a life-long love of fishing and the outdoors. She commercially fished in the Indian River Lagoon in her teen years and managed to get an AS in Oceanographic Technology at Florida Tech. Soon after her stint at college, she got a job as a deckhand on a swordfish longliner and the Gulfstream became her new playground.

She quickly learned the differences between estuary and ocean fishing and captained her first commercial longline vessel at the age of 29.

Laurilee left the sea in 1987 to help in her parents’ restaurant, Dixie Crossroads Seafood Restaurant, where she is now a co-owner. Over the years, Laurilee has served on a variety of tourism, environmental and fishery boards. She no longer fishes, instead she concentrates on the restoration of her beloved Indian River Lagoon, which has suffered disastrous impacts from development. She founded the Space Coast Birding and Wildlife Festival in 1997 to educate folks about the wondrous natural resources that bless Florida’s Space Coast, never dreaming the festival would grow into the renowned event that it has become.

Limit 100 Registrants $20

Presentations:

Presentations are FREE with the purchase of a Full & Weekend Conference Registration

12:00PM – 1:00PM: Sparrow Identification

Adam Kent, Florida Ornithological Society

Talk Description: This talk introduces the identification and natural history of sparrows regularly found inland in Florida. Once you understand the basics of the combination of behavior, appearance, and distribution for this fascinating group of birds, you can begin to chip away at the term “little brown job” and get more out of your sparrowing experience.

Bio – An Anhinga sparked Adam’s passion for birds when he was a little kid. Since then, an enthusiasm for the natural world has led him to a variety of jobs included assessing sites for the Great Florida Birding Trail, working as Florida’s first Scrub-Jay Conservation Coordinator, and as a biologist and natural history tour leader. He also conducts Breeding Bird Surveys, Christmas Bird Counts, and other bird surveys. Adam is a past President of the Florida Ornithological Society and is on the steering committee of Florida’s second Breeding Bird Atlas. Adam has been leading bird identification workshops since the 1990s.

Location: Jamaica Room

1:15PM – 2:15PM: Beginning Tips for Photographing Birds

Mike Amico, OM SYSTEM

Talk Description: Join OM SYSTEM Rep Mike Amico for a presentation to help you go from birder to bird photographer! In this class, Mike will go over gear selection and basic camera settings, as well as some of the system features that will help you on your journey. Don’t currently have an OM SYSTEM camera? Many of these tips will help you no matter which camera kit you’re using! After the presentation Mike will be available for a Q&A.

Bio – After attending Ringling College of Art and Design with a passion for the Arts, Mike Amico entered the Photography industry as both a trainer and a salesman. This is where he has spent the past twenty-three years of his life. While Photography over the past few years has become more “creating the moment” and Mike enjoys this aspect of the art, he also tries to capture the moment the way only a photographer can. “Composing a scene through the viewfinder is an amazing feeling! Freezing the action and catching a detail that only I can see is what really makes me love the art of Photography.” Through his wide range of subject matter, Mike enjoys teaching others about the art of photography and his process in order to help others to achieve a better understanding of the craft. Mike is a Technical Account Manager for OM SYSTEM Cameras.

Location: Bermuda Room

1:15PM – 2:15PM: Demystifying Birding in Colombia – One Bird at a Time

Giovani Ortiz, Icaro Birding

Talk Description: Step into the world of an avid birder and discover Colombia’s birding wonders in all of its splendor! Explore the country’s most biodiverse regions, including the Andes Cordillera, the stunning Santa Marta mountains on the Caribbean Coast, and the captivating Amazon foothills.

Our presentation will introduce you to the iconic birds that make Colombia their home. You’ll be captivated by their colors, unique behaviors, and incredible songs. This is an invitation to immerse yourself in the magic of birding in Colombia and embark on a future adventure with us. Welcome to the birdiest country on earth!

Bio – Greetings, I’m Giovani, a Colombian birder on a mission to showcase our remarkable avian diversity in the world’s birdiest country. My journey with Icaro Birding began five years ago when I watched a documentary highlighting the sheer number of bird species in Colombia. Inspired, I joined a local birding club in New Orleans, where I was residing at the time. This marked the beginning of a fantastic adventure I’m eager to share with all of you.

Location: Jamaica Room

1:15PM – 2:15PM: Smartphone Birding

Sharon Stiteler, Swarovski Optik

Talk Description: Sure, we all know Merlin can help us ID birds and we can use eBird to keep our lists and help with citizen science…but what about other apps that can help us increase our bird power? Learn about photography tips with a smartphone, apps to help you find and ID birds or things that they eat. Unleash the power of your phone to help you improve your time in the field. No question is too silly in this class.

Bio – Sharon Stiteler is known online as “The Birdchick” and is an OG bird blogger and writer who helped popularize the phrase “cobra chicken” to refer to Canada Geese in her book North American Bird Watching for Beginners. She’s written several books on birds and one on rabbits as well as appeared on NBC Nightly News, National Public Radio, and several podcasts answering bird questions. Her writing has been found in several publications from Audubon Magazine to The Washington Post. She currently works and resides inside Denali National Park and Preserve in Alaska. She escapes down to the Rio Grande Valley, Texas whenever winter storms will allow it.

Location: Antigua Room

2:30PM – 3:30PM: Conservation Culture of the Kennedy Administration

Charlie Venuto, Merritt Island Wildlife Association

Talk Description: The transition from the conservation movement to the environmental movement occurred in the mid-late 1960’s. Traditional conservation focused on the “wise use” of resources. The environmental movement added preservation and more meaningful regulations to protect air, water, and land resources. The Kennedy Administration created a Conservation Culture and helped to restore a conservation ethos at the federal level that had been established by the administrations of the two Roosevelts but mostly abandoned for a couple of decades. Under Kennedy, federal funds were used for the first time to purchase conservation lands. Secretary of the Interior Stewart Udall was crucial in promoting conservation programs and policies including the Wilderness Bill, the Land and Water Conservation Fund and stronger rules to limit air and water pollution. The main conclusions of Rachel Carson’s seminal book, Silent Spring, was defended by Kennedy and brought to the public’s attention the threat from the use of pesticides. Like the civil rights bills supported by Kennedy, many of his conservation bills were not passed during his life but were taken up and approved under Lyndon Johnson.

Bio – Charlie Venuto is the president of the Merritt Island Wildlife Association and the science alternate chair for the Brevard County Save Our Indian River Lagoon Citizens Oversight Committee. After working for 39 years as an environmental professional at the Kennedy Space Center, he retired in 2020 although he continues to work at the American Public University System as a part time Environmental Science Professor. His latest publication on the History of the Merritt Island Wildlife Refuge was featured in the Florida Historical Quarterly. His new project, the Conservation Culture of the Kennedy Administration, is an outgrowth of the Merritt Island work. Charlie earned Master of Science Degrees from Florida Tech and Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute. His bachelor’s degree is from Buffalo State University.

Location: Jamaica Room

2:30PM – 3:30PM: Secrets of the Sandhills: Life History of Florida Sandhill Cranes

Stephen Nesbitt

Talk Description: How can you tell an old crane from a young crane? How can you tell a male from a female? Do cranes really pair for life? What is the typical home range for a pair of Florida Sandhill Cranes? What does it take for a pair to successfully raise a chick to the age of independence? How long can a Florida Sandhill Crane live? What does the future for cranes in Florida look like? These are some of the topics to be discussed. (This will be in PowerPoint format.)

Bio – Steve Nesbitt is a retired wildlife biologist, formerly with the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission for 35 years. He has an MS in Wildlife Conservation from Oklahoma State University.  During his time with FWC he spent over 25 years working on Sandhill Cranes as part of a project to reestablish a non-migratory population of Whooping Cranes. He has Authored and co-authored over 200 peer-reviewed on various aspects of the wildlife of Florida.

Location: Antigua Room

2:30PM – 3:30PM: Tracking Birds for Conservation Studies

Gina Kent, ARCI-Avian Research and Conservation Institute

Talk Description: What does it mean to track birds? Why do scientists track birds? How do researchers get started tracking birds? How can tracking studies contribute to bird conservation? These questions and more will be answered in this presentation on tracking technologies. Gina will review differences in bird tracking methods she has used including mark/relocate, geo-locators, VHF-transmitters, satellite transmitters, and GSM/cellular technology.

Bio – Gina Kent is a Senior Conservation Scientist for the non-profit Avian Research and Conservation Institute (ARCI). For her M.S in biology from Georgia Southern University, she used VHF and satellite transmitters to study stopover ecology of migrating Swallow-tailed Kites in Cuba and the Yucatan Peninsula. Since 2000, she has tracking technologies to study survival, breeding and movement ecology, and habitat use of raptors, magnificent frigate birds, wading birds, white-crowned pigeons, and mangrove cuckoos. Many of the birds she studies move between Florida and the Caribbean, or migrate through Mexico, Central, and South America. In the process of tagging more than 1,000 individual birds of 25 species, ARCI has developed novel ways to safely trap and attach transmitters to several species.

Location: Bermuda Room

Saturday, January 27, 2024

Speaker Schedule:

4:00pm: Kevin Karlson, Wildlife Photographer, Guide and Author, “Reflections of a Grateful Birder”

Talk Description: This light-hearted presentation examines birdwatching through Kevin’s eyes and explores some of the reasons why so many people enjoy watching and studying birds, including a unique camaraderie with other birders. Photos of birds, people and other creatures from various locations will be shared, as well as humorous events and stories that make the ride so interesting. Forty-five years of casual and passionate birding have shaped Kevin’s life in so many ways, with much of it revolving around the study and enjoyment of birds, and this show shares his appreciation for the journey. Come along for a ride through time that we all can relate to, with birds, people and special places the stars of the show. Kevin is planning to retire from many bird related activities, and this will be his last keynote talk at the Space Coast Festival, so come and celebrate the journey with him.

Kevin Karlson – Bio – Kevin Karlson is an accomplished birder, author, professional tour leader and wildlife photographer/instructor. He is a regular at Bird and Nature festivals in North America, where he gives keynote presentations, workshops on bird identification, and photo instruction. Kevin’s books include The Shorebird Guide (2007); Birding by Impression: A Different Approach to Bird Identification (2015); Birds of Prey, with Pete Dunne (2017) (all three Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishers); Gulls Simplified: A Comparative Identification Approach, (Princeton University Press, 2018); and Bird Families of North America) (Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, 2021), both with Pete Dunne as co-author. A new book titled “The Shorebirds of North America: A Natural History and Photographic Celebration” with Pete Dunne (Princeton University Press) has just been completed and will be out in the spring of 2024, and is not an ID guide.

Photography books include The Birds of Cape May and Visions: Earth’s Elements in Bird and Nature Photography (Schiffer Publishing). Kevin also produced six photographic laminated foldout ID guides for Quick Reference Publishing (Raptors of Eastern and Western North America (2012); Waterfowl of North America (2013); Warblers of North America (2016);  Shorebirds of North America (2014); and  Owls and Nightjars of North America (2017). While officially retired, Kevin continues to lead select tours and photo workshops for his company Jaeger Tours, and for Wildside Nature Tours of Pennsylvania.

Kevin is planning to retire from most speaking and tour leading engagements following an 18- month battle with advanced bladder cancer. He is doing fine now, and is presently cancer free, but wants to enjoy the rest of his life with his wife after 30 years of leading tours and speaking engagements. Come and see Kevin one last time at The Space Coast Birding and Wildlife Festival in January 2024 and wish him luck for the future. After 20 years of giving talks and leading walks at this festival, he is leaving with nothing but good memories and many lasting friendships, so come and share one last special event with him.

Limit 100 Registrants $20

Presentations:

Presentations are FREE with the purchase of a Full & Weekend Conference Registration

12:00PM – 1:00PM: Beach Birds Identification

Adam Kent, Florida Ornithological Society

Talk Description: You see them at the beach all the time — running from the surf, loafing in the sand, perched on pilings, or flying over the water. If you think they’re nondescript grayish variations on the same theme, you’re only partially correct. Have fun learning identification and natural history of the common but often tricky-to-identify birds found on Florida’s East Coast beaches in the winter. What’s the difference between a tern and a gull or a sandpiper and a plover? How does a Willet fit into the mix? We’ll explore their variations and sort through some of the subtleties of shapes and behaviors in this look at these fascinating beach birds.

Bio – An Anhinga sparked Adam’s passion for birds when he was a little kid. Since then, an enthusiasm for the natural world has led him to a variety of jobs included assessing sites for the Great Florida Birding Trail, working as Florida’s first Scrub-Jay Conservation Coordinator, and as a biologist and natural history tour leader. He also conducts Breeding Bird Surveys, Christmas Bird Counts, and other bird surveys. Adam is a past President of the Florida Ornithological Society and is on the steering committee of Florida’s second Breeding Bird Atlas. Adam has been leading bird identification workshops since the 1990s.

Location: Antigua Room

1:15PM – 2:15PM: Introduction to Florida Spiders

Dee Simpson, Birding with David Simpson

Talk Description: Are you afraid of spiders? Attend this presentation to learn which (if any) Florida spiders you should be afraid of,  and which spiders you should let become your close personal friends. You will also learn a little about how spiders live and eat, their anatomy, and  how to recognize a few common spider families.

Bio – Dee is the creative side of Birding with David Simpson. She uses her skills as a Florida Master Naturalist to design the classes that she and David teach. In addition, she also creates the props and videos used in their classes. Dee also photographs and writes a daily blog  http://www.deeat8am.com) that she uses to entertain and educate people about the flora and fauna of Florida. She has self-published 2 books based on her blog. Her latest book is The Rhyming Guide to Florida Spiders.

Location: Antigua Room

1:15PM – 2:15PM: Name That Bird: Creating New Names for North American Birds

Peter Alden, Spark Birding

Talk Description: The decision by the American Ornithological Society (AOS) to eliminate modifiers named after people of over 100 North American bird species (i.e. Wilson’s Warbler) will have enormous repercussions in the publishing world. Most bird names have a modifier followed by a group name (i.e. Red-winged Blackbird). Scientific names will not change. A committee will be formed in 2024 to oversee criteria and assemble suggestions for new names. These may be descriptive focused on a unique field mark or shape, its habitat, breeding range, behavior, vocalization or habits. This process will be a challenge for authors and publishers and will affect field guides, state and local books, checklists and websites.

This illustrated talk will present the need for this change and focus on several dozen affected Florida species. It will include a few other common bird names that may need to be improved (i.e. Red-bellied Woodpecker). The pros and cons for each new name candidate will be discussed and then voted on by the audience.

Bio – Peter Alden from Spark Birding is a world-renowned naturalist, lecturer, ecotourism guide and author of 15 books on North American and African wildlife. He is the author of the National Audubon Society’s Regional Field Guide Series, including the popular Field Guide to Florida. He is considered to be an authority on birds and larger mammals of the world and is often consulted by the media and the ecotourism industry for his expertise. Peter has experience naming bird species and has participated on several name groups including the International Avian Vernacular Committee in the 1990s.

Location: Jamaica Room

1:15PM – 2:15PM: Seabird Horizons:  The Edges of Discovery in Marine Bird Biology and Conservation  

Sea McKeon, Director of Marine Program, American Bird Conservancy

Talk Description: Dr. Sea McKeon, Marine Program Director of American Bird Conservancy will showcase the fascinating biology of marine birds of the Western Hemisphere, the challenges they face, and the roles all of us can play in their preservation.  We will check in with penguins and petrels, tropicbirds and terns, and many others from one pole to the other.  The program will be presented through slideshow, video clips, and lecture, with time for questions by the end.

Bio – Seabird McKeon, PhD is a biodiversity scientist and natural historian focused on the conservation of marine ecosystems.  An avid and enthusiastic conservationist and science communicator, he has participated in expeditions to remote reaches of the Atlantic, Pacific, and Indian ocean basins investigating the response of global diversity to environmental challenges.

Location: Bermuda Room

2:30PM – 3:30PM: A Digiscoping Big Year. A quest to photograph over 1,000 bird species through a spotting scope!

Jeff Bouton, Kowa Sporting Optics

Talk Description: Jeff has been an active digiscoper for decades but in 2023 he found himself in the unique position of capturing more images than usual through his work travel schedule. On top of usual domestic events, Jeff was invited to speak at the Colombia Bird Fair, then competing in the Champions of the Flyway, attended the Global Bird Fair in UK and then spoke at the International Conference for Women Birders in Uganda, Africa. With two weeks left in December, Jeff had digiscoped over 950 bird species, but there was neither time nor enough remaining birds to reach over 1,000 in his home state of Florida. Come hear the tale how Bouton was able to digiscope so many birds by attending birding events!

Bio – Jeff Bouton has worked as a bird bander, field research biologist, professional bird tour guide and as an optics professional for over 35 years. He has written dozens of articles for major birding magazines and has published hundreds of digiscoped images here as well. He’s been a featured speaker and guide at Space Coast dating back to 1999 and a digiscoping pioneer for 2 decades. In his current role as Manager of Birding & Nature Markets for Kowa Sporting Optics, Jeff attends many global birding events annually guiding and speaking about birds and birding optics!

Location: Jamaica Room

2:30PM – 3:30PM: Antarctica: Seven ways to visit the 7th Continent

David Grant, Shark Research Institute

Talk Description: Dave Grant has visited the Polar Regions more than a dozen times to monitor environmental change, and study glaciers, fish, plankton and plastics, and of course birds. Having worked with a variety of ecotourism companies and ships, and in different roles as scientist, educator and crew member, he offers tips on how best to visit Antarctica, and which trips are the most productive and worthwhile in terms of wildlife encounters.

Bio – Conservation Director – Shark Research Institute, Princeton, NJ, and past director of Brookdale College’s Ocean Institute at Sandy Hook, NJ. He has researched oceanography and birds for NOAA, USNPS, USF&WS; taught at Rutgers University Dept. of Meteorology; and studied shark fisheries in the Atlantic and Pacific. Most recently he co-directed the Women Researchers In Science – Journey to the Sea of Cortez Expedition; participated in climate monitoring, albatross surveys, biological research on Laysan duck disease and recovery, and invasive species removal at Papahanaumokuakea – Midway Atoll; and completed his ninth Antarctic cruise.

Location: Antigua Room

2:30PM – 3:30PM: Conservation at Brevard Zoo

Kelly Currier, Conservation Coordinator Brevard Zoo

Talk Description: Take a virtual look behind the scenes at Brevard Zoo, where we’ll be showcasing how we answer the call to conserving some of Florida’s most endangered species. This presentation focuses on the critically endangered Florida Grasshopper Sparrow program and the combined efforts of multiple agencies to monitor, protect, breed, and release hundreds of birds every year onto the Florida’s prairies to bring this species back from the brink of extinction. Attending this presentation will give you an insight into the recovery project as a whole and show you why this species matters.

Bio – Kelly is a conservationist with a passion for ecosystem biodiversity and has centered her career working on species recovery projects and in wildlife rehabilitation. She specializes in husbandry for species that are a part of breeding and release programs that have specific habitat requirements and need to remain as wild as possible for release. Kelly joined Brevard Zoo two years ago and continues her work as the coordinator for the Florida Grasshopper Sparrow breeding project at the zoo, helping to develop it into the successful breeding program it is today.

Location: Bermuda Room

Date:
January 24-27, 2024

Location:
Radisson Resort at the Port,
8701 Astronaut Blvd.,
Cape Canaveral, FL 32920.

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