Programs & Main Events

All Chapter meetings till further notice will be conducted virtually on ZOOM, please contact Don for more information – Greatauk4@gmail.com

January 11, 2026 at 10am-2pm

NJ Eagle Festival at Dekorte Park, Meadowlands

January 14, 2026 at 7:30 pm

Larissa Smith (on behalf of Conserve Wildlife): About Eagles

Since 2000, Larissa has coordinated the volunteers for the NJ Bald Eagle Project who monitor and protect over 300 bald eagle nests statewide. She works directly with the NJDEP Fish & Wildlife/ENSP to document and protect nests and educate the public about nesting eagles. She also coordinates the New Jersey Shorebird Steward Project, stewards help to protect migratory shorebirds that stop over on the Delaware Bay each spring, Larissa works on other projects including Eastern tiger salamanders, osprey and barn owls. She has a B.A. in Environmental Studies from Stockton College and an M.A. in Environmental Education from Rowan University. She loves spending time outdoors, is an advocate for all animals and volunteers for local animal rescues.

Wenesday, February 11, 2026 TBD

TBD

Sunday, February 22, 2026 1pm

Marco Valtriani: Birding in Italy

Marco is a renowned nature guide and field biologist in Italy. He has spent more than two decades dedicating his efforts to guiding birdwatchers and nature lovers. Learn about birding in Italy – home to over 500 bird species, from the elusive Wallcreeper in the Dolomites to flamingos in the Tuscan wetlands. This incredible birding destination is often overlooked in favor of more well-known hotspots. Learn about birding in Tuscany, the heart of the ancient kingdom of Etruria, rich in culture and in birds. European Bee-eaters nest on the same sandy banks out of which the Etruscans carved their tombs, breeding Peregrine Falcons fly screeching over the heads of visitors to Florence’s cathedral, and European Crag Martins dart in and out of thousand-year-old bridges.

March 11, 2026 at 7:30 pm

Marina Richie: Searching for Belted Kingfishers

Marina Richie is an award-winning nature writer living in Bend, Oregon. Growing up in a National Park Service family with a bird-loving father influenced her passion for protecting wildlife and wild places. Halcyon Journey In Search of the Belted Kingfisher received the 2024 John Burroughs Medal for distinguished nature writing, a National Outdoor Book Award, and a Foreword Indies Award. Her new book Feathered Forest, with Chelsea Green Publishing, comes out Fall 2026.

She is also the author of two children’s books–Bird Feats of Montana and Bug Feats of Montana. Her articles, essays, blogs, and poems have appeared in National Wildlife, Audubon, Birding, Birdwatching, A.T. Journeys, Post Road Magazine, Montana Naturalist, Think Journal, Vision and Research View (University of Montana), Center for Humans and Nature, Lothlorien, Panorama, Humans of the World, and Tiny Seed Literary Journal. Essays and poetry appear in book collections: Field Notes from the Montana Natural History Center; Placed, An Encyclopedia of Central Oregon; and a poems in Central Oregon Writers Guild 2023 and 2024 Literary Collections. She’s also written award-winning interpretive wayside exhibits. She publishes a bi-monthly nature blog on her website: www.marinarichie.com

All programs and events are free and open to the public. We are supported by memberships and donations.

If you have suggestions or would like to help with future programs, please contact Marilyn Sadowski msadowskibcas@gmail.com