Programs, Tours and Events at Rookery Bay Reserve

January 2021 Events & Ecotours

Rookery Bay’s Festival of Birds 2021 – A Month of Virtual Activities Devoted to Birds!
January 1-31, 2021• $40 Festival Pass
Registration is required https://rookerybay.org/events/festival-of-birds/

Join Rookery Bay and partners in January for a month full of online activities, presentations and virtual adventures for nature and bird lovers everywhere! With a Festival of Birds Pass, participants will get exclusive access to ALL Festival of Birds activities including eight expert speaker presentations, virtual birding experiences broadcast live from the birding hot spots in Southwest Florida and other live streaming nature activities. Also, all Festival of Birds passholders receive 20% off kayak tours during the month of January!

Festival of Birds Presentations:
January 5 – Welcome to the Festival of Birds 2021
Speakers: Keith Laakkonen, Director of Rookery Bay Research Reserve and Athan Barkoukis, Friends of Rookery Bay Director

January 6 – Ebird and Citizen Science: Understanding Bird Populations and Migrations
Speaker: Holly Merker, Ebird State Coordinator Pennsylvania

January 7 – Recovery of the Everglade Snail Kite in Florida
Paul Gray, Science Coordinator, Everglades Restoration Program

January 8 – Where O’ Where Can the Songbirds Go? – Passerine Bird Migration Along the West Coast of Florida
Speaker: Jim McGinity, Florida Avian Conservation

January 9 – Burrowing Owls of Marco Island
Speaker: Jean Hall, Audubon of Western Everglades Owl Watch

January 11 – Wood Storks and the increasingly important role of inland wetlands on a developing SWFL landscape
Speaker: Sean Clem, Research Director at Audubon’s Corkscrew Swamp Sanctuary

January 12 – Life in a Seabird Colony
Speaker: Adam DiNuovo, Audubon Florida

January 13 – Messing Around with Birds (For Fun and Science)
Keynote Speaker: Scott Weidensaul, Author of two dozen books on nature and a finalist for the Pulitzer Prize as well as contributing Audubon Editor.

Virtually Visit and Learn More About Rookery Bay From the Comfort of Home
RookeryBay.org/family-activities
The Rookery Bay Family Activities web page is the place to go for all virtual family and education programs continuing to happen at Rookery Bay. It’s a great way to learn all about nature, wildlife and waters of Southwest Florida. The web page is filled with interactive videos, presentations, tours and downloadable activities about everything from sea turtles and sharks to environmental conservation methods and water quality testing. Have some fun and learn about the nature and wildlife Rookery Bay anytime at RookeryBay.org/family-activities.

Activities: Festival of Birds
January 1-31 – Birding Challenge
Try a birding challenge and get outside to learn about the birds around you with the website eBird. A winner will be chosen at random at the end of the month.

January 8 – “Edscursion” at a Critical Wildlife Area
Join Rookery Bay’s Education Team as they explore the nesting and resting spots for multiple birds in Rookery Bay. Live streaming with a question and answer session

January 16 – Virtual Binoculars
Southwest Florida is a critical stopover site for thousands of migrating and wintering shorebirds. In this virtual program, Adam DiNuovo of Audubon Florida and Collette Lauzau of Rookery Bay
Research Reserve will discuss the life history of these birds and the incredible journeys many of them make annually.

January 22 – “Edscursion” in Alaska
Join our sister reserve in Kachemak Bay, Alaska and learn about the bird life of Alaska along with our Education Team.

January 23 – Trivia Night
Win prizes and have fun with Rookery Bay at our nature trivia night!

Rookery Bay Eco Kayak & Boat Tours Get out on the water with US!
Join Rookery Bay Research Reserve for a guided boat tour or kayak adventure into the beautiful waters of Rookery Bay Reserve. With our kayak tours, guests paddle through beautiful mangrove tunnels, teeming mudflats and intricate oyster reefs while searching for amazing wildlife like sea stars, large snails, birds, dolphins and manatees! Our boat tours are small six passenger boats and offer a comfortable and informative ride. Guests can choose from different tours including a shelling trip to a deserted barrier island or a sunset tour. Find out more at RookeryBay.org or call 239-530-5972.