Godwit Days Spring Migration Bird Festival

05/01/2026

Big Thanks to Cassaro's Catering and Friends of the Arcata Marsh (FOAM) volunteers for helping provide a warm and welcoming Friday evening reception during the festival!

📸: Paul Johnson

04/21/2026

Thank you to Aidan Bartels for sharing these wonderful photos taken during Godwit Days!

04/20/2026

Fun was had by all at the 4th Annual Family Nature Crafts "Mega-palooza"! Tables were filled with crafts hosted by Friends of the Arcata Marsh, the Natural History Museum, Friends of the Dunes, Humboldt Beekeepers, and the Arcata Branch Humboldt County Library.

04/19/2026

We're headed over to Humboldt Brews tonight for our festival wrap-up aka "Sunday Social"! It is located at 856 10th St. near the plaza in Arcata.

We will meet at 5:30 p.m. and enjoy a relaxing evening to recap the weekend festivities. Ask for the Godwit Days group. They have a full kitchen and beverages for purchase - so join us!

04/19/2026

Join us today, Sunday, April 19, at 12:15 p.m., for a presentation with the Institute for Wildlife Studies (IWS). Held at the Arcata Community Center. Grab lunch at Familia cafe (onsite) and pull up a chair! Admission is free.

"The Black and White Story of Avian Conservation on the California Channel Islands"

IWS began in 1979 with the ambitious goal of returning bald eagles to the California Channel Islands. After 46 years of often intensive work, there is now a thriving bald eagle population breeding on the islands. The return of bald eagles to the California Channel Islands helped a second species, the island fox, recover from the federal Endangered Species List. Altogether, IWS has contributed to the recovery and delisting of six animals from the federal Endangered Species List, including the San Clemente Island Bell’s sparrow which was delisted in 2023. Several conservation challenges remain on the islands—including achieving recovery for the San Clemente loggerhead shrike and understanding the large variability in bald eagle breeding success from territory to territory across the islands—to keep us busy for the next 46 years.

The Institute for Wildlife Studies (IWS) is a science-based wildlife conservation organization devoted to: 1) gathering information necessary to maintain biodiversity and viable populations of all species, 2) applying scientifically grounded methods to recover
threatened, endangered and declining wildlife populations, and 3) provide meaningful outreach to engage audiences in conservation.

04/19/2026

Familia Cafe will be open today from 10 am to 2 pm at the Arcata Community Center for GODWIT DAYS!

04/18/2026

04/18/2026

The Godwit Days festival is happening now at the Arcata Community Center! A live screech owl 1-3pm, many vendors including binoculars and local art until 5pm, a silent auction until 6:30pm and Familia Cafe until 2pm. Open to the public, come check it out!

04/18/2026

Join us tonight, April 18, at 7 p.m., for our keynote presentation with Krisztina Scheeff. Held at the Arcata Community Center, tickets are $10 at the door.

"Photographing the Spirit of Birds"

There is a thrill in capturing the exciting moment of a Grebe running across the water’s surface, or that split-second shot of a baby bird poking its head from its nest. Renowned nature photographer Krisztina Scheeff of KS Nature Photography expertly photographs these moments. In this talk, Krisztina will delve into the stories of her favorite birds, such as the sweet Atlantic Puffins in Scotland and the explosive flight of the Sandhill Cranes in Bosque del Apache and the colorful birds of Costa Rica and Ecuador and more. Each photo has a story, come join her on a photographic journey in the amazing world of birds!

Krisztina Scheeff /
Based in San Diego, CA, Krisztina Scheeff is an award-winning and professional nature photographer and avid birder. She is recognized for her photographic work in the National Audubon Society, Bird Photographer of the Year competition and Wildlife Photographer of the Year and she has been published in magazines and articles around the world, including National Geographic. Krisztina operates a successful business leading Photography Workshops and Tours to Scotland (Puffins), Ireland, Galápagos Islands, Costa Rica, Ecuador, Tanzania, and Bosque del Apache, NM. She also leads workshops for bird festivals around the country, keynotes and presents at various events. Krisztina spent years studying and photographing the Rushing Grebes and guides her clients at Lake Hodges in San Diego to experience this amazing behavior and capture their own photos. In 2024 she was the Field Assistant and Grebe Expert filming the Courtship of Grebes with the BBC Natural History Unit. The show titled “The Secret Lives of Animals” episode #8 features her and her work, streaming on Apple TV.

04/18/2026

Familia Cafe will be open from 10am to 2 pm today at the Arcata Community Center for GODWIT DAYS!