Godwit Days Spring Migration Bird Festival

08/17/2026

Just a kind reminder that there are ONLY four spots left for the Godwit Days Birding On the Madaket trip scheduled for Sunday, 23 August! Kathryn West and Cedric Von Briel will be leading this relaxing birding trip around the bay. Sign up soon before the last spots fill up!

You can still register here: https://www.godwitdays.org/register-for-godwit-days/godwit-days-events-registration/

To tempt you here's some photos from the last trip from 16 July.

📸: Rob Fowler

07/16/2026

UPDATE: The July 19 tour is SOLD OUT. If you missed this one, join us on August 23 or September 20!

Only 5 spaces left for the Birding on the Madaket Boat Tour this Sunday, July 19th! Rob Fowler and Kathryn West will co-lead this relaxing educational tour aboard the historic Madaket around Humboldt Bay.

Cost is $55. Registration is required. Proceeds go towards the Godwit Days Spring Migration Bird Festival held in April.

Visit godwitdays.org to register.

06/20/2026

This summer, we will be offering multiple BIRDING ON THE MADAKET boat tours on Humboldt Bay out of Eureka, CA.

July 19
August 23
September 20

Birding extraordinaires Kathryn West, Rob Fowler, & Cedrik von Briel will narrate the 2-hour excursions around the bay. Beverages will be available for purchase at the no-host bar.

Exposed mudflats along the shore attract flocks of shorebirds, while seabirds can be seen in the bay’s open waters. Osprey and Peregrine Falcon are often seen perched on structures in or along the edge of the water or soaring overhead. Terns and gulls roosting on shoreline pilings are used to the boat cruising by closely and only peer at us quizzically. Shorebird flocks often swoop by, offering a unique perspective. In addition to birds, expect to see harbor seals, sea lions, and harbor porpoises.

Registration is OPEN. To find out more, visit our website: https://www.godwitdays.org/register-now/godwit-days-events-registration/

📷: Adult Western and Least Sandpipers, Humboldt Bay, by Rob Fowler.

Register for upcoming Godwit Days birding events, including Birding on the Madaket. Learn about registration and upcoming festival dates.

06/12/2026

21st Annual RRAS Nature Writing Contest Results for 2026:
Winners & Honorable Mentions for Junior (Grades 4-7) and Senior (Grades 8-12) Divisions

Entries of essays and poems were slightly up (from last year’s 75 to nearly 80) submissions. RRAS awarded six cash prizes (totaling $100) plus five Honorable Mentions to the following students who explored the topic, “What Nature Means to Me.” — Tom Leskiw, Contest Coordinator

To view winning entries, click link:https://www.godwitdays.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/06/2026naturewritingcontestbooklet.pdf

06/11/2026

23rd Annual Student Bird Art Contest Results (2026)

This year, 679 pieces of art were submitted from Humboldt County students in grades K through 12. Some 42 cash prizes totaling $660, plus 33 honorable mentions, were awarded in a ceremony at the Arcata Community Center in mid-April. All entries were displayed during the Godwit Days Spring Migration Bird Festival.— Sue Leskiw, Contest Organizer

To view winning entries, click link: https://www.godwitdays.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/06/2026SBACbooklet-online.pdf.

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.