2nd Annual Black Belt Birding Festival

UPDATE: Pre-registration is now closed (except for the kick-off event and the downtown birding for beginners which will stay open until July 29th). There is still the possibility for limited tickets at the festival for the Joe Farm and our afternoon options. The early birding and red-cockaded woodpecker trips are officially closed.

Registration deadline is 4 p.m. CDT on Friday, July 15th, and space is limited.

Join us in Greensboro and the surrounding area for our second annual Black Belt Birding Festival on the weekend of July 29-30th. Alabama Audubon’s Black Belt Birding Initiative works to bring the economic and environmental benefits of bird-based ecotourism to one of the country’s most economically challenged rural areas. Through this annual event, we’re hoping to make a positive difference for the Black Belt’s birds and the people who love them. Come for the weekend or stay longer and enjoy all the Black Belt has to offer! We are excited for you to join us!

Details: This year’s extended festival will include our most popular events from last year and more. One difference is that admission will be free for some festival activities with add-on pricing so that you can pick and choose what you prefer to attend. It’s no longer a single admission price whether you stay for the whole weekend or not.

All of our Black Belt trips can be long and hot, so be sure to plan accordingly, with plenty of drinks and snacks, as well as a full tank of gas, insect repellent and sunblock, rain gear, and appropriate summer attire (including shoes you don’t mind getting muddy). And, don’t forget to bring your binoculars.

Free admission includes: Friday night kick-off event at Lions Park with vendor expo, food trucks, and live music by Earl “Guitar” Williams; Saturday morning early birding field trip for beginners around downtown Greensboro; and special visual arts programming at Aaron Sanders Head studio.

Prices vary for the following (space is limited for each session, and tickets are non-transferable):

• – Early Birding Field Trips including Perry Lakes Park, Birdability Accessible Driving Tour, M. Barnett Lawley Forever Wild Field Trial Area, Payne Lake Recreation Area, Downtown Birding for Beginners, and the Robinson Family Farm — view detailed descriptions of our offerings here (various prices and locations)
• – Connecting with Birds and Nature Tours ($30 at the Joe Farm)
• – Keynote Speaker Dr. Rashidah Farid, Professor of Wildlife Ecology at Tuskegee University ($5)
• – Afternoon outdoor and indoor options including a Black Warrior River Walk, Black Belt Habitat Restoration at “Contentment,” Birds of Prey with Alabama Wildlife Center, Prescribed Burning and Wildfire Prevention in Alabama, and The Ridge Archeology Project — view detailed descriptions of our offerings here (various prices and locations)
• – Red-cockaded woodpecker field trip ($25 at the Oakmulgee Division of the Talladega National Forest, at Payne Lake Recreation Area)

If you are interested in being a vendor at our Vendor Expo, please visit alaudubon.org/blackbelt to fill out the form.

Registration: Space is limited and pre-registration is required. If space is still available, we will have registration available at the Friday night kick-off event; however, spots in your preferred offering aren’t guaranteed. To register for individual portions of the weekend, click on the button above which says Register Here. If you don’t yet have a username and password, simply click the “X” on the pop up and fill out the basic form. If you do have a login, please use it as this helps us tremendously on our end! Participants must complete the mandatory online waiver. Please do not register for others when submitting your request.

Kids under 12 attend the festival for free.

*Cancellation policy: All ticket sales are considered refundable less processing fees up to noon CDT Friday, July 15th. Tickets are considered non-refundable and non-transferable after this deadline. If you are unable to attend the event or wish to request a refund, all refund requests must be received by 12 p.m. CDT July 15th by emailing us with the subject line reading “Refund.” To begin the refund process, please include the following information:

Please note that refunds can take up to fourteen (14) days to process. Refunds will be the ticket costs minus the processing fees. Processing fees vary.

Accessibility: Not all events will be wheelchair accessible—including some unpaved, uneven terrain. We will have an accessible driving tour with Freya MacGregor of Birdability as a Saturday option. Also, the Joe Farm will have a tractor pulling a trailer with hay bales for those who don’t want to walk around the fields. Our afternoon, indoor option at the Greensboro office will be in a historic but accessible house with an accessible bathroom.

Download the descriptions of our offerings which has information about accessibility for each trip here.

Food: A catfish food truck will be available on Friday night at Lions Park for our kick-off event. Abadir’s will be available on Saturday from 10 a.m.–2p.m. at the Martin Stewart Building, (1014 Whelan St). The Stable, M&M Mustang, Sakura Hibachi, and Nick’s Crispy Chicken are all great options downtown for both days.

Birds: We can expect to see Mississippi and swallow-tailed kites, wood storks, and white pelicans. We will also be looking for scissor-tailed flycatchers and so much more. Last year’s list included over seventy different bird species.

Questions? Email for more information.

Funders: Our Black Belt Birding Festival is made possible by funding from The Daniel Foundation of Alabama and the Mike & Gillian Goodrich Foundation.

Consider supporting our Black Belt Birding Initiative today at alaudubon.org/black-belt-giving.

Though primarily being held outside, we will be complying with all state and local mandates for COVID-19 protocol and safety. Masks may be required for some indoor events, including the keynote speech and the non-birding options.

Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion

Through more than seventy-five years of conservation work in one of our nation’s most ecologically rich states, Alabama Audubon has seen firsthand how diversity strengthens natural communities. We believe that the same principle applies to human communities, which is why our organization is committed to providing equitable opportunities for all Alabamians to learn about and enjoy wild birds, their habitats, and the natural world. One of the best ways to support that belief is by valuing and actively seeking to strengthen diversity among our staff, our board, and our membership. To that end, Alabama Audubon welcomes the whole of our community to our work, and strives to make our programs, classes, and events open and accessible to all.