COUNTDOWN TO GODWIT DAYS

Day(s)

:

Hour(s)

:

Minute(s)

:

Second(s)

Next year’s festival dates are April 16-19, 2026.

 

 

 

 

 

Welcome to Godwit Days!

Arcata, CA

Come celebrate the Marbled Godwit and explore the lush Redwood Coast. Observe many bird species and other wildlife through our selection of field trips, lectures, and workshops led by experienced local guides during our annual festival each April. Tour the expansive mudflats, the wild river valleys and the rocky ocean coast of this sector of the Klamath bioregion in northwest California.

Upcoming Special Events: 

TBD

 

2025 Student Bird Art & Writing Contests

2025 Student Bird Art Contest Booklet
2025 RRAS Writing Contest Booklet

 

Godwit Days MERCHANDISE!

https://www.cafepress.com/godwitdays

Please enter your email address below to receive updates for the Godwit Days festival. Check the box first.

2026 KEYNOTE SPEAKERS

2017 Godwit Days by Alan Peterson of Redwood Planet Media

​Friday, April 17, 2026 @ 6:30 p.m., Keynote with the Integral Ecology Research Center (IERC)

Topic and more details to come!

The IERC is a non-profit organization dedicated to the research and conservation of wildlife and their ecosystems. Founded in 2004, IERC has conducted and continues research on several sensitive wildlife species, with the ultimate goal of providing knowledge and understanding towards the conservation of these species and their habitats. Our projects cover many different habitats, from alpine settings to old-growth coastal forests to deserts and tropical jungles.

Saturday, April 18, 2026 @ 7 p.m., Keynote Krisztina Scheeff

Title: Photographing the Spirit of Birds
Description: 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 / KS Nature Photography
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. 
 

 

     

Join Godwit Days and the Redwood Region Audubon Society for the 3rd annual Big Sit!

This popular and accessible (and free!) event during the festival takes place Sunday at the Arcata Marsh Interpretive Center and runs all day. Join for a moment or all day and help us tally every species seen from the deck of the AMIC! Refreshments are provided courtesy of RRAS.