Birders and nature enthusiasts have a new reason to circle April on their calendars. The Florida Birding and Nature Festival is officially moving its annual gathering to the spring, running from April 9-12, 2026, at the Suncoast Youth Conservation Center just south of Tampa.
Organizers made the strategic decision to shift the festival—previously a fall staple—after Hurricanes Helene and Milton wreaked havoc on Florida’s West Coast in 2024. While the storms disrupted lives and landscapes, the schedule change offers a distinct ecological advantage: the new dates coincide with the peak of spring migration.
Past festivals have recorded more than 180 species, but expectations are high that the April timing will yield even more productive sightings for attendees.
READ: Tiny Stripes, Big Hope: ZooTampa Celebrates Birth Of Rare Eastern Bongo
The four-day event is set to feature a robust itinerary of seminars, boat excursions, and field trips led by expert guides and habitat managers. Excursions will range from wagon rides to kayak trips, including a bus tour of Central Florida’s prime birding hotspots. Several trips will grant access to locations normally closed to the general public.
Destinations on the docket include Egmont Key, Fort DeSoto Park, the Alafia Bank Bird Sanctuary, and the Cockroach Bay Aquatic Preserve.
Keynote Speakers Highlight Conservation History and Adaptation
Evening keynote sessions, hosted at St. Andrew’s Presbyterian Church in Sun City Center, will include a buffet dinner and presentations from noted Florida academics.
Friday night features Leslie Kemp Pool, an associate professor at Rollins College. She will discuss her book, “Saving Florida: Women’s Fight for the Environment in the Twentieth Century,” which chronicles the critical role women—from social club members to icons like Marjory Stoneman Douglas—played in protecting the state’s natural resources.
READ: Throwing Shade: Tampa Invites Residents To Shape City’s Green Future At First Tree Town Hall
On Saturday, Hilary Flower, an associate professor at Eckerd College, will present on the resilience of the Everglades kite. Her book, “The Kite and The Snail,” details how the endangered raptor successfully adapted its diet to forage for invasive snails, expanding its range into Central Florida. Flower is also scheduled to lead a field trip to Lake Tohopekaliga, a common hunting ground for the bird.
Free Nature Expo
In addition to the ticketed excursions, the festival will host a free Nature Expo on Friday, April 10, and Saturday, April 11, at the Suncoast Youth Conservation Center. The expo will showcase environmental organizations and vendors selling birding gear, artwork, and native plants designed to attract pollinators.
Registration and additional details are available at floridabirdingandnaturefestival.org.
Please make a small donation to the Tampa Free Press to help sustain independent journalism. Your contribution enables us to continue delivering high-quality, local, and national news coverage.
Sign up: Subscribe to our free newsletter for a curated selection of top stories delivered straight to your inbox
