Maryland Osprey and Nature Festival

If you love birds and nature or just want to learn more about wildlife, come out and join us in the town of North Beach, Maryland.  See live raptors up close, attend lectures with wildlife experts from all over the state, participate in birdwatching, and enjoy nature in this idyllic venue. It will be an event for the entire family and people of all ages. Live entertainment and great local food!

$10 Per Family or $5 for Single Admission. Net proceeds from the festival will be donated to Owl Moon Raptor Center, a nonprofit facility that rehabilitates injured raptors with the goal of releasing them into the wild. Please, no pets due to live raptors. Service animals only. 

The Chesapeake Bay supports the largest Osprey (Pandion haliaetus) breeding population in the world. While the widespread use of toxic pesticides pushed populations of the fish-eating raptor to an estimated low of 1,450 breeding pairs in the early 1970s, a 1972 ban on the pesticide DDT helped populations recover. By the mid-1990s, an estimated 3,500 breeding pairs were found on the bay and its tidal tributaries. Estimates from the Center for Conservation Biology place the bay’s current Osprey population at 8,000 to 10,000 breeding pairs, with the world population estimated at fewer than 100,000 birds.

The amazing rebound of Ospreys has exceeded the availability of natural nesting sites. Human-made nesting structures are rarely unoccupied, and Ospreys are now nesting on cell towers and lighting structures. This can create conflicts with human values and needs. 

This festival was created to celebrate our charismatic Ospreys and educate the public, agencies, and owners of structures to foster an attitude of co-existence and conservation awareness in Calvert County and throughout the bay. Proceeds from the festival go to nonprofit organizations who have a vested interest in protecting and conserving Ospreys, Bald Eagles, other wildlife, and natural areas of Maryland. Thanks to the Maryland Bird Conservation Partnership for being the fiscal host for the Maryland Osprey and Nature Festival.

The Maryland Osprey and Nature Festival is a grassroots movement initiated by citizens of Calvert County and citizens throughout the State of Maryland. The support and collaboration of our local government, state-wide conservation and wildlife rehabilitation agencies, local and international businesses, and military community share our goals and mission: Education.Conservation.Celebration of our beautiful surroundings, nature, and wildlife.