(NOT A PUBLIC PAGE - GUIDES & VOLUNTEERS PLEASE DO NOT SHARE)
Save the Date:
18th Annual Point Reyes Birding & Nature Festival
Marin & Sonoma Counties
April 16th-18th, 2027
A huge thanks to all of you for your time, skills and generosity to our cause.
Guide Invitation
The Environmental Action Committee of West Marin (EAC) is looking for experienced birders, professional outdoor guides and educators, artists, photographers, and/or other nonprofits or museums who may want to partner with us for our annual fundraiser, the Point Reyes Birding & Nature Festival. This is our largest educational fundraising event of the year - thank you for your support!
Guide Guidance, Participation Form & Info
Field events should explore birds, wildlife, botany, ecosystems/habitats (tidepools), recreation (kayaking or biking), nature themes, climate change, art, photography, etc., and unique experiences in Marin, Sonoma, or other Bay Area counties, but all proposals will be considered. Let’s get creative for the cause. Contact us with ideas.
Help us keep the festival fresh with new content. This year marks our 18th annual festival, with most of our attendees coming from around the Bay Area and California. Many attendees have been coming since our inaugural festival in 2010, so it is always nice to offer new events. Each event is priced individually by staff. Guides can determine topics, time, location, and class size (typically 16 people for field events, and up to 30 for classroom events).
Festival schedule development occurs from October to February, and guides can confirm participation by RSVPing using the Guide Participation Form above.
Consider updating a previous event you led, or providing a new proposal that inspires you now. Do you have a favorite new birding spot in Marin or Sonoma counties? Or are you really into bird anatomy, observing hummingbirds, corvids, or woodpeckers, teaching about bats, reptiles, or insects, or leading something festive like birding from bakery to bakery or geology? Let us know; we can help craft something special with you. If you know other birders or naturalists qualified to lead a trip, please connect us.
Each year, we provide a Schedule at a Glance and a Google document (available in 2027) with full descriptions for the public. View our 2026 field events (Google document) to view our format needs and what guides have offered.
Once you fill in the RSVP form above (green button), we will contact you about your events to confirm and finalize descriptions via email.
Each guide will be paired with a trained field volunteer who will handle check-ins, photos, the bird/wildlife checklists, introductions, etc. Please allow them time to complete this and act in a supporting role. New guides will be assigned a field volunteer.
Only registered attendees may join an event. Please do not invite friends and family or unregistered guests in the field unless they check with the field volunteer to register in the field if space is available.
Registration will go live in February 2027, with EAC early-bird member registration one week prior to the public opening.
Guide Benefits
Guides can volunteer their services or receive a $75 honorarium per field event or a ticket to a keynote based on how many field events they lead.
Guides participating in ( 1 ) field event receive: a $75 honorarium, OR one ticket to the Friday Fauna Forum: Owls & Otters with John Muir Laws & Megan Isadore
Guides participating in ( 2 ) field events receive: a $150 honorarium, OR two tickets to the Friday Fauna Forum OR one ticket to the Saturday Social & Keynote with Noah Strycker’s “Bird Atlas of the World.”
Guides participating in ( 3 ) field events receive: a $225 honorarium, OR two tickets to the Friday Fauna Forum AND one ticket to the Saturday Social & Keynote with Noah Strycker’s “Bird Atlas of the World.”
Public Acknowledgment
On the website with links to your business, social media with business tags, and marketing materials at social gatherings.
Media Kit
We will supply a media kit for the press and guides to share, including save-the-date posts/content, individual field events, keynotes, and our Wings & Wild Things: A Free Family Day in Point Reyes. More possibilities for exposure if guides also share through social media. Whether you’re a seasoned social media pro or want to ease into it, we provide a media kit to help you.
Info Below On Hold Until 2027
Festival Quick Links (Public Pages)
Post-Event Actions
Below are key festival updates—please read carefully:
Ticketing & Office Support
Online tickets through RegFox. However, we will continue selling tickets and assisting attendees with additions or schedule changes by phone at (415) 663-9312. Staff will also be available in person at the office (65 Third Street, Suite 12, Point Reyes Station, CA 94956) from Tuesday, April 21, through Sunday, April 26.
Field Packets & Event Rosters
Each guide/event has been paired with a field volunteer whenever possible. Field volunteers will handle on-site administrative tasks, including:
Coordinating pickup and drop-off of field packets
Checking in attendees and collecting signed group liability waivers (including guides and volunteers)
Managing bird checklists and returns (these will be tallied and shared publicly; if using eBird, please note the contact name and email associated with the list)
Handling any field ticket sales, name tags, photos, and related logistics
In addition, please remember to build in breaks if your event is two hours or more, practice ethical birding and leave-no-trace practices, and ensure you follow all park rules for whatever site you are visiting.
Electronic Rosters & Communication
Guides and field volunteers will receive access to a shared Google Sheet with their event roster and attendee contact information. This will allow guides and volunteers to coordinate in advance regarding the flow of the day. Rosters are expected to be available by this Saturday at the latest.
Please note:
This roster contains personal attendee information. Please use it responsibly and only for festival-related communication or follow-up based on the attendee's personal opt-in.
Access is view-only, and a Google account is not required. If you cannot locate the document, please check your spam/junk folder or contact us.
Rosters may change due to cancellations or additions
We will prioritize notifying field volunteers of updates, though guides may also be contacted if needed
If you plan to reach out to attendees, please remember you are representing EAC/Festival
Because of potential changes, we recommend waiting until Wednesday of festival week (April 22) before contacting attendees
Hats, Honorariums & Keynote Tickets
If you selected a hat and/or honorarium, it will be included in the field packet that your volunteer picks up.
If you opted for keynote tickets (based on your level of participation), you have already been registered as an attendee. Your festival confirmation email will be resent on April 20 and April 23.
Lastly, please note:
Please read the first set of info pages in the public-facing Google document (TBA) to understand what we provide the public, including the liability form to sign the day of, and other details we shared with the attendees about what to bring and what NOT to bring.
EAC does not coordinate any carpooling between guides, volunteers, or attendees. If you choose to carpool, it is at your own risk and liability.
We do not give attendees your information unless you ask us to. Please be advised that if attendees contact guides for any reason, it is most likely through your guide bio links, unless you have emailed us to share that info.
Thank you again for being part of this year’s festival. We look forward to welcoming everyone back for another memorable celebration of birds and nature along the Pacific Flyway.
I look forward to seeing many of you soon. Please don’t hesitate to reach out with any questions or emergencies.
In gratitude,
Jess Taylor & The EAC Team
Questions? Contact Us
Jessica Taylor | Development (Membership & Events) Director & Resident Hawkeye
Environmental Action Committee of West Marin (EAC)
(415) 663-9312 | Email
Typical Hours: Tuesday - Friday 10:00 am - 5:00 pm
