Join us for the 2023 Bird Fest Keynote Address with John Marzluff. This is a HYBRID event. You may join us in the Wenatchee River Institute's Red Barn or livestream virtually via Zoom. We will also be honoring the 2023 Bird Fest Founders' Award recipients at this event.

Registration is required for this event. Tickets cost $20 for in-person ticket and $10 for a virtual ticket. Register to attend here: https://leavenworthspringbirdfest.regfox.com/bird-fest-2023.

THINK LIKE A RAVEN is a culmination of Dr. Marzluff's collaborative work detailing the intertwined lives of ravens, wolves, pumas, and the people that visit and live around Yellowstone. This presentation follows the seasons of Yellowstone and the scientific journey he undertook to decode the mysteries of raven life. With colleagues, 60 birds were tagged with state-of-the-art transmitters. The birds shared their secrets as they flew a hundred miles directly to new kills, commandeered territory, found mates, and reared young. The picture that emerged from the study was that of a highly opportunistic bird with the knowledge that allowed them to exploit wolves but not depend on them. What emerges is a picture of the tenuous and evolving relationship between humans, wolves, and ravens, and the challenges animals face when they wander beyond the protection a national park provides.

John Marzluff is James W. Ridgeway Professor of Wildlife Science at the University of Washington. His graduate (Northern Arizona University) and initial post-doctoral (University of Vermont) research focused on the social behavior and ecology of jays and ravens. He continues this theme investigating the intriguing behavior of crows, ravens, and jays. His current research focuses on the interactions of ravens and wolves in Yellowstone. He teaches Ornithology, Governance and Conservation of Rare Species, Field Research in Yellowstone, and Natural and Cultural History of Costa Rica.

Professor Marzluff has written six books and edited several others. His Welcome to Subirdia (2014 Yale) discovers that moderately settled lands host a splendid array of biological diversity and suggests ways in which people can steward these riches to benefit birds and themselves. His most recent In Search of Meadowlarks (2020 Yale) connects our agriculture and diets to the conservation of birds and other wildlife.

Dr. Marzluff has mentored over 40 graduate students and authored over 170 scientific papers on various aspects of bird behavior and wildlife management. He is a member of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service’s Recovery Team for the critically endangered Mariana Crow, a former member of the Washington Biodiversity Council, a Fellow of the American Ornithologist's Union, a Fellow of the American Association for the Advancement of Science, and a National Geographic Explorer.

This event is supported by A Book For All Seasons. Marzluff's books will be available for purchase at the event.