Copper River Delta Shorebird Festival

Bay to Bay in May
Saturday, May 3, 2025
10:00 AM 1:00 PM
Hartney Bay, Cordova, AK

Hartney Bay to Orca Adventure Lodge Race

This all-ages, family-friendly event offers two options:

Bike 6.1 miles from Hartney Bay to the City Center, then run/walk 3 miles to Orca Adventure Lodge

Run the full 9.1 miles from Hartney Bay to Orca Adventure Lodge

The race is not a relay, and the winner is determined by the most average time.

Participants can sign up at Bidarki, online through the City of Cordova Parks & Recreation, or on race day at Hartney Bay. A $5 donation is requested as the registration fee.

For more information, contact the City of Cordova Parks & Rec.

Artisan Market
Saturday May 3rd, 11 AM-5 PM
Cordova Center, 601 1st St, Cordova, AK 99574

Check out the Festival Artisan Market on Saturday and Sunday. This cozy market will feature a small group of local artisans offering everything from homemade tinctures to beautiful, locally made jewelry and more. It’s the perfect spot to find something unique, support local creators, and take home a special festival keepsake.

Pioneer Pie Sale & Social
Saturday, May 3, 2025
12:00 PM 3:00 PM
Pioneer Igloo Hall 19, 621 1st St, Cordova, AK 99574, USA

The Pioneer ladies will be hosting a pie social in the Upstairs of the Pioneer as well as selling homemade whole pies in the parking lot outside the Pioneer building on Sat., May 3rd starting at 12:00 PM.

Presenter: Monica Iglecia
Saturday, May 3, 2025
4:00 PM 4:30 PM
Cordova Center, 601 1st St, Cordova, AK 99574

Monica Iglecia, U.S. Coordinator for Pacific Birds Habitat Joint Venture. Monica’s career and education have been dedicated to international bird and habitat conservation through applied science and collaborative partnerships from the site-level to the flyway scale. She believes we can do more when we work together and is committed to creating and supporting an environment where birds and people can thrive, in the Pacific Birds Habitat Joint Venture service area and beyond.

Controller Bay: A Critical Stopover Site for Red Knots
Saturday, May 3, 2025
4:30 PM 5:00 PM
Cordova Center, 601 1st St, Cordova, AK 99574

Join Jenell Larsen Tempel, Ph.D., a wildlife biologist with the Alaska Department of Fish & Game, as she shares her research on Controller Bay—A Critical Stopover Site for Red Knots.

Since 2020, Jenell has been studying these incredible long-distance migrants, uncovering their vital connection to Alaska’s coastline. Her work is helping to shape conservation efforts for shorebirds and other at-risk species across the state.

Learn why Controller Bay is so important for Red Knots and what we can do to protect them.

Presenter: Osvel Hinojosa Huertas
Saturday, May 3, 2025
5:00 PM 5:30 PM
Cordova Center, 601 1st St, Cordova, AK 99574

Shorebird conservation through capacity building at the flyway scale: five years of the Coastal Solutions Fellows Program

The Coastal Solutions Fellows Program at the Cornell Lab of Ornithology was developed in 2018, with the goal of improving resiliency along the Pacific Flyway of Latin America to help recover shorebird populations and support a regenerative development in the region. The program is based on capacity building to cultivate a collaborative network of emerging conservation leaders, and the implementation of effective conservation projects with measurable impacts. In 2023 we launched our fifth cohort, with which there are now 30 fellows working in 37 sites in nine countries. The fellows have created a network of over 120 mentors and collaborators and 200 partner organizations that are participating in shorebird conservation through science, engineering, public policies, landscape design, engagement of the private sector, and community participation. Some of the common elements for success in these initiatives include the cultivation of leadership, planning, governance, conflict resolution, and strategic communication, as well as the implementation of science-based innovative projects with cross-sectoral collaborations, ranging from the real estate sector and shrimp producers to indigenous communities and social justice groups. The program has catalyzed outcomes that include the creation of new natural protected areas and the establishment of conservation easements, as well as the development of federal regulations for the protection of urban wetlands and the creation of local ordinances to reduce human disturbance, with an estimated conservation impact on 115,000 hectares and benefits to at least 28 shorebird species, including priority species such as Snowy Plovers, American Oystercatchers, Red Knots, and Hudsonian Godwits.

35th Anniversary Celebration: Western Hemisphere Shorebird Reserve Network
Saturday, May 3, 2025
6:00 PM 8:00 PM
Cordova, AK, 99574

Celebrate the 35th Anniversary of the WHSRN as we honor the Copper River Delta Shorebird Reserve Unit—the first Alaska shorebird habitat to be included in the Western Hemisphere Shorebird Reserve Network. This milestone coincides with the 35th Anniversary of the Copper River Delta Shorebird Festival, making this a special year for both conservation and the community.

Guided Birding Field Trip at Hartney Bay
Saturday, May 3, 2025
8:00 PM 9:00 PM
Hartney Bay, Cordova, AK

Guided Birding Field Trip at Hartney Bay

Join expert guides for a unique birding experience during high tide at Hartney Bay. This guided field trip offers participants the chance to observe shorebirds and other wildlife in their natural habitat with the guidance of seasoned birding experts. Registrants will have the opportunity to enhance their bird identification skills while exploring one of the region’s prime birdwatching locations.

Don’t miss this exciting opportunity to connect with nature and deepen your birding knowledge!