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April 25, 2026
Join us for our 2026 Annual NYSBS Conference in Warsaw, New York, on April 25, 2026.
It all starts with an Early Morning Birdwalk at 7:30 a.m. to 8:30 a.m. led by our local bird and nature enthusiast, Hans Kunze. Meet at 6340 LaGrange Rd., Wyoming, NY 14591 (10-minute drive from conference location).
From 8:30 a.m. to 3:00 p.m., enjoy a light breakfast at the Cornell Cooperative Extension of Wyoming County and hear presentations by writer, artist, and naturalist Julie Zickerfoose and educator and director of the Humphrey Nature Center at Letchworth State Park Matt Nusstein.
Learn about the wonders of bluebirds, nature, and Letchworth, as well as proper nest box setup, monitoring, collecting data, and dealing with hot weather during the nesting season.
We will honor our 2026 Fran Hanes and Herman Bressler Awards recipients and offer an opportunity to win fabulous prizes in our basket raffle and purchase signed copies of Julie’s book.
A catered on-site lunch is available for $15 with advanced reservation and payment by April 10, 2026. Make your check payable to NYSBS and send it to PO Box 883, Rouses Point, NY 12979-0883.
See flyer for more information.
You don’t have to be a NYSBS member to join us at the conference – all are welcome!
SCHEDULE
7:30-8:30 - Early Morning Bird Walk with Hans Kunze
8:30-9:30 - Registration, refreshments, start of Basket Raffle, sale of NYSBS items, nest boxes by Steven Douglas, and books by Julie Zickefoose
9:30-10:00 - Fran Hanes & Herman Bressler Awards
10:00- 11:00 - Julie Zickefoose presents “Have You Ever Wondered? What I’ve Learned in 40 Years of Bluebirding”
11:00-11:15 - Bathroom Break
11:15-12:15 - Mini-Topics
* Proper nest box setup, monitoring and data collection
* Give-aways start – live mealworms, NYSBS pins, predator guards, $ for furthest travelled
* Dealing with hot weather during nesting season
12:15-1:00 Lunch prepurchase or bring your own
1:00-2:00 - Matt Nusstein presents “The Wonders of Letchworth State Park”
2:00-2:30 - Trivia Questions, Q&A by the Experts
2:30-3:00 - Basket raffle, sale items, more giveaways!
3:00 - Distribution of baskets
PRESENTERS
Hans Kunze - Our very own entertaining and knowledgeable NYSBS member will lead the Early Morning Bird Walk.
Julie Zickefoose - Julie will be presenting “Have You Ever Wondered? What I’ve Learned in 40 Years of Bluebirding”. Julie lives and works quietly on an 80-acre wildlife sanctuary in the back country of Whipple, Ohio. Her credits include being an All Things Considered commentator for five years, 37 years of contributing to Bird Watcher’s Digest, Advising Editor for BWD, illustrated books including The Bluebird Effect, Natural Gardening for Birds, Letters from Eden, and Baby Birds: An Artist Looks Into the Nest, and Saving Jemima: Life and Love with a Hard-Luck Jay. Her most recent book is Birdwatching for Dummies. Odd, arcane, and occasionally astonishing, her presentation is for those who faithfully monitor and manage nestboxes for bluebirds. Full of hard-won bluebird wisdom. Autographed books will be available for sale.
Matt Nusstein - Environmental Educator at Letchworth’s Humphrey Nature Center, will present “Letchworth State Park - A Natural Wonder and All It Has to Offer.” Matt also gives talks on natural world topics, such as ‘Our Changing Forests.’ He is involved in many educational programs at the park including an event to hang maple taps as part of the park's maple syrup production activities celebrating 100 years of New York State Parks (in 2024.) Letchworth has been voted Best State Park by USA TODAY Readers’ Choice Awards for 2025. Letchworth Park is only 18-20 minutes away from Warsaw. Conference attendees can extend their stay (at the same group rate price) at Microtel by Wyndham and spend Sunday exploring Letchworth before heading home.
ALSO
As with past conferences, we will be offering items for sale, so plan to bring a little extra spending money for the basket raffles, and assorted NYSBS items for sale. Attendees may also pick up quality handmade nest boxes built by our very own Steven Douglas. These nest boxes must be preordered and paid for in advance at the reduced price of $25.00.
IMPORTANT REMINDERS
* Call (585) 228-9479 Microtel by Wyndham , 287 N. Main Street, for reservations before March 24, 2026. Remember to tell them you are a member of the NYSBS to get the reduced price.
* Reserve your $15 pp catered lunch by sending a check to: NYSBS; PO Box 883; Rouses Point, NY; 12979 by Wednesday, April 10, 2026
* Preorder & pay for nest boxes by Steven Douglas at the reduced price of $25 per box by sending a check to: NYSBS; PO Box 883; Rouses Point, NY; 12979
Hoping to see you in Warsaw at our Conference!