Yakutat Tern Festival

Yakutat Tern Festival The 15th Annual (May 28-May 31, 2026) Yakutat Tern Festival www.yakutatnature.org We offer field trips, speakers, art show, kids events and more.

The Yakutat Tern Festival is a celebration of the extraordinary natural and cultural resources of Yakutat, Alaska. Activities appeal to all ages and both birders and non-birders. We are honored to feature the Mt St. Elias Dancers, Indigenous Dancers from Yakutat, at an evening event. The 2023 festival will be from June 1-4. Yakutat is a unique experience. More details at www.yakutatternfestival.org.

Our latest Yakutat Nature Society & Yakutat Tern Festival Newsletter is here! 🐦✨Inside, we’re looking back on another in...
08/01/2026

Our latest Yakutat Nature Society & Yakutat Tern Festival Newsletter is here! 🐦✨

Inside, we’re looking back on another incredible Yakutat Tern Festival—from inspiring guest speakers and talented local artists to beach cleanups, birding adventures, workshops, and the amazing volunteers who made it all possible.

This issue celebrates the people, partnerships, and community spirit that continue to make the festival such a special event each year.

A huge thank you to everyone who joined us, volunteered, taught, learned, explored, and helped make this year’s festival a success. We can’t wait to see you again next year!

📖 Check out the latest newsletter

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Reminiscing about the 15th Annual Tern Festival and sipping a morning smoothie in my tumbler!What was your favorite part...
07/30/2026

Reminiscing about the 15th Annual Tern Festival and sipping a morning smoothie in my tumbler!
What was your favorite part of this past year’s festival?

Leave us a comment!

Jessica Jensen

📣 Exciting to see the Yakutat Tern Festival featured by KCAW!For 15 years, the Yakutat Tern Festival has brought togethe...
06/09/2026

📣 Exciting to see the Yakutat Tern Festival featured by KCAW!

For 15 years, the Yakutat Tern Festival has brought together birders, families, scientists, artists, and community members to celebrate the incredible natural and cultural resources of Yakutat. What began as a small local event has grown into one of Southeast Alaska’s most unique gatherings, highlighting everything from Aleutian terns and bird conservation to Tlingit culture, local traditions, and the wild landscapes that make Yakutat special.

Each spring, visitors travel to Yakutat to experience guided field trips, educational programs, cultural events, family activities, and the opportunity to witness one of Alaska’s most important Aleutian tern strongholds. The festival continues to showcase how conservation, community, and tourism can work together to support both people and place.

A huge thank you to for helping share the story of this special event and the community that makes it possible year after year.

❤️ If you’ve attended the Yakutat Tern Festival, tell us your favorite memory in the comments. Was it the birds, the people, the culture, the scenery—or all of the above?

junco

📸 Credit:
1) Ryan Cotter
2) Wendy Mahan Wendy P***k Mahan
3) Nate Catterson
4) Mary Glaves

📸 Did You Know?🐦 The bird in this photo is an Aleutian Tern—one of Yakutat’s most iconic summer visitors.✨ Unlike Arctic...
06/07/2026

📸 Did You Know?

🐦 The bird in this photo is an Aleutian Tern—one of Yakutat’s most iconic summer visitors.

✨ Unlike Arctic Terns, Aleutian Terns migrate across the Pacific and spend much of the year in Southeast Asia and the western Pacific.

🌎 Yakutat hosts one of the largest known Aleutian Tern breeding areas in North America, making it a globally important place for this remarkable species.

🌊 These elegant seabirds nest along Yakutat’s beaches, river mouths, and coastal wetlands, relying on healthy fish populations and intact shoreline habitat.

🏔️ Yakutat Fact: Surrounded by glaciers, wild rivers, and the Gulf of Alaska, Yakutat is one of the few places where you can watch Aleutian Terns, catch salmon, and view active glaciers—all in the same day.

📍Welcome to Yakutat: where wild birds and wild places still thrive.

The Yakutat Tern Festival is powered by community.As we wrap up another incredible festival, we want to extend our deepe...
06/06/2026

The Yakutat Tern Festival is powered by community.

As we wrap up another incredible festival, we want to extend our deepest gratitude to every sponsor, partner, donor, volunteer, presenter, business, organization, and individual who helped make the 15th Annual Yakutat Tern Festival a success.

From local businesses and community organizations to state and federal agencies, conservation groups, artists, educators, guides, and generous individual supporters, your contributions of time, funding, expertise, facilities, equipment, and enthusiasm made this festival possible.

For fifteen years, the Yakutat Tern Festival has celebrated the birds, fish, wildlife, lands, waters, cultures, and people that make Yakutat such a special place. That tradition continues because of the incredible support shown by our community and partners near and far.

Whether you sponsored an event, donated resources, led a field trip, hosted a presentation, volunteered behind the scenes, welcomed visitors, or helped spread the word, thank you.

We are especially grateful to all of the organizations, businesses, and individuals featured in these sponsor and partner acknowledgements. Your investment in conservation, education, recreation, culture, and community helps ensure the festival continues to inspire residents and visitors alike.

From all of us at the Yakutat Nature Society and the Yakutat Tern Festival—thank you for helping us celebrate 15 years of connection, discovery, and stewardship. We couldn’t do it without you.

💙 See you next year!



.susan .audubon.society .junco

THANK YOU, YAKUTAT! 🐦🌲🌊What an incredible Yakutat Tern Festival weekend.To everyone who joined us — thank you for being ...
06/04/2026

THANK YOU, YAKUTAT! 🐦🌲🌊

What an incredible Yakutat Tern Festival weekend.

To everyone who joined us — thank you for being part of it. From early morning bird banding and glacier tours to workshops, field trips, community meals, and closing day celebrations, this festival was filled with connection, curiosity, and care for this special place. 🦅✨

We are so grateful to the birders, families, volunteers, presenters, artists, partners, and community members who helped make it all happen. This weekend wouldn’t exist without you.

And we’re not done celebrating yet… 📸

If you captured moments during the festival, please continue to share them and tag us so we can relive the experience together and highlight your favorite memories!
💚 Tag your photos + videos
💚 Use
💚 Help us tell the story of this weekend

Until next year — thank you for helping keep Yakutat wild, connected, and full of life. 🌿🐦

06/04/2026

Until next time, Yakutat!

As folks migrate back to their homes and the birds continue their incredible life, we want to thank everyone who helped make this year’s Yakutat Tern Festival so special.

From bird walks and wildlife viewing to new friendships and unforgettable adventures, we loved sharing the magic of Yakutat with all of you.

Safe travels, and we’ll see you next year when you flock back to Yakutat! 🐦✨

06/02/2026

You can see many birds along the Situk. We saw Kingfishers, Bald eagles, Northern yellow warblers, and more!

Thanks to all our local businesses that help support the Tern Festival!Partner Highlight:Each year, donates a festival ...
06/01/2026

Thanks to all our local businesses that help support the Tern Festival!

Partner Highlight:

Each year, donates a festival participant lodging which helps us offer programs like Bird Yoga and many other festival events.

Monti Bay also offers discounted rates for visitors during the Yakutat Tern Festival. The lodging is best suited for groups of 4-10 traveling together.

Next year’s Tern Festival is June 3-6, 2027.

Congratulations to , Sarah Israelson, & Megan Bowen for their winning photos in Landscapes, Wildlife & Pets this year! ...
06/01/2026

Congratulations to , Sarah Israelson, & Megan Bowen for their winning photos in Landscapes, Wildlife & Pets this year!

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