Winter Wildlife Festival
Join us in January for a month-long celebration of coastal wildlife and nature featuring a flock of engaging programs to embrace our coastal beauty.
IMPORTANT WWF UPDATES!
Due to unforeseen circumstances, the Winter Wildlife Speakers are being postponed as follows:
- Natalia Rojas, Special Guest Speaker, scheduled for Friday, Jan. 23 ——> NEW DATE: Friday, Feb. 20 from 5:30-7 p.m.
- Joan Strassmann, Keynote Speaker, scheduled for Sunday, Jan. 25 ——> NEW DATE: Saturday, Feb. 21 from 5:30-7 p.m.
Event Details
Guest Speakers
Keynote Session
- Saturday, Feb. 21 • 5:30 - 7 p.m.
- MEO Central Library.
- FREE • No Registration Required.
- In partnership with the Virginia Beach Public Library, the Virginia Beach Library Foundation, and sponsored by Dominion Energy.
Joan Strassmann, author of Slow Birding (2022) and The Social Lives of Birds (2025)
Strassmann is an award-winning teacher of animal behavior, first at Rice University in Houston and then at Washington University in St. Louis, where she is Charles Rebstock professor of biology. She has written more than two hundred scientific articles on behavior, ecology, and evolution of social organisms. She is a member of the National Academy of Sciences and the American Academy of Arts and Sciences and a fellow of the Animal Behavior Society and the American Association for the Advancement of Science and has held a Guggenheim Fellowship. She lives with her husband in St. Louis, Missouri and Leland, Michigan.
⭑NEW⭑ Special Guest Speaker
- Friday, Feb. 20 • 5:30 - 7 p.m.
- MEO Central Library.
- FREE • No Registration Required.
- In partnership with the Virginia Beach Public Library, the Virginia Beach Library Foundation, and sponsored by Dominion Energy.
Natalia Rojas, award-winning board game illustrator (Wingspan)
Rojas is a Colombian-American artist and scientific illustrator whose work celebrates the beauty and diversity of wildlife. A self-taught illustrator, she specializes in colored pencil, graphite, and watercolor, creating finely detailed and realistic depictions of birds and other species. Her artwork is featured in the award-winning board game Wingspan by Stonemaier Games, published in more than 20 languages and enjoyed by players around the world. Originally from Medellín, Colombia, Natalia lived in the United States for more than a decade before relocating to Costa Rica, where she continues to develop her practice. Through her art, she aims to inspire curiosity, wonder, and a deeper connection to the natural world.
2026 Winter Wildlife Photo Contest Winners
Best in Show: William Murray
People’s Choice: Shawn Brooks
Wildlife Action: William Stamper
Wildlife Portrait: Rick Guyot
Landscape/Scenic: William Cody Chaplain
Festival in Action: Constance Owen
Youth: Wesley F. (14 years old)
Honorable Mention Winners
Wildlife Action: Mary Kloecker
Wildlife Portrait: Caroline Prevost
Landscape/Scenic Honorable Mention: Judy Jones
Festival in Action Honorable Mention: Yasmin May
Youth Category Honorable Mention: Kai D. (15 years old)
Visit the MEO Central Library Gallery during March 2026 to see the WWF Photo Contest Winning Photos on display.
Mary Reid Barrow Wildlife Advocate Award
Named after Mary Reid Barrow, who devoted her entire career to engaging the public about our natural environment, the Wildlife Advocate Award was created in 2020 as a way to honor those in our community who strive to make a difference for wildlife and the environment.
Barrow's weekly columns made nature relatable to the average person, and she was a gentle but tireless advocate for wildlife. She continues to serve the community through her involvement with environmental non-profits and campaigns.
2026 Winner: Lisa Barlow
Virginia Beach Parks & Recreation is proud to name Lisa Barlow, a dedicated wildlife rehabilitator and advocate with Tidewater Rehabilitation and Environmental (TREE), as the 2026 recipient of the Mary Reid Barrow Wildlife Advocate Award. Presented on February 21 during the 16th annual Winter Wildlife Festival, this peer-nominated award honors individuals who celebrate, advocate for, and educate the community about local wildlife.
Through her leadership at TREE, Barlow and her team admitted 1,521 patients across 147 species in 2024 alone, helping thousands of animals recover and safely return to their natural habitats. Barlow also shares her expertise with schools, organizations, conferences, and veterinary and rehabilitation professionals, empowering others to become active stewards of the environment.
Previous Award Winners
- 2025: Jody Ullmann
- 2024: Maurice Cullen
- 2023: Mark Swingle
- 2022: Reese Lukei
- 2021: Meredith Broadhurst
Special Thanks to our Sponsors
Winter Wildlife Festival
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