Home>>Field Trips>>Cumberland Island National Seashore

Friday: 7:30 AM- 6:30 PM
Leader: Roger Clark

Sunday: 7:30 AM – 6:30 PM
Leader: Sheila Willis, Native American-Naturalist Talks & Tours, Bob Sargent

Limit: 20
Fees: $4.00/person day use fee plus ferry fee* (see ferry fee schedule below.) These fees are paid on-site to Cumberland Island NS when you arrive for your trip (please have cash handy.) The festival charges no additional fee for this trip.

Adults - $15
Seniors (65 & older) - $12
Children (12 & under) - $10

*Registrants for this field trip must make their own ferry reservations. Festival staff will not do this for you. Ferry reservations may be made by phone or fax ONLY from 10am – 4pm, Mon. – Fri. The ferry is often filled up well in advance, so it is recommended that you do so as soon as possible. Call 1-888-817-3421 for reservations and information or visit them on the web.


DESCRIPTION: Cumberland Island is the state’s southernmost and largest barrier island. This unique wildlife haven and site of historical mansions contains a wide variety of habitats including salt-water marshes, mud flats, tidal creeks, maritime oak forests, large sand dunes, inter-dune meadows, and expansive beaches just to name a few. Visitors in the fall often comment on the amazing variety of shorebirds, warblers and hawks. Keep an eye out for such species as the wood stork, peregrine falcon, American oystercatcher, American redstart and painted bunting. Participants will depart from the Cumberland Island Ferry dock in St. Marys, GA at 9:00 a.m. (check-in at 8:30 a.m.) and meet their guide at the Dungeness Dock on Cumberland Island at 10:00 a.m. After the guided tour and some free time in the afternoon, participants will return to the mainland on the ferry which departs at 4:45 p.m. (check with park officials for exact departure sites and check-in times). Lunch will not be provided.

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION: Contact Cumberland Island National Seashore at 1-888-817-3421 or www.nps.gov/cuis for more park information.

Trip Rigor: Moderate – a minimum of three miles of easy walking. A short stop for lunch and a restroom break will be made near the Dungeness Mansion. Public restrooms and water fountains are available at four locations on the island including the Sea Camp Visitor Center.

Recommend Needs: Optical equipment (trip leader will have a spotting scope), hat, sunscreen, comfortable shoes & rain gear, water, lunch & snacks, trash bag for packing out trash or shell collection.

Your Leaders:
Roger Clark, has been an avid birder for over 35 years (since a very young age!). Roger cut his birding teeth along the shores of Lake Ontario, where he grew up near Rochester, NY. After graduating from college (SUNY Brockport) he moved to South Carolina. For several years Roger worked in zoological parks between South Carolina and Texas. After a hitch in the United States Navy he joined the National Weather Service, back again in South Carolina. In 1992 Roger fulfilled a childhood dream of becoming a National Park Service Park Ranger – beginning his new career at Congaree Swamp National Monument. Since 1994 Roger has been stationed in Jacksonville, Florida at the Timucuan Preserve, and specifically on Fort George Island at Kingsley Plantation. Whether for the park service, local bird clubs, festivals, or private groups, Roger has led bird tours in many parts of the United States. He has seen over 720 species in the ABA area, over 400 species in both Florida and Texas, and over 300 species in several other states. Roger also enjoys birding in other countries, especially Central and South America, where he has seen over 2,000 species. Roger says he really enjoys birding the Georgia coast and has participated on the Cumberland Island Christmas Bird Count for several years.

Bob Sargent got hooked on birding while in graduate school studying deer ecology in the Florida Everglades in 1991. This newfound “addiction” led him to the University of Georgia, where he completed a Ph.D. in wildlife biology studying the nesting success of migratory birds in South Carolina. Bob has worked for the U.S. Air Force since 1996 as the natural resources manager at Robins Air Force Base in Warner Robins. He is also an instructor at Georgia Military College, where he teaches biology and environmental science. He is currently president of the Georgia Ornithological Society, and has served as president of both the Oconee (Athens) and Ocmulgee (Macon) Audubon Societies.

Sheila Willis, of Waycross, Georgia, is the founder of Native American-Naturalist Talks & Tours, holds a B.S. in Biology and has over 30 years experience as a park ranger-naturalist in all types of parks and refuges around the country. Of Cherokee descent, Sheila has also served as a lecturer and field trip leader on nature and Native American culture for multiple educational facilities in the South. She has worked as a biologist for various agencies and conducted private bird and botanical tours. Sheila has held leadership positions in many conservation, cultural, and tourism organizations and is the long-time director of the Christmas Bird Counts for the Okefenokee Swamp and  Cumberland Island areas. An avid photographer and writer, she has contributed to, and been featured in, a variety of print, radio, and television publications and programs.