WHY a Vulture Fest?
During the years 2005 to 2012, nearly 200 Vultures (Turkey and Black) made Wenonah, New Jersey their winter home, returning each evening to form a communal roost in town (their previous winter roost was lost to development). The scientific name for Turkey Vultures, Cathartes aura ("golden purifier"), refers to their role of cleansing the environment. Yet the behavior and beneficial contributions of vultures are not well understood by the public. In 2006, the East Coast Vulture Festival was created as an annual event both to educate the public about the gentle giants circling our skies, and to celebrate the impending end of winter. Festival proceeds were and are used to support local environmental education.

As of late 2012, the vultures are no longer roosting at night in Wenonah. The vultures have not left Wenonah entirely, but there is no assurance of seeing them on any given winter day as there was in the past. As a result, the festival organizers have decided not to hold an event in March, 2013. No permanent decision has been made on the future of the festival. The organizers are exploring the possibility of moving the festival to another nearby community where vultures are still actively roosting.

This short video report from 6ABC Action News provides a good overview of how the Festival came into existence: