Ospreys on Cape Cod, the Islands, & Nantucket Sound

Join the Alliance to Protect Nantucket Sound for a captivating exploration of one of Nantucket Sound's most iconic coastal birds with acclaimed author, environmental journalist, and National Geographic host David Gessner. Click here to register.

For generations, the osprey has been a symbol of the New England coast. Yet by the 1960s, these magnificent birds had nearly disappeared due to the devastating effects of DDT. Their remarkable recovery stands as one of the greatest conservation success stories of our time.

Drawing from his New York Times bestselling book Return of the Osprey (now celebrating its 25th anniversary year!) and decades of observing and writing about the natural world, David will share the fascinating story of the osprey's decline, recovery, and enduring connection to Cape Cod, the Islands, and Nantucket Sound. Blending natural history, personal reflection, humor, and environmental insight, he will explore what makes these birds so compelling and what their return tells us about the health and resilience of our coastal ecosystems.

A longtime Cape Codder with deep ties to the region, David spent an entire nesting season immersed in the lives of local osprey families, documenting their behavior while reflecting on the changing landscape of the Cape he has known since childhood. His observations offer a unique perspective on conservation, coastal development, and our relationship with the natural world.

David Gessner is the author of fourteen books, including the New York Times bestseller All the Wild That Remains and the acclaimed Return of the Osprey. A professor at the University of North Carolina Wilmington and host of National Geographic's The Call of the Wild, Gessner is widely recognized as one of America's leading nature writers.

Whether you're a bird enthusiast, conservation advocate, Cape Cod resident, or simply someone who appreciates the beauty and wonder of the natural world, this engaging presentation will deepen your appreciation for the osprey and its enduring place in the story of Nantucket Sound.

Presented as part of A Celebration of Nantucket Sound (ACONS), the Alliance's free educational webinar series.

PRAISE FOR DAVID GESSNER & RETURN OF THE OSPREY:

“A master essayist.” — Booklist

“Return of the Osprey can…claim a place among the classics of American nature writing." — The Boston Globe

“Gessner’s Osprey soars with detail and a sense of wonder.” — The Miami Herald

“A naturalist’s jewel…Gessner provides insights into the history of the great sea bird of prey that will delight both the committed birder and the general reader.” — Publisher’s Weekly

“By the end of the book, you feel as if you’ve been out there with Gessner much of the time, shivering in the woods, mucking through the marsh, kayaking upriver to an isolated nest site. It’s strangely satisfying, imparting a sense of the profound.” — The San Diego Union-Tribune