Birding Man, a Festival
May 1-2, 2026
Ramble On (Farm)
3383 Colegrove Rd.
Trumansburg, NY
Forests
for Birds, Conservation,
and Community
Friday 5/1, 5:30-8pm
Join Ethan Tapper for a night of story: balancing ecosystem vitality, bird biodiversity, and timber harvesting — ecology meets brass-tacks forest management. We’ll chat theory, and then walk and talk through the forest at Ramble On. This evening is suitable to forest landowners and those interested in broader forest ecosystem health.
Ethan Tapper is an internationally-recognized forester, ecologist, and bestselling author of How to Love a Forest. An Audobon-endorsed forester, Ethan works with landowners to steward forests for both wildlife habitat and income.
Ethan works as a consulting forester across Vermont, New Hampshire, New York, and Maine, and served as the Chittenden County Forester from 2016-2024. Ethan stewards Bear Island, his 175 acre forest, homestead and sugarbush in Vermont.
Workshops!
in Ecosystem Interaction
for humans and wildlife.
Saturday 5/2 , 9:30am-5pm
We’ve put together a stellar lineup of educators and practitioners.
Native Beneficial Insects: Pollinators and Friendly Wasps?!
Local Food Systems Throughout the Year
Banding Birds for Ecosystem Monitoring
Forests, Fungi, and Culinary Mushrooms
Agroforestry Farm Tour
Herbs and Local Medicine
Ecology, Youth, and Birds
Stewarding Ecosystems on Public Lands
Regenerative Society
Forest Management for Bird Biodiversity
The Ecology of Communication
Art & Music!
Join us for a Food Forest Art Show, live music,
and Ithaca legend DJ Dijon.
Saturday 5/2, 4:45pm-11pm
Dance, eat, and EXPERIENCE.
First is an art show in the food forest.
Augmented aesthetic experience, featuring local artists from Ithaca and visitors from beyond.
Allison and Zoë are two irish-born sisters. They are singer-songwriters who create enchanting harmonies and weave stories with their poetic original songs. They share songs on trains, buses, in roundhouses, living rooms, around fires, by the water's edge, in the rain, in nooks and snugs, on stages, at singing circles, and mostly anywhere else that you might meet them.
Dirt Turtles is your friendly neighborhood honky tonkin’ rock-a-billy blues band outta WNY & The Finger Lakes. You’re craving some groovy tunes to boogie to, Jed?
This is the band, China Cat. Twangy grooves and smooth harmonies give you the urge to dance in the dirt with the turtles.
DJ Dijon spins feel-nice, funky, flight tunes for feathery friends. Vinyl volumes of cosmic disco, soulful house, and spicy rhythms provide for a sonic feast.
Tickets!
What is a sliding scale?
Sliding-scale pricing allows folks to pay what feels right for them. We want Birding Man to be economically inclusive, and we’re thrilled to adequately pay workshop hosts and musicians for their time and dedication.
Example:
23 years old and just starting out?
Go with “Community.”
40+ working professional?
“Supporter” would be hugely appreciated.
If you are registering for the Saturday workshops day-of,
or on 5/1, please be prepared to bring lunch.
We should have a few extras, but we want to under promise and over-deliver.
On Pricing: Ticket prices are higher than $10 for a few reasons, and we expect the quantity of fun and elation to be proportionate.
We’re fairly compensating musicians and workshop hosts for their time and creative life force.
We won’t be selling you expensive beverages to cover overhead (it’s BYOB).
Inflation. College parties in 2010 had a $5 cover, but it’s been a minute since then. Both bread and butter cost more these days.
We’ll be running the event at break-even (meaning we’re just covering costs). Birding Man is a Ramble On (Farm) event and is not subsidized by Propagate. If cost is a barrier to you, we have several work-trade/volunteer opportunities available → please reach out.
General Information
We’re dog friendly if your dog is friendly.
We’re kid-friendly, but not a padded bouncy castle. Please keep an eye on them.
BYOB; keep it classy. The veg farm is certified organic, and NOFA NY explicitly prohibits glyphosate and overt tomfoolery.
What should I bring?
First and foremost, bring a friend or three.
Bring clothing for the weather. You may need a raincoat. You may need sunscreen. Or BOTH?! Early May weather is diverse.
Bring hydration and snacks. Saturday lunch is provided, but please don’t hesitate to bring extra calories.
Camping chairs and general outdoor creature comforts can be super useful.
Frequently Asked Questions
Questions that are asked frequently,
and questions that we would like to answer.
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Yes, camping is available.
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You are the wild things, and we look forward to welcoming you.
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Artists will designate if their art is for sale.
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For questions, text Harry Greene at: nine seven eight, five zero one, three eight eight eight.
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There is wifi at the farm, but alas you may find a better connection with a new or old friend.