VENT's 50th Anniversary Celebration

American Avocets © Michael O'Brien

An anniversary celebration of VENT’s 50 years in business. Eighteen tour leaders, four days of field trips, evening programs, and renowned guest speakers highlight this commemorative event.

In 2026, VENT will turn 50! It has been an extraordinary five decades in business, thanks to many of the world’s most highly skilled tour leaders, superb office personnel, and the support of wonderful and loyal clients. From our founding 50 years ago, VENT has been unwavering in its values: dedication to providing our travelers with the highest quality service, taking care of our employees, and supporting conservation. It is for these reasons that VENT is widely regarded among the world’s finest birding and nature tour companies, a distinction of which we are immensely proud.

To celebrate our anniversary, we are planning a big event in our home state of Texas, where it all began in 1976. The site we have chosen for this historic occasion is one of America’s greatest birding areas: the Upper Texas Coast. Throughout the month of April, few other regions in the country offer such splendid birding opportunities combined with easy accessibility to a diversity of locations. Our celebration will be based at the MCM Eleganté Hotel in Beaumont. We will have four fun-filled days to explore the varied regions of the Upper Coast in search of Neotropical migrants and breeding resident species at the most dynamic time of the year.

Our 50th Anniversary Celebration is also a social event in which participants are treated to evening social hours, dinners, presentations by distinguished speakers, and more. There will be numerous opportunities to interact with VENT tour leaders and office staff, special guests, and other celebration participants.

In commemoration of the event, we have assembled an all-star team of tour leaders, bird and wildlife artists, nature writers, and guest speakers including Barry Lyon, David Ascanio, Max Breckenridge, Erik Bruhnke, Kevin Burke, Rafael Galvez, Brian Gibbons, Steve Hilty, Dion Hobcroft, Jeri Langham, Brad McKinney, Michael O’Brien and Louise Zemaitis, Doris Valencia, Raymond VanBuskirk, Andrew Whittaker, Rick Wright, Barry Zimmer, and Kevin Zimmer. Additionally, we are especially pleased to announce a powerhouse lineup of keynote presenters that includes Scott Weidensaul, Jennifer Ackerman, Ed Yong, and Kenn Kaufman.

Those who prefer additional time in Texas are encouraged to join our pre- and post-event extensions to the Piney-woods region of East Texas and to Galveston Island. Additional extension opportunities may be offered.

This anniversary celebration is a major milestone for VENT, marking a half-century of worldwide birding and nature tourism. It is guaranteed to be an exciting and successful event. Join us in Beaumont in April 2026 and make new friends, renew old acquaintances, and help us celebrate our 50th Anniversary Celebration!

All nights at MCM Eleganté Hotel; rotating field trips to distinct areas with different leaders each day; warm weather expected but thunderstorms and late cold fronts possible; light physical demands.

Prothonotary Warbler © Michael O'Brien