KEYNOTE Bio
Richard Crossley is an internationally acclaimed birder, photographer and award-winning author of ‘The Crossley ID Guide’ series. Born in Yorkshire, he also lived in Japan, and birded worldwide before settling down in his beloved Cape May, NJ and these days Richard splits his time between Florida and California. After one of his frequent mid-life crises at the turn of the millennium, Richard decided it was time to spend less time obsessively birding and to focus on paying it forward.
Sometimes called crazy (his badge of honor), wildly passionate, and driven, Richard’s focus is youth birding, and connecting people to a fuller appreciation and understanding of nature; its benefits to mind, body, and soul. Richard’s book, The Crossley ID Guide: Waterfowl, continues to push boundaries. Self-published, the new guide encourages all outdoor conservation groups to view each other as one.
Richard’s latest books The Crossley ID Guide: Western Birds and Ornitherapy (co-authored with Holly Merker and Sophie Crossley) were published in March, 2021. Both books continue to connect us all to nature with a stronger appreciation and understanding of our common ground and its many health benefits. Richard also co-founded the global birding initiative Pledge to Fledge, Race4Birds and The Cape May Young Birders Club. He served on the board of directors at Hawk Mountain Sanctuary. He has contributed to most major birding publications, is frequently heard on radio, and is a sought-after public speaker