$30 per person; $25 Academy Friends and Family, including Academy members, birding club members, African American Museum in Philadelphia members, Drexel employees and students
Registration required; please contact your organization for special pricing
Guests must be 21+ to drink and will receive wristbands
Feathers, Fashion, Fête!
Join the Academy of Natural Sciences for the 2025 Black Excellence in Birding Masquerade Ball, the culminating event of Black Birders Week 2025! This black-tie-meets-sneaker-ball celebration is where conservation greets culture, and style takes wing.
Mix and mingle with bird lovers, changemakers and local and national conservationists working to protect migrating birds as they navigate our urban skies. Explore our Ecology of Fashion exhibit, connect with local designers and craft your own one-of-a-kind bird mask to complete your look.
Venture behind the scenes into the Academy’s world-class Ornithology Collection, where you’ll find out more about how scientists use specimens collected from collisions to learn about environmental changes affecting migrating species. Then join us on the museum floor to sip craft cocktails, snack on savory bites and connect with fellow nature enthusiasts and birders during a night where science, style, and community soar together.
Let’s celebrate the power of birds — and the people who love them — in style.
Schedule of Events:
Meet, Greet and Learn
6–8 p.m.
Dinosaur Hall: Food and Drinks
Stroll the black carpet to Dinosaur Hall, where you’ll find delicious refreshments, signature drinks at our cashless bar and everything you need to know about the 2025 BEIB Masquerade Ball. Listen to smooth jazz while you take photos under the T. rex and cozy up to all sorts of avian ancestors.
North American Hall
Birdsong Chic
Visit with designers from the Philadelphia area who are working with sustainable materials to create ecologically conscious fashion.
Avian Couture: Make your own Mask
Using recycled and sustainable materials, create your own bird mask to wear during the masquerade ball.
Deitrich Gallery – The Ecology of Fashion
In what ways is the natural environment quite literally woven into the clothes that we wear? How can we better care for the natural world through wardrobe curation, conscious fashion, thrifting forays or visible mending? And how can we know the history of a piece of clothing just by looking closely? The Ecology of Fashion considers our complex interrelationship with the natural world and our evolving sense of ethics in its stewardship.
Behind the Scenes: Ornithology Collection Tours
6:30–8 p.m.
Go behind the scenes for incredible, one-of-a-kind views of the Academy’s world-renowned Ornithology Collection. Meet Academy scientists and learn how the specimens in the Academy’s collection contribute to scientific research and discovery.
Wings in the City
8–9 p.m.
Birds encounter numerous threats throughout their lifetimes, but glass windows and artificial light at night pose some of the most significant dangers, often leading to collisions with windows and other structures built by people. Join us for a dynamic conversation with local birders, scientists, and environmentalists who are working on implementing solutions to these collisions and trying to create safe spaces for birds in flight.
Opening Remarks
By Maurice Baynard, Vice President, Community Learning, The Academy of Natural Sciences of Drexel University
Panelists
- Keith Russell: Program Manager, Urban Conservation, The Discovery Center, Audubon Mid-Atlantic
- Damien Ruffner: Center Manager, The Discovery Center, Audubon Mid-Atlantic
- Dr. Maria Andreina Pacheco, Assistant Professor, Temple University and former Vice President of The Neotropical
Moderator
Jason Hall, Founder, In Color Birding Club
Social Hour
9–10 p.m.
Dinosaur Hall
Join us in Dinosaur Hall to mingle and chat after the panel discussion. Photo ops will be aplenty and music will pipe throughout the event spaces. Last call is at 9:45 p.m.