Posted by David McRee at BlogTheBeach.com.
What: The Space Coast Birding and Wildlife Festival, considered the largest of its kind in the United States, is a family event that began in 1997 to promote nature and wildlife along Florida’s Space Coast (Titusville, Cocoa, Rockledge, Cocoa Beach, Melbourne & Palm Bay) and to provide educational experiences in environmental conservation.
When: January 27th through February 1, 2010.
Where: Headquartered at Brevard Community College Titusville Campus with field trips throughout the area.
Important: Pre-registration is required for all activities!
Beginning birders honing their identification skills in the field at the 2009 Space Coast Birding and Wildlife Festival in Titusville, Florida. (Photo courtesy of Space Coast Birding & Wildlife Festival).
By attending the upcoming Birding & Wildlife Festival you will directly interact with the world’s top ornithologists, wildlife biologists, and naturalists, including David Allen Sibley, Kenn Kaufman, Alvaro Jaramillo, Renier Mungukia, and Louise Zemaitis (and many others–last year there were 96 field trip leaders and speakers). You’ll also be guaranteed a snow-free week on Florida’s Atlantic coast!
Laurilee Thompson, founder of the Festival says “This event appeals to birders of all levels. Since its inception, the festival has attracted both inquisitive beginners and seasoned experts from around the world.”
How does six days of back-to-back seminars, field trips, presentations, and hands-on learning sound to you? I think it’s pretty exciting and I’m looking forward to attending. Of course, you don’t have to attend all six days–but why wouldn’t you?
Field trips into the marshes and woodlands of nearby natural conservation areas will have you learning to find and identify the seemingly endless variety of birds and wildlife that Florida offers. To improve your existing skills and learn new ones, you’ll be able to attend workshops to help you identify warblers, shorebirds, sparrows, birds of prey, and seabirds. You’ll also learn how to select the best optics for the field.
Sandhill cranes in the Viera Wetlands, one of the popular field trip locations during the Space Coast Birding and Wildlife Festival. (Photo courtesy of Space Coast Birding and Wildlife Festival).
The January 2010 Birding and Wildlife Festival will have a special feature: Co-hosted by the Volusia County Marine Science Center and combined with this year’s Festival is the 2010 North American Gull Conference, sponsored by Swarovski Optik. Attend a few gull identification workshops and I guarantee you’ll never look at a gull the same way again–ever!
The Festival will also have 75 exhibitors, a silent auction and a nature-based art show presented by the Titusville Art League.
To give you an idea of how popular this Festival is, last year saw over 3,600 attendees from 37 states and 7 foreign countries enjoying 233 Festival events, including field trips, seminars, workshops, keynotes, photo workshops, optics workshops, water adventures, impromptu bird walks, and the Sunday Social at Fox Lake.
Gallinule in the green, observed at the 2009 Space Coast Birding and Wildlife Festival. (Photo courtesy of Thomas J. Dunkerton and Space Coast Birding & Wildlife Festival).
Be sure to visit the website of the 13th Annual Space Coast Birding and Wildlife Festival to request a beautiful and informative catalog and to register early to assure a spot in your chosen workshops and activities! The hardest thing about registering for this Festival is choosing among the hundreds of activities. You’ll want to attend them all.
Here’s a very short video clip of a painted bunting observed at last year’s festival:
I’ll see you at the 13th Annual Space Coast Birding and Wildlife Festival!
