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NAPLES – Registration is now open for the Southwest Florida Birding &
Wildlife Festival, hosted at the Florida Department of Environmental
Protection’s (DEP) Rookery Bay National Estuarine Research Reserve on January 18
- 20, 2008. Coordinated by a variety of area agencies and organizations, the
fourth annual event has expanded to include opportunities for participants to
learn about birds and other wildlife of this region.
“This year’s festival will offer even more than in previous years by
including information on Florida’s unique flora, fauna and wildlife, including
panthers, orchids and butterflies,” said Randy McCormick, Education Coordinator
for the Rookery Bay Environmental Learning Center.
The festival will feature activities, presentations and field trips over the
course of three days. Space is limited and registration is required for
participation in more than two dozen guided trips through wildlife habitat and
natural areas around the region. Presentations and workshops provided by bird
and wildlife experts will give a closer look at particular species and issues.
Live raptors from the Audubon Center for Birds of Prey in Maitland will also be
on hand for up-close and personal interaction. Registration is not necessary to
attend the presentations or onsite activities.
The event will kick off with a keynote address by noted author and naturalist
Scott Weidensaul, who will sign copies of his newest book, Of a Feather: A Brief
History of American Birding, before and after his presentation on Friday,
January 18 at 7 p.m.
The cost to attend the three-day festival is $20 per adult and free for
children under 12. Entry fee includes admission to the Environmental Learning
Center in Naples. Field trips carry an additional fee. To register or for more
information, visit www.rookerybay.org or call 239-417-6310 ext. 401.
The Rookery Bay National Estuarine Research Reserve is managed by DEP in
cooperation with the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. The
reserve is one of 27 research reserves operating across the nation. DEP’s Office
of Coastal and Aquatic Managed Areas (CAMA) manages Rookery Bay along with 44
other sites that include aquatic preserves, National Estuarine Research Reserves
and the Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuary. CAMA’s programs and activities
are designed to help Floridians better understand and conserve the State’s
resources through research, education and preservation. |
