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Nikon and The Brevard Nature Alliance present the Space Coast Birding & Wildlife Festival Brevard Community College, Titusville Campus 1311 North U.S. Highway 1, Titusville January 24 - 28, 2007 -- Titusville, Florida A celebration of birds and wildlife. |
Recently, Kevin wrote a wonderful piece for WildBird Magazine that highlighted 18 of the most influential young birders in the nation. We are proud that six of the birders Kevin featured are associated with the Space Coast Birding and Wildlife Festival. Following is an excerpt from Kevin's article that includes those six individuals who work so hard to make this such an exceptional event. Be sure that you congratulate them when you see them! — Laurilee
While most birders are aware of a handful of household names that set the standard for the birding community, there are countless talented individuals behind the scenes that truly help us enjoy these wonderful avian creatures.
To celebrate the 20th anniversary of WildBird Magazine, I have compiled a personal list of talented present day and future leaders of the bird community. These individuals have dedicated their lives with unparalleled passion to enhance the experiences of other birders in the joys of birding, or to scientific study and conservation of avian life. For this we are eternally grateful.
Jeff Bouton - Jeff has devoted the last 22 years to a variety of research, guiding and workshop activities. As a top raptor expert, Jeff's experience includes banding; lead hawkwatcher and seawatcher; tour leader and naturalist; freelance writer and photographer, including a column for WildBird; and full time position as U.S. field representative for Leica optics. His vast experience includes Braddock Bay, NY; Cape May, NJ; Colorado Division of Wildlife; Alaska's NPS, Wrangell, AK; and many others. Jeff, a young 39 years old and living in Sarasota, Florida, is one of the most passionate and sharing leaders in the bird community today.Cameron Cox - Since growing up in E. Texas, Cameron worked the past eight years as a researcher, biologist, hawkwatcher, seawatcher and bird tour leader. After interning as a young 18-year associate hawkwatcher in Cape May NJ in 1998, Cameron continued with the research program as a seawatch counter, shorebird biologist and interpretive naturalist. He also worked various bird monitoring projects across the country. Literary accomplishments include participation in the new National Geographic Complete Birds of N. America, and a recent paper on American Wigeon for Birding Magazine. Cameron is a regular team member in the Great Texas Birding Classic and NJ's World Series of Birding, and guides tours annually for the Rio Grande Valley Bird Festival. Presently working as Birding Sport Optics Specialist for Nikon optics, Cameron resides in Seattle, Washington.
Mike Freiberg - Mike is another impressive young birder eager to carve his own niche in the birding community. At 23, Mike was recently hired by Nikon Sport Optics as a market specialist and representative at birding festivals. His family introduced him to birding at an early age, which has advanced from a hobby to his profession. During his pursuit of a degree in Animal Ecology at Iowa State, Mike worked summers monitoring breeding birds in Eastern Oregon and in the Black Hills of S. Dakota. He is a regular trip leader at the Rio Grande Valley Bird Festival in Harlingen TX, and his birding travels have taken him to Mexico, Venezuela and Brazil, where he spent 6 months with a research project on a new species, Araripe Manakin. I have only known Mike for several years, but his maturity, respectful demeanor, and willingness to share with others will open many doors for this special young man, who now resides in Fort Collins, CO.
Barry Lyon - Barry is one of the most ambitious and talented birders in America today. After starting as a tour leader with Victor Emanuel Nature Tours (VENT) in 1995, he quickly rose to Core Leader status in 2000, and recently (2004) accepted a position as Marketing Director and assistant to the CEO, in addition to part time guiding. Besides being an expert birder and leader from North to South America, Barry derives great pleasure from sharing birds and nature with his clients. Recent goals include expanding the conservation efforts of VENT, which he would like to be recognized as THE bird tour company that does the most work with bird conservation efforts. With a friendly demeanor and engaging personality, Barry is a welcome addition to every birding group. At 34 years old, Barry recently relocated to Austin, Texas from his native California. Due to a conflict, Barry was unable to attend the festival this year. We look forward to his return in 2008.
Larry Manfredi - If you want to see South Florida's specialty birds, then Larry Manfredi Birding Tours is the place to go. Larry has been a close friend for many years, but his knowledge and experience with S. Florida and Caribbean birds and vagrant strays to Florida is second to none. He has devoted 30 of his 46 years to the study of birds and wildlife in S. Florida, Bahamas and the Caribbean, and shared that knowledge with countless birders and tour participants. Larry started birding at the early age of six, and has traveled all over N. America to view and study birds. After showing over 400 people a rare Stripe-headed Tanager in his Florida yard in 1992, Larry started his bird tour business. His literary contributions include several chapters in The Birder's Guide to Florida, by Bill Pranty as well as the Miami section in an ABA guide to Metropolitan Areas. He currently lives with his wife Christine and son Philip in Homestead, Florida.
David Simpson - From the bird rich state of Florida, David is a relative newcomer to the bird tour leader scene, but made a big impression on me during the last four Space Coast Birding Festivals in Titusville, Florida. His passion for birds is contagious, and knowledge of Florida birds extensive, with tour participants benefiting from his years of experience. David works as a Park Service Specialist for the Florida Park Service, which adds to his background of important natural history of Florida's habitats. At 35 years of age, David resides in Fellsmere, Florida, and recently started his own bird tour guiding service in Florida called "Birding With David Simpson."