Date: Thu, 27 October 2001
From: birding@nbbd.com (Space Coast Birding & Wildlife FestivalSubject:Wildlife Festival Features Whooping Crane Experts
Titusville, FL For the first time since the 1930's, whooping cranes are flying across the eastern skies of the U.S. On October 17 a small flight of young whooping cranes led by three ultralight aircraft lifted off from Necedah National wildlife Refuge in Wisconsin in an effort to restore migrating whooping cranes to eastern North America. The cranes will be taught a new 1,250-mile migration route to wintering grounds at Chassahowitzka National Wildlife Refuge on Florida's West Coast.
The reintroduction is part of an ongoing recovery effort for the highly imperiled species, which was on the verge of extinction in the 1940's and even today numbers only about 260 birds in the wild. The continent's only migratory population of whooping cranes winters at Aransas National Wildlife Refuge on the Texas Gulf Coast and is vulnerable to a catastrophic event such as a major hurricane, disease or oil spill. This reintroduction will not only restore the magnificent bird to part of its historic range but also provide another geographically distinct migratory population that could lead to downlisting and eventual recovery.
In 1998, a coalition of state and federal governments and the private sector formed the Whooping Crane Eastern Partnership to coordinate and fund last year's sandhill crane study and this year's whooping crane study. More than 35 private landowners have volunteered their property as stopover sites for the cranes and migration team. A temporary pen keeps the cranes safe from predators between each morning's flight. The migration is expected to take from five to seven weeks.
The whooping crane, named for its loud and penetrating call, is one of America's best known and rarest endangered species. They live and breed in extensive wetlands, where they feed on crabs, clams, frogs and other aquatic organisms. Whooping cranes stand five feet tall and are pure white in color with black wingtips and a red crown.
Never very numerous, whooping cranes were thought to number historically between 700 and 1,400 in North America, before unregulated hunting and habitat destruction caused the population to plummet to a low of 16 birds in 1941. There are currently 174 birds in the only natural remaining wild flock, which breeds in Canada and winters on the Texas gulf coast, at Aransas National Wildlife Refuge. A second non-migratory flock of approximately 75 birds lives year round in central Florida, as part of a separate and ongoing reintroduction effort.
The Space Coast Birding and Wildlife Festival offers participants unique opportunities to meet the people who are directly involved with this exciting project. In a co-presentation on Thursday, Nov. 8, Steve Nesbitt, Florida Project Manager for the Whooping Crane Reintroduction Program, will give an update on the status of central Florida's non-migratory whooping cranes. U.S. Fish and Wildlife biologist, Kathy O'Malley, will report on the exciting flight of the young whoopers from Wisconsin to Florida.
Date: Thu, 20 September 2001
From: edeals@list.space-coast.com (Space Coast Office of Tourism)
Subject: [E-UPDATE]
AMATEURS AND PROFESSIONALS FLOCK TO THE FIFTH ANNUAL BIRDING AND WILDLIFE FESTIVAL ON FLORIDA'S SPACE COASTSPACE COAST, Fla. -- Florida's Space Coast takes flight as families flock to Brevard County for the fifth Space Coast Birding and Wildlife Festival, Nov. 7-11.
This annual event, Florida's first major birding festival, offers five days of exceptional seminars, workshops, and high quality field trips, providing a unique opportunity for attendees to interact with field biologists. Birders of all levels, wildlife enthusiasts, ornithologists and naturalists travel from all over North America to support this benchmark tradition. A world class birding competition, which attracts a variety of birders, takes place behind the scenes.
Florida's Space Coast -- comprised of Titusville, Cocoa Beach, Melbourne and Palm Bay and 45 minutes east of Orlando -- offers 72 miles of high energy coastline, four national wildlife refuges, a national seashore, the nation's most diverse estuary, Florida's longest fresh water river with associated lakes and marshes, 300+ species of birds, 28 Great Florida Birding Trail sites and the world's only spaceport that is open to the public. At the same time the Festival takes place, four astronauts will be inducted into the Astronaut Hall of Fame. Numerous space-related activities will take place at the Kennedy Space Center Visitor's Complex and the U.S. Astronaut Hall of Fame. This dynamic area of Florida, where nature meets space, is a perfect setting for an event of this magnitude.
Centered at Brevard Community College in Titusville, the Space Coast Birding and Wildlife Festival reaches into surrounding areas for entertaining educational experiences. Field trips will venture to well known destinations like Merritt Island National Wildlife Refuge, Pelican Island National Wildlife Refuge, Canaveral National Seashore and the Kennedy Space Center. Opportunities exist to explore less known places like Tossahatchee State Reserve, Orlando Wetlands Park, Forever Florida Nature Preserve, Seminole Ranch Conservation Area, and more. Mistnetting and bird banding will take place at two different sites. Noted Florida wildflower expert, Dr. Walter Taylor, will lead a wildflowers field trip and butterfly experts, Buck and Linda Cooper, will host the butterfly trips. Two field trips will focus on cultural/historical sites, visiting Timucuan Indian mounds located within Canaveral National Seashore and a Florida pioneer family home, built by Louis Thursby on top of a large Indian mound in Blue Spring State Park.
Long time birders know that a pelegic birding trip can be as exciting as birding can get, and Atlantic Ocean pelagic trips in Florida are a new frontier. Pelagic birds are species that are usually not seen close to land, so a boat trip off shore is needed. California's Debra Shearwater, founder of Shearwater Jouneys and veteran of more than 1,400 pelagic trips, will lead trips to the edge of the Gulfstream on Wednesday, Nov. 7 and Saturday, Nov. 10 on board the 65' OCEAN OBSESSION out of Port Canaveral. Seabirds seen on last year's trips include northern gannet, magnificent frigatebird, Coreyís shearwater, pomerine and parasitic jaegers, brown booby and Sabineís gull (nearly unheard of for Florida).
Providing attendees an opportunity to spend time with biologists (who spend most of their time conducting research and little time interacting with the general public) is one of the Space Coast Birding and Wildlife Festival's most attractive features. More than 30 seminars and workshops will be offered, featuring prominent researchers from all over the United States. Some of the seminars include roseate spoonbills with Dr. Jerry Lorenz; whooping cranes - with Steve Nesbitt; burrowing owls with Pamela Bowen; snail kites and woodstorks with Dr. James Rodgers; painted buntings with Dr, Joe Meyers; and raptor migration with Casey Lott. A special seminar on Florida's only endemic bird, the threatened Florida scrub jay, will be led by Dr. Glen Woolfenden, a 30 year veteran of the fight to stave off extinction of this beautiful, intelligent bird. The Florida scrub jay is the only jay species in the world to display the human-like characteristic of a family social structure.
Some of the festival workshops offered include Bruce Anderson's sparrow identification; Debra Shearwater's seabird identification; Jeff Bouton's raptors of Florida; and renowned wildlife photographer Milton Heiberg's close-up photography. Presentations and field trips centering on butterflies, wildflowers, manatees and sea turtles are alternatives for everyone to enjoy. Environmental exhibits entwine with local artists' and nature providers' displays, offering great deals on fine art, binoculars, books, clothing, and other items of interest.
Evening activities include sunset hayrides and night spotlighting at the Orlando Wetlands Park, black rail (a secretive marsh bird) walks in the St. Johns National Wildlife Refuge and a Saturday Night Social with hayrides, shrimp and bar-b-q, bonfires and live entertainment at the Ace of Hearts Ranch. Let Bill, Elsa, and Andy Thompson, founders of the popular birding magazine, Bird Watchers Digest take you on a musical journey through the world of birds and the slightly unusual minds of the Thompson family.. Famed seabird expert, Debra Shearwater will give an evening keynote presentation entitled "Seabirds and Marine Mammals of Monterey Bay" on Thursday, Nov. 8. Friday's evening presentation, given by celebrated wildlife photographer, Kevin Karlson, will cover "Floridaís Dry Tortugas: a Deceptive Island Paradise". A wildlife photographer for more than 20 years, Karlson has traveled from the wilds of the Alaskan Arctic to the rainforests of Central and South America to photograph birds. His photo collection fro In an exciting birding competition, teams of four birders each will slog through the pines and palmettos of Brevard Countyís scrublands and wetlands to spot as many species of birds as possible in a timespan of 29 hours. Braving close encounters with alligators and territorial wild hogs, last year's teams tallied an amazing 193 species. In addition to the usual wadingbirds, shorebirds and waterfowl, birders encountered such tantalizing species as red-cockaded woodpecker, brown headed nuthatch, Bachman's sparrow, painted bunting, roseate spoonbill, crested cara cara, limpkin, peregrine falcon and American bald eagle.
Awards and prizes totaling over $15,000.00, including Amtrak train tickets, binoculars, birding trips to the Dry Tortugas, fine art and passes to area attractions will be given out to winners in team categories ranging from youth to expert adults. The grand prize for advanced adults will be four Pentax spotting scopes. The awards ceremony will be held at Brevard Community College Titusville campus.
Event sponsors include: Florida's Space Coast Office of Tourism, Amtrak, Bird Watcher's Digest, Canaveral Port Authority, Dixie Crossroads Seafood Restaurant, Eagle Optics, Florida Nature Tours, Florida Power & Light Company, FLAUSA, FLORIDA TODAY, Leica Sport Optics, National Fish & Wildlife Foundation, Pentax Corporation and Waste Management, Inc.
Pre-registration is required for all field trips. Fees vary according to the length of the trip. Seminars and workshops are $3.00. The entrance fee to Canaveral National Seashore is $5.00. A $20.00 registration fee will grant access to all seminars and workshops, as well as access to Canaveral National Seashore for the family educational programs that take place there. Evening keynote presentations are $5.00 and the Saturday Night Social at the Ace of Hearts Ranch is $20.00. Free beginning birding workshop/field trips and Florida scrub jay seminar/field trips will be available at the Merritt Island National Wildlife Refuge. Specific times for events, seminars and exhibits, directions, registration forms and special rate accommodations can be found on the festival web site, http://www.nbbd.com/fly.
To celebrate birds and wildlife, contact Florida's Space Coast Office of Tourism at (800) USA-1969 or visit http://www.space-coast.com.
September 7, 2001
SPACE COAST, Fla. -- Florida's Space Coast takes flight as families flock to Brevard County for the fifth Space Coast Birding and Wildlife Festival, Nov. 7-11. This annual event, Florida's first major birding festival, offers five days of exceptional seminars, workshops, and high quality field trips, providing a unique opportunity for attendees to interact with field biologists. Birders of all levels, wildlife enthusiasts, ornithologists, and naturalists travel from all over North America to support this benchmark tradition. A world class birding competition, which attracts a variety of birders, takes place behind the scenes.
Florida's Space Coast offers 72 miles of high energy coastline, four national wildlife refuges, a national seashore, the nation's most diverse estuary, Florida's longest fresh water river with associated lakes and marshes, 300+ species of birds, 28 Great Florida Birding Trail sites, and the world's only spaceport that is open to the public. At the same time the Festival takes place, four astronauts will be inducted into the Astronaut Hall of Fame. Numerous space related activities will take place at the Kennedy Space Center Visitor's Complex and the Astronaut Hall of Fame. This dynamic area, "Where Nature Meets Space," is a perfect setting for an event of this magnitude.
Centered at Brevard Community College in Titusville, the Space Coast Birding and Wildlife Festival reaches into surrounding areas for entertaining educational experiences. Field trips will venture to well known destinations like Merritt Island National Wildlife Refuge, Pelican Island National Wildlife Refuge, Canaveral National Seashore, and the Kennedy Space Center. Opportunities exist to explore less known places like Tossahatchee State Reserve, Orlando Wetlands Park, Forever Florida Nature Preserve, Seminole Ranch Conservation Area, and more. Mistnetting and bird banding will take place at two different sites. Noted Florida wildflower expert, Dr. Walter Taylor, will lead a wildflowers field trip and butterfly experts, Buck and Linda Cooper, will host the butterfly trips. Two field trips will focus on cultural/historical sites, visiting Timucuan Indian mounds located within Canaveral National Seashore and a Florida pioneer family home, which was built by Louis Thursby on top of a large Indian mound in Blue Spring State Park. Access to the Indian River Lagoon, Mosquito Lagoon, St. Johns River, and Econlockhatchee River will be provided via kayaks, airboats, and pontoon boats.
Long time birders know that a pelegic birding trip can be as exciting as birding can get, and Atlantic Ocean pelagic trips in Florida are a new frontier. Pelagic birds are species that are usually not seen close to land, so a boat trip off shore is needed. California's Debra Shearwater, founder of Shearwater Jouneys and veteran of more than 1400 pelagic trips, will lead trips to the edge of the Gulfstream on Wednesday, Nov. 7 and Saturday, Nov. 10 on board the 65' OCEAN OBSESSION out of Port Canaveral. Seabirds seen on last year's trips include northern gannet, magnificent frigatebird, Corey's shearwater, pomerine and parasitic jaegers, brown booby, and Sabine's gull (nearly unheard of for Florida).
Providing attendees an opportunity to spend time with biologists (who spend most of their time conducting research and little time interacting with the general public) is one of the Space Coast Birding and Wildlife Festivals most attractive features. More than 30 seminars and workshops will be offered, featuring prominent researchers from all over the United States. Some of the seminars include roseate spoonbills-Dr. Jerry Lorenz, whooping cranes-Steve Nesbitt, burrowing owls-Pamela Bowen, snail kites and woodstorks-Dr. James Rodgers, painted buntings-Dr, Joe Meyers, and raptor migration-Casey Lott. A special seminar on Florida's only endemic bird, the threatened Florida scrub jay, will be led by Dr. Glen Woolfenden, a 30 year veteran of the fight to stave off extinction of this beautiful, intelligent bird; the only jay species in the world to display the human-like characteristic of a family social structure.
Some of the festival workshops offered include sparrow identification-Bruce Anderson, seabird identification-Debra Shearwater, raptors of Florida-Jeff Bouton, and close-up photography with renowned wildlife photographer, Milton Heiberg. Presentations and field trips centering on butterflies, wildflowers, manatees and sea turtles are alternatives for everyone to enjoy. Environmental exhibits entwine with local artists' and nature providers' displays, offering great deals on fine art, binoculars, books, clothing, and other items of interest.
Evening activities include sunset hayrides and night spotlighting at the Orlando Wetlands Park, black rail (a secretive marsh bird) walks in the St Johns National Wildlife Refuge, and a Saturday Night Social with hayrides, shrimp and bar-b-q, bonfires and live entertainment at the Ace of Hearts Ranch. Let Bill, Elsa, and Andy Thompson, founders of the popular birding magazine, Bird Watchers Digest take you on a musical journey through the world of birds and the slightly unusual minds of the Thompson family. Famed seabird expert, Debra Shearwater will give an evening keynote presentation entitled "Seabirds and Marine Mammals of Monterey Bay" on Thursday, Nov. 8. Friday's evening presentation, given by celebrated wildlife photographer, Kevin Karlson, will cover "Florida's Dry Tortugas: a Deceptive Island Paradise". A wildlife photographer for more than 20 years, Kevin has traveled from the wilds of the Alaskan Arctic to the rainforests of Central and South America to photograph birds. His photo collection from the fragile Alaskan Arctic region is one of the best in the world.
In an exciting birding competition, teams of four birders each will slog through the pines and palmettos of Brevard County's scrublands and wetlands to spot as many species of birds as possible in a timespan of 29 hours. Braving close encounters with alligators and territorial wild hogs, last year's teams tallied an amazing 193 species. In addition to the usual wadingbirds, shorebirds, and waterfowl, birders encountered such tantalizing species as red-cockaded woodpecker, brown headed nuthatch, Bachman's sparrow, painted bunting, roseate spoonbill, crested cara cara, limpkin, peregrine falcon, and American bald eagle. Awards and prizes totaling over $15,000.00, including Amtrak train tickets, binoculars, birding trips to the Dry Tortugas, fine art, and passes to area attractions will be given out to winners in team categories ranging from youth to expert adults. The grand prize for advanced adults will be four Pentax spotting scopes. The awards ceremony will be held at Brevard Community College Titusville campus on Sunday, Nov. 11, following famed wildlife photographer, Kevin Karlson's presentation, "Birds on the Wind: The Magic of Migration".
Event sponsors include: Amtrak, Bird Watcher's Digest, Canaveral Port Authority, Dixie Crossroads Seafood Restaurant, Eagle Optics, Florida Nature Tours, Florida Power & Light Company, FLAUSA, FLORIDA TODAY, Leica Sport Optics, National Fish & Wildlife Foundation, Pentax Corporation, Space Coast Office of Tourism, and Waste Management, Inc.
Pre-registration is required for all field trips. Fees vary according to the length of the trip. Seminars and workshops are $3.00. The entrance fee to Canaveral National Seashore is $5.00. A $20.00 registration fee will grant access to all seminars and workshops, as well as access to Canaveral National Seashore for the family educational programs that take place there. Evening keynote presentations are $5.00, and the Saturday Night Social at the Ace of Hearts Ranch is $20.00. Free beginning birding workshop/field trips and Florida scrub jay seminar/field trips will be available at the Merritt Island National Wildlife Refuge. Specific times for events, seminars and exhibits, registration forms and special rate accommodations can be found on the festival web site, www.nbbd.com/fly.
To celebrate birds and wildlife, contact Florida's Space Coast Office of Tourism at (800) USA-1969.