The fifth Birding & Nature Fest is scheduled this year for Oct. 15-17 at the Manatee Viewing Center in Apollo Beach.
The three-day event includes numerous Zoom seminars, field trips and boat trips. It is sponsored by Tampa Electric Co. in collaboration with Hillsborough County’s Conservation and Environmental Lands Management and Environmental Lands Acquisition and Protection programs.
“This is for anybody who is interested in birds, in land conservation, in Florida wildlife. The great majority of those who participate are just public citizens,” said Co-Chair Mary Keith, who is coordinating the field trips at limited capacity due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
“We want people to see what wonderful birds we have, but we also try to keep tabs on how many people are coming to see them from out of town,” she said. “Those are hotel and restaurant nights, to show our local officials that there is more to land conservation. You may not get taxes from conservation lands, but you get people coming here and spending money to visit.” They rent a canoe, they go deep-sea fishing and stay for a few days, she said.
The idea behind the festival is to build support among the general citizenry, but also to show local elected officials the value of ecotourism, Keith said.
Among the field trips planned for this year are the Circle B Bar Reserve in Lakeland, Outback Key in St. Pete and Leffis Key Preserve in Bradenton Beach.
Registration is $150. Visit the website to register and get more details.
