9th Annual Space Coast Birding and Wildlife Festival Summary

By Neta Harris

Presented by Dixie Crossroads Seafood Restaurant, Nikon Sport Optics and the Brevard Nature Alliance, this year's exciting event evolved to be bigger and better than planned with five days and nights full of activities that featured presenters and field trip leaders from all over the world. Early, easy online registration with instant confirmation of desired events, facilitated decisions for Festival attendance.

New for 2005, Nikon Sport Optics sponsored the Raptor Project. Founded by Jonathan Wood, the Raptor Project is a traveling collection of feathered predators that is unrivaled in scope and size anywhere in the world. Bringing his unique insights, observations and humor to this exciting and riveting show; Jonathan works with birds in a wide range of sizes Ð from small falcons and owls weighing as little as 3-4 ounces to majestic eagles with impressive 6-8 foot wingspans. Also new this year, Lynda White, Coordinator of Audubon's Eagle Watch Project, conducted behind-the-scenes tours at the Florida Audubon Center for birds of Prey in Maitland, highlighting the work Audubon is doing in the rehabilitation of this species.

The new Nikon Digiscoping System, developed by combining one of the most successful digital cameras in the world with one of the highest quality spotting scopes, was introduced at the festival. We were honored to have the President of Nikon and four other Nikon corporate associates from offices in Japan visit the festival. The Space Coast Festival was the only such venue in the United States visited by this distinguished delegation.

Digiscoping Workshops were presented by Nikon Naturalist/Birding Marketing Specialist Michael Frieberg, International award-winning photographer, Neil Fifer, who was sponsored by Swarovski Optik, and Eagle Optics representative Ben Lizdas. Brunton and Eagle Optics each offered hands-on workshops featuring a wide range of binoculars and spotting scopes.

Photo buffs worked with a stellar collection of nationally and internationally known photographers Ð Kevin Doxstater, Neil Fifer, Milton Heiberg, Reinier Munguia, John Orehovec and Joanne Williams. These award-winning professionals provided impressive pictorial presentations, field workshops, and sessions on Photoshop, macro-photography, bird photography, use of digital cameras and how to merchandise your photographs. The sharing of their experiences offered an added value for beginning photographers as well as those more advanced that were looking for more depth in techniques.

Evening Keynote sessions were enthusiastically attended. Presentations were given by noted underwater and nature photographer, Peggy Goldberg; acclaimed bird photographer, Neil Fifer, who traveled from Hong Kong courtesy of Swarovski Optik to thrill attendees with his colorful images of birds from Australia and the Orient; Victor Emanuel, founder of one of the longest operating and best known international tour businesses, who related his ten favorite birding destinations; and Denver Holt, President of the North American Owl Institute, who entertained and regaled his audience with stories on owl lore, myth and many cultures throughout the world.

Led by some of the nation's foremost Naturalists, a variety of field trips offered participants an opportunity to explore East Central Florida, one of the country's most diverse ecological areas, by motor coach, automobile, on foot and in boats, airboats and kayaks. A nature-based trade show featured artists, craft persons and businesses and organizations specializing in nature and wildlife, birding, photography, optics and recreational tours. Activities for youngsters included dissecting owl pellets, building an owl house and bird feeders, live bats, birds, snakes and reptiles, Florida Bird Detective workshop and bird banding demonstration. The Art Competition, sponsored by Dynamac International and presented by the Titusville Art League, was open to artists who work in several media as well as a poster contest for students. Prize monies totaled over $1,300 for this annual festival event.

Seminars included such topics as Snowy Owls, Barn Owls, Swallow-tailed Kites, Black Rails, Florida Scrub-Jays, gopher tortoises, butterflies, wildflowers, 30 Eco-trips in Florida, Panama's best birding spots, birding in Brazil, AAA Adventures, birding and wildlife in Alaska, the Greater Yellowstone ecosystem, Florida growth issues, and more. Distinguished authors signed books at the Festival included: Sandra Friend, Neil Fifer, Denver Holt, Holly Ambrose, Ray E. Ashton, Jr., and Susan Cerulean.

Workshops included Raptors I & II, Gulls and Terns, Seabirds, Sparrows, Beach Birds, Beginning Birding, Seven Steps to Better Birding, Birding by Ear, Shorebirds made Simpler and Advanced Shorebirds.

An enlarged archaeological component this year enhanced the Festival's cultural offerings. Subjects presented included: historical sites of Canaveral National Seashore, where past civilizations and the archaeological treasures left behind were highlighted; adventures in amateur paleontology in Florida; the West Williams Archaic Site in Hillsborough County and original artifacts from the enigmatic Ais Indian who occupied Florida's East Coast before the days of Ponce de Leon. Discussions of Brevard County's rich archaeological heritage from 3,000 to 13,000 years ago included the ongoing excavation of a 2000-year-old prehistoric Native American village site at the Pine Island Conservation Area Archaeological Project (a field trip was later taken to this site).

A field trip to Volusia County's Marine Science Center spotlighted sea turtle and seabird rehabilitation and the nearby Ponce Inlet Lighthouse. Ocean sessions provided an insight into manatee research in the Indian River Lagoon and the application of satellites and space technology to address a variety of marine issues and opportunities.

On Sunday afternoon, the Ace of Hearts Ranch was host to an outdoor social with great food and a special performance of timeless Florida music by Patchwork. Safari Todd Productions was there with an exciting collection of Florida critters (including a real live Florida Panther)

Without the generous contributions of each of the Festival Sponsors, the Annual Space Coast Birding & Wildlife Festival would not be possible. Sponsors for 2005 include: Dixie Crossroads Seafood Restaurant, Nikon Sport Optics, AAA Adventures, Bird Watcher's Digest, Boeing, Brevard Community College, Brunton, Canaveral Port Authority, City of Titusville, Dynamac International, Inc., Eagle Optics, FLORIDA TODAY, Florida Power & Light Company, Hubbs Seaworld Research Institute, Kennedy Space Center Visitor Complex, Pentax Corporation, Pepsi/Aquafina, Reliant Energy, Ron Jon Surf Shop, Florida's Space Coast Office of Tourism, Swarovski Optik, VISIT FLORIDA, and Waste Management, Inc.

Partners assist the Festival through in-kind contributions of talent for field trips, seminars or workshops Ð marketing, co-op advertising, web site links, access to outstanding venues and other forms of support. Partners for 2005 include: Ace Hardware of Titusville, Ace of Hearts Ranch, Audubon of Florida, Best Western Space Shuttle Inn, Brevard County Parks & Recreation, Brevard Zoo, Brevard County Environmentally Endangered Lands Program, (Pine Island Archaeological Project, Dicerandra Scrub Sanctuary, Enchanted Forest), Centers for Space Oceanography, Clear Channel Outdoor, www.creativestore.com, Extreme Sports, Florida Department of Environmental Protection, Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission, Florida Gulf Coast University, Florida State Parks (Tosohatchee State Reserve, Sebastian Inlet State Park), Florida Trails Association, Forever Florida, Harbor Branch Oceanographic Institute, Hot Stuff Catering, Indian River Anthropological Society, LimbokDesign, Lyons Media Group, Marine Science Center, Merritt Island Wildlife Association, NASA, National Park Service (Canaveral National Seashore), NOAA Undersea Research Center, Novatech Computers, The Nature Conservancy, Peak Performance Co., Ponce Inlet Lighthouse, Joel Reynolds: Photographer, Ray Scory: Photographer, Space Coast Audubon Society, Space Coast Paddlers Club, St. John's River Water Management District, The Florida Companies, Titusville Art League, Titusville Area Chamber of Commerce (Titusville Area Visitors Council), Travelynx, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (Merritt Island National Wildlife Refuge, Archie Carr National Wildlife Refuge, Pelican Island National Wildlife Refuge),Victor Emanuel Nature Tours and www.VisitTitusville.com

Community volunteers are the life of every activity offered at the Festival. These dedicated people bring a diverse energy to the tasks that help to make the Festival a success. In all of the evaluations we have received regarding the effectiveness of the Festival; the great attitudes, helpfulness and caring of the people on the front line of contact have always been given the highest marks of satisfaction. Thirty-nine volunteers took responsibility for a multitude of tasks during the 2005 Festival. They made an effort to assure that everyone felt welcome, paid attention to detail and greatly enhanced the overall outstanding outcome of this event.

The Festival is uniquely dynamic because it generates awareness of the abundant natural resources of Florida's Space Coast, not just during the Event, but also throughout the entire year. The connection of these natural resources to quality of life, excellence in environmental education, high technology and business community involvement provides a focus that has placed the Festival as number two in the top three ranking Birding and Wildlife Events (size, venue, scope of activities and presenter/field trip leader industry status) in the United States. The Festival is also recognized internationally as an event destination for premier birding opportunities and outdoor adventures.

Three Florida Institute of Technology professors Ð Mike Slotkin, Karen Chambliss and Alex Vamosi Ð will complete the Economic Impact Study for 2005 in early March 2006. The Impact Study is the end product utilizing all information gathered via an extensive survey during the Festival from three categories of attendees. The original survey process was implemented in 2000 and the Impact Study results have become an integral part of every subsequent Event. In-depth demographics, financial and educational data show specific profiles of festivalgoers as well as the likelihood of the return of attendees to Florida's Space Coast throughout the year. This Study is shared with the Space Coast Office of Tourism, Brevard County Commissioners, VISIT FLORIDA, governmental agencies, organizations and corporate entities. Other Florida counties and states, seeking measurable results to leverage nature and wildlife events into an economic advantage for their respective areas, request the Study as well as the Outdoor Adventure Guide to attract and capture out-of-state visitors.

Festival Attendance Statistics are compiled from the various festival activities and utilized by the Brevard Nature Alliance Board of Directors in planning the next festival. The 10th Annual Space Coast Birding & Wildlife Festival is scheduled for January 24-28, 2007. Moving the date from November to January positions the festival from the last such event of the year to the first such event. It allows national vendors a respite at year-end and time to better organize their schedules for the coming year. Birds and wildlife are more abundant in January, the hurricane season that produces erratic wet weather is over and sites that were impossible to traverse in November will be more accessible.

In order to remain an outstanding premier event and as one of the top three Birding & Wildlife Festival in this country, our obligation to attendees, sponsors, partners, exhibitors and volunteers is to provide a measurable experience that exceeds expectations for learning and a fun-filled week of exploring the natural splendor of Florida's Space Coast.