Morgan County SWCD and NRCS Participate in the 2nd Annual North
Alabama Birding Festival
by Myra Badger,
Morgan County SWCD Public Relations
Coordinator, Hartselle, AL
The 2nd Annual North Alabama Birding Festival was
held May 4-6, 2007. Activities kicked off with the
Wheeler National Wildlife Refuge White Springs Dike
event and the Guntersville driving tour. These
inspiring and educational activities continued
throughout the weekend. During this three day
festival, 29 persons participated in six field trips that
ranged from the north to the south boundaries of
Wheeler National Wildlife Refuge and from the west
Alabama shoals to Lake Guntersville in the east. The
field trips covered streams and open water, flood
plains, wetlands, uplands, and the mountains of north
Alabama, which is one of the most diverse ecological
regions in the world. The birders identified 132
species during the Festival and as many as 123 on
any single field trip.
“We were encouraged as the details of this year’s festival came
together,” said Debbie Segars,
Education Coordinator for Morgan County Soil and Water
Conservation District (SWCD). The Flying
Wild event was targeted for teachers. This five-hour
introductory workshop provided ideas for teachers
and other youth leaders to implement in the classroom to
encourage conservation of wildlife and
ecological systems. Eighteen teachers earned CEUs for their
participation in this event.
Saturday was an event-packed day for children. Their
activities included a field trip walk to the Wheeler
National Wildlife Refuge, birdhouse construction, and
wildlife demonstrations.
The 2007 event was a huge success with
approximately 1,200 individuals participating.
A total of 89 Earth Team Volunteers with the Natural
Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) supported
the Festival donating 696 hours to this event. “The
planning and hard work put into this event, along with
the help of many volunteers, has resulted in
introducing some and reminding others of the diversity
of Alabama’s wildlife and other natural resources.
Along with all the fun activities, we hope to encourage
effective conservation,” said Foy Kirkland, NRCS
District Conservationist.
< Back to Success Stories
|
|
Back to Top