Field Trips
An amazing array of field trips is available to participants of the Southwest Florida Nature Festival on Friday, Saturday and Sunday, January 15, 16 and 17, 2010. Please review ALL information below before accessing the registration page, as field trip details are not repeated. Complete details for individual trips can be seen by clicking the field trip name. Registration opens November 1.
Online registration will close at midnight on Wednesday, January 13. It is possible to register in person at the Environmental Learning Center or over the phone by calling 239-417-6310 ext. 401 up until the day before the scheduled trip date.
Festival Registration is required to participate in field trips. Each field trip also has an additional fee which varies depending on location. Space on field trips is limited to ensure a quality experience for all participants, so sign up early! The maximum number of participants has been noted for each field trip to aid in selection. When the maximum number of participants for a field trip is reached, registration for that field trip will close.
Field Trip Desi gnations: have been assigned to each trip based on its specialized focus so that participants will know what to expect. The designations are:
- Birding – This field trip will focus on the identification and biology of birds. Please bring binoculars and a bird field guide (if you have one).
- Wildlife – This field trip will focus on the wildlife, habitat and ecology of the area visited and is NOT primarily a birding field trip.
- Specialty – This field trip will focus on a specialized activity, incorporating education on the wildlife, habitat and ecology of the area visited, and is NOT primarily a birding field trip.
For a quick reference field trip planning guide, click here
Upon registration, participants will receive an e-mail confirmation with link to additional details and specific instructions as to when and where to meet for their selected trip(s).
Field trips below are listed by date, then alphabetically by trip location.
Return to Nature Festival Overview |
Big Cypress National Preserve – Plant Ecology Walk
Join Big Cypress National Preserve Botanist Dr. Jim Burch and staff for a walk through cypress domes, pinelands and prairies to discover biological components of these unique plant communities. Learn to recognize differences in these communities which occur with variations in climate, fires, flooding or human disturbance.
Focus: Specialty/Botany – This field trip will focus on the plants, habitat and ecology of the area visited and is NOT primarily a birding field trip. |
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Time: 8:30 am - noon
Trip Leaders: Jim Burch, Botanist, Big Cypress National Preserve and Lisa Andrews, Outreach/Education Specialist, Big Cypress National Preserve
Field trip cost: $10 with Festival registration
Field trip maximum: 15
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Big Cypress National Preserve - Turner River Canoe Trip
Paddle the Turner River past towering cypress, through mangrove tunnels and across sawgrass prairies to view some of South Florida’s most spectacular scenery and wildlife. Canoes, paddles, and life vests provided.
Focus: Specialty/Canoeing – This field trip will focus on the activity, incorporating education on the wildlife, habitat and ecology of the area visited and is NOT primarily a birding field trip. |
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Time: 10:30 am - 2:00 pm
Trip Leaders: Big Cypress National Preserve Park Ranger
Field trip cost: $10 with Festival registration
Field trip maximum: 12
Additional information: Basic canoeing experience is required. You must also be able to swim.
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Clam Pass Park – Birding Walk
We’ll walk through a mangrove forest along the three-quarter-mile boardwalk which runs to the bridge that spans Clam Bay. From here we should see a variety of wading birds and often an Osprey or two. Next we’ll head directly to Clam Pass to view an early morning assortment of coastal waterbirds, both on the beach and fishing along the inlet. During our leisurely return trip we’ll discuss the ecology of the area, talk about shells and visit the Gopher Tortoise area.
Focus: Birding – This field trip will focus on the identification and biology of birds. Please bring binoculars and a bird field guide (if you have one). |
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Time: 8:00 am - 10:00 am
Trip Leaders: Conservancy of Southwest Florida volunteer Clam Pass guides
Field trip cost: $10 with Festival registration*
Field trip maximum: 15
Additional information: Basic canoeing experience is required. You must also be able to swim.
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Conservancy of Southwest Florida - Wildlife Rehabilitation Clinic Tour
Join us for an exclusive behind-the-scenes tour of the Wildlife Rehabilitation Clinic. Each year more than 2,500 animals are treated at the clinic and nearly 50 percent are released back into the wild. Learn about causes of injuries, treatment protocols and what you can do to help injured and orphaned wildlife. This is a fascinating program and space is extremely limited.
Focus: Specialty/Wildlife Rehabilitation – This field trip will focus on work done at the Wildlife Rehabilitation Clinic. |
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Time: 2:00 pm - 3:00 pm
Trip Leaders: Joanna Fitzgerald-Vaught, Director of the Wildlife Rehabilitation Clinic
Field trip cost: $20 with festival registration (portion of proceeds benefiting the Clinic)
Field trip maximum: 12 adults/children over eight years of age
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Corkscrew Swamp Sanctuary – Morning Backcountry Swamp Buggy Trip
Rise and shine. Board a swamp buggy to explore the “off-limits” back country of Corkscrew Swamp Sanctuary’s north end. We will traverse several habitat types and will be on the lookout for the many birds of the back country, including hawks, warblers, ducks, sandhill cranes, wading birds, and more! We will also keep a lookout for other wildlife and learn about the management of this 13,000 acre sanctuary.
Focus: Wildlife – This field trip will focus on the wildlife, habitat and ecology of the area visited and is NOT primarily a birding field trip. |
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Time: 8:00 am - 10:30am
Trip Leaders: Corkscrew Swamp naturalist
Field trip cost: $50 with Festival registration
Field trip maximum: 9
Additional information: Participants must be physically able to climb on and off of the swamp buggy using a ladder. Be prepared – the trip is bumpy.
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Corkscrew Swamp Sanctuary – Sundown Backcountry Swamp Buggy Trip
Board a swamp buggy to explore the “off-limits” back country of Corkscrew Swamp Sanctuary’s north end. We will traverse several habitat types and will be on the lookout for the many birds of the back country, including hawks, warblers, ducks, sandhill cranes, wading birds, and more! We will also keep a lookout for other wildlife and learn about the management of this 13,000 acre sanctuary.
Focus: Wildlife – This field trip will focus on the wildlife, habitat and ecology of the area visited and is NOT primarily a birding field trip. |
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Time: 4:00 pm - 6:45 pm
Trip Leaders: Corkscrew Swamp naturalist
Field trip cost: $50 with Festival registration
Field trip maximum: 9
Additional information: Participants must be physically able to climb on and off of the swamp buggy using a ladder. Be prepared – the trip is bumpy.
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Eagle Lakes Community Park – Birding for Beginners
Just starting out as a birder? Not sure what that big white bird in your back yard is? Then join us for an easy walk at a great birding spot. This trip provides an introduction to birding and tips on how to identify the most common birds in the area.
Focus: Birding – This field trip will focus on the identification and biology of birds. Please bring binoculars and a bird field guide (if you have one). |
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Time: 3:00 pm - 5:00 pm
Trip Leaders: Everglades National Park ranger
Field trip cost: $10 with Festival registration
Field trip maximum: 20
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Fakahatchee Strand Preserve State Park – Swamp Walk
Explore a unique swamp forest with Park Biologist Mike Owen. The interior of the Fakahatchee Strand supports a rich growth of tropical plants. Many birds and animals inhabit the swamp; Red-shouldered Hawk, Belted Kingfisher, Red-bellied Woodpecker, Pileated Woodpecker, Barred Owl, Common Ground Dove, Great Egret, White Ibis, Limpkin, Florida black bear, river otter, Everglades mink and the endangered Florida Panther. Since there is no path, participants wade through cypress forest and popash-pondapple sloughs in water from 1 to 3 feet deep!
Focus: Wildlife – This field trip will focus on the wildlife, habitat and ecology of the area visited and is NOT primarily a birding field trip. |
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Time: 9:00 am - 1:00 pm
Trip Leaders: Mike Owen, Biologist, Fakahatchee Strand State Preserve State Park
Field trip cost: $10 with Festival registration
Field trip maximum: 15
Additional info: Participants will be wading through knee- to hip-deep water
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Marco Island - Burrowing Owl Tour
Marco Island is habitat for approximately 65 pairs of Burrowing Owls, a State of Florida “Species of Special Concern”. From the meeting place, we will drive (carpool if possible) to two nearby locations to view the burrows and owls. Onsite information will be provided about the biology, history, habitat, behavior, etiquette in maintaining/viewing and the human impacts of the burrowing owls in the urban environment.
Focus: Specialty/Burrowing Owls – This driving field trip will focus on the identification and biology of burrowing owls. Please bring binoculars if you have them. |
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Time: 7:30 am - 9:00 am
Trip Leaders: Nancy Richie, Environmental Specialist, City of Marco and Marco Island “Owl Watch” volunteer
Field trip cost: $10 with Festival registration
Field trip maximum: 20
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Naples Botanical Garden – Birding Tower
Join us for this special opportunity to observe birds from the new James and Linda White Birding Tower at the newly developed Naples Botanical Garden. The Tower overlooks a brackish marsh community that is in early stages of restoration. The diverse habitats visible on this tour include mud flats, marsh, mangroves, ponds, and a hammock and we should see a good diversity of wading birds plus wintering landbirds. We will walk approximately 1 mile from the parking lot, through the Garden to the Tower. Cost of the trip includes all-day access to the Garden.
Focus: Birding – This field trip will focus on the identification and biology of birds. You will also get the opportunity to tour through portions of the Naples Botanical Garden. Please bring binoculars and a bird field guide (if you have one). |
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Time: 8:00 am - 10:00
Trip Leaders: Jim White, nature photographer and avid birder
Field trip cost: $20 with Festival registration
Field trip maximum: 12
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Ten Thousand Islands National Wildlife Refuge – Marsh Trail Birding Walk
We will spend the morning walking along newly opened Marsh Trail (2 miles roundtrip) which is the only trail access into the Ten Thousand Islands NWR. Wading birds such as Great Egret, Snowy Egret, Black-crowned Night-Heron and White Ibis should be plentiful and there is a good chance we will see Wood Storks, Roseate Spoonbills and possibly Sandhill Cranes. We will also attempt to draw out secretive marshbirds such as rails and bitterns and search for landbirds wintering in the tropical hardwoods along the road. (This is the same field trip that has been offered in past years as “Oil Pad Road”)
Focus: Birding – This field trip will focus on the identification and biology of birds. Please bring binoculars and a bird field guide (if you have one). |
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Time: 7:15 am - 11:30 am
Trip Leaders: Matthew Martin, Wildlife Biologist, Ten Thousand Islands National Wildlife Refuge and second leader
Field trip cost: $10 with Festival registration
Field trip maximum: 20
Additional information: This trip entails considerable walking
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Tigertail Beach/Sand Dollar Lagoon – Birding Walk for Beginners
Can’t tell a gull from a tern? Do you think all shorebirds look alike? This trip for beginners is an introduction on how to identify and appreciate the most common birds found on our local beaches. This natural area is the second most valuable resting and feeding site for coastal waterbirds on the west coast of Florida and among the species we hope to see are Great, Snowy and Reddish Egrets, five species of plover (including Snowy and Piping), plus other shorebirds, gulls and terns.
Focus: Birding – This field trip will focus on the identification and biology of birds. Please bring binoculars and a bird field guide (if you have one). |
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Time: 8:00 am - 10:00 am
Trip Leaders: Beverly Anderson, Research Biologist, Rookery Bay National Estuarine Research Reserve
Field trip cost: $10 with Festival registration*
Field trip maximum: 10
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Saturday, January 16, 2010 |
Barefoot Beach Preserve County Park - Canoe Trip
Experience nature first-hand at Barefoot Beach Preserve Park, a 342-acre barrier island located in North Naples. The Preserve remains one of Southwest Florida’s most beautiful and fragile natural areas. Here visitors will find a canoe trail that circles approximately 1.5 miles through an estuarine mangrove forest, one of the most productive eco-systems on earth. The trail waters are classified as Outstanding Florida Waters. Fish, mollusks, crustaceans, dolphin, manatee, and many bird species can be found in estuary systems.
Focus: Specialty/Canoeing – This field trip will focus on canoeing, incorporating education on the wildlife, habitat, and ecology of the area visited and is NOT primarily a birding field trip. |
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Time: 8:30 am - 10:30 am
Trip Leaders: Collier County Park Ranger/Naturalist
Field trip cost: $10 with Festival registration*
Field trip maximum: 12
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Big Cypress National Preserve Birding Trip – Kirby Storter Boardwalk and Turner River Road
From wading birds to migratory songbirds, Big Cypress National Preserve offers fantastic birding opportunities along with other wildlife viewing. Join biologist John Kellam to learn the easy-to-get-to spots in the preserve that can be enjoyed by amateur and expert birders. This includes a visit to our new ½ mile Kirby Storter Boardwalk for an easy walk into a cypress strand, viewing with scopes at HP Williams roadside park and a car caravan along Turner River Road through cypress, pinelands and prairies.
Focus: Birding – This field trip will focus on the identification and biology of birds. Please bring binoculars and a bird field guide (if you have one). |
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Time: 7:00 am - noon
Trip Leaders: Lisa Andrews, Outreach/Education Specialist, Big Cypress National Preserve and John Kellam, Biological Technician, Big Cypress National Preserve
Field trip cost: $10 with Festival registration
Field trip maximum: 20
Additional information: Kirby Storter Boardwalk is wheelchair accessible
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Big Cypress National Preserve – Trip to Red Cockaded Woodpecker Clusters and Big Cypress Fox Squirrel Monitoring Sites
Join the preserve’s wildlife biologist, Deborah Jansen, for a visit to Raccoon Point. This wild and diverse area of the preserve, not open to the general public, is home to a variety of wildlife including several groups of the endangered Red-Cockaded Woodpecker. Learn how preserve staff monitor this species and protect its habitat through prescribed fire. You may not only get a glimpse of the red-cockaded woodpecker and other old-growth pineland birds, but may also see tracks of Florida panthers or bears. Field trip participants may also have an opportunity to track (and hopefully view) one of the eight radio-collared Big Cypress Fox Squirrels currently being monitored in a Raccoon Point study area. These colorful denizens of the Big Cypress swamp are a Florida State listed threatened species and rarely observed in the wild.
Focus: Birding – This field trip will focus on the identification and biology of birds. Please bring binoculars and a bird field guide (if you have one). |
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Time: 12:30 pm - 7:00 pm
Trip Leaders: Deborah Jansen, Big Cypress NP Wildlife Biologist
Field trip cost: $10 with Festival registration
Field trip maximum: 10
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Big Cypress National Preserve - Turner River Canoe Trip (Evening)
Paddle the Turner River and experience the beauty of this quiet place as the diurnal animals are beginning to stir. Watch for alligators, otter and wading birds as the sun slips away. Canoes, paddles, and life vests provided.
Focus: Specialty/Canoeing– This field trip will focus on the activity, incorporating education on the wildlife, habitat and ecology of the area visited and is NOT primarily a birding field trip. |
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Time: 4:00 pm - 8:00 pm
Trip Leaders: Big Cypress National Preserve park ranger
Field trip cost: $10 with Festival registration
Field trip maximum: 12
Additional info: Basic canoeing experience is required. You must also be able to swim.
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Collier-Seminole State Park – Birding Walk
We will spend the morning exploring the extensive tropical hardwood hammock vegetation in Collier-Seminole State Park for wintering landbirds such as warblers, vireos, and thrushes. Birds we hope to see or hear include Pileated Woodpecker, Great-Crested Flycatcher, and Carolina Wren. Past trips have located winter rarities such as White-crowned Pigeon, Yellow-throated Vireo, Summer Tanager, and Rose-breasted Grosbeak.
Focus: Birding – This field trip will focus on the identification and biology of birds. Please bring binoculars and a bird field guide (if you have one). |
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Time: 7:00 am - 9:00 am
Trip Leaders: Maulik Patel, Environmental Specialist, Collier Seminole State Park
Field trip cost: $10 with Festival registration***
Field trip maximum: 12
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Conservancy of Southwest Florida - Rookery Bay Sunset Roost Cruise
Cast off for some great birding and cruise Rookery Bay on the Conservancy’s Good Fortune pontoon boat. Join us for a beautiful sunset cruise in search of nesting Bald Eagle and Osprey, terns, gulls, shorebirds and waders. Dusk brings thousands of Fish Crows, Brown Pelicans, Double-crested Cormorants, herons, ibis and other wading birds in to roost on a few mangrove islands in Rookery Bay. This is a true southwest Florida treat and a very popular outing.
Focus: Birding – This field trip will focus on the identification and biology of birds. Please bring binoculars and a bird field guide (if you have one). |
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Time: 4:00 pm - 6:00 pm
Trip Leaders: Conservancy of Southwest Florida volunteer naturalist
Field trip cost: $40 with Festival registration
Field Trip: Minimum: 6 participants / Maximum: 25 participants
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Corkscrew Swamp Sanctuary – Morning Backcountry Swamp Buggy Trip
Rise and shine. Board a swamp buggy to explore the “off-limits” back country of Corkscrew Swamp Sanctuary’s north end. We will traverse several habitat types and will be on the lookout for the many birds of the back country, including hawks, warblers, ducks, sandhill cranes, wading birds, and more! We will also keep a lookout for other wildlife and learn about the management of this 13,000 acre sanctuary.
Focus: Wildlife – This field trip will focus on the wildlife, habitat and ecology of the area visited and is NOT primarily a birding field trip. |
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Time: 8:00 am - 10:30 am
Trip Leaders: Corkscrew Swamp naturalist
Field trip cost: $50 with Festival registration
Field trip maximum: 9
Additional information: Participants must be physically able to climb on and off of the swamp buggy using a ladder. Be prepared – the trip is bumpy.
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Corkscrew Swamp Sanctuary – Sundown Backcountry Swamp Buggy Trip
Board a swamp buggy to explore the “off-limits” back country of Corkscrew Swamp Sanctuary’s north end. We will traverse several habitat types and will be on the lookout for the many birds of the back country, including hawks, warblers, ducks, sandhill cranes, wading birds, and more! We will also keep a lookout for other wildlife and learn about the management of this 13,000 acre sanctuary.
Focus: Wildlife – This field trip will focus on the wildlife, habitat and ecology of the area visited and is NOT primarily a birding field trip. |
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Time: 4:00 pm - 6:45 pm
Trip Leaders: Corkscrew Swamp naturalist
Field trip cost: $50 with Festival registration
Field trip maximum: 9
Additional information: Participants must be physically able to climb on and off of the swamp buggy using a ladder. Be prepared – the trip is bumpy.
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Eagle Lakes Community Park – Birding Walk
We will spend the morning walking the berms of the created wetlands at Eagle Lakes Park. The impoundments act as water percolation ponds for treated effluent from Collier County’s Wastewater plant and serve as an oasis for wildlife amid urban development. We will search the ponds and surrounding area for herons, egrets, ducks, raptors, woodpeckers and warblers.
Focus: Birding – This field trip will focus on the identification and biology of birds. Please bring binoculars and a bird field guide (if you have one). |
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Time: 8:00 am - 11:00 am
Trip Leaders: Steve Mutart – Volunteer naturalist and Rookery Bay Environmental Learning Center Interpreter
Field trip cost: $10 with Festival registration
Field trip maximum: 15
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Everglades National Park - Shark Valley Bike Trip
When many people think about Everglades National Park, they picture Shark Valley. It is the classic “river of grass”-- a sawgrass marsh full of life and fantastic wildlife viewing opportunities. Participants on this morning’s ranger-guided 15-mile loop bicycle tour may encounter alligators, turtles, anhingas, purple gallinules, and wood storks, as well as a wide variety of herons and egrets. Otters, deer, and other wildlife may also be seen. The 15-mile paved road gives easy access to any type of bicycle, with no hills to climb or rough terrain to traverse.
Focus: Specialty/Bicycling – This field trip will focus on the activity, incorporating education on the wildlife, habitat and ecology of the area visited and is NOT primarily a birding field trip. |
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Time: 8:30 am - 11:30 am
Trip Leaders: Everglades National Park ranger
Field trip cost: $10 with Festival registration**
Field trip maximum: 20
Additional information: Shark Valley is an 80-mile drive from Rookery Bay. The Shark Valley bicycle tour route is paved and follows a 15-mile loop. Bring your own bicycle or rent one at Shark Valley.
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Florida Panther National Wildlife Refuge – Birding Walk
We will be hiking along a 1.3 mile long trail that meanders through several natural community types including hardwood hammock, pine flatwood, wet prairie, and mixed pine hardwood forest. Bird species expected to be seen include a wide range of resident and wintering landbirds including up to five species of woodpeckers, warblers, and with just a little late season water, egrets, White Ibis, and Wood Storks. There is also a good chance to see other wildlife including whitetail deer, raccoons, armadillos, and perhaps a Florida panther track!
Focus: Birding – This field trip will focus on the identification and biology of birds. Please bring binoculars and a bird field guide (if you have one). |
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Time: 7:15 am - 10:00 am
Trip Leaders: Ben Nottingham, Deputy Manager, Florida Panther National Wildlife Refuge
Field trip cost: $10 with Festival registration
Field trip maximum: 20
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Florida Panther National Wildlife Refuge - Swamp Buggy Tour
Florida Panther National Wildlife Refuge is one of the last bastions for the endangered Florida panther. Established in 1989 and leading the way for research & conservation, the tour will consist of a swamp buggy ride through the Northern end of the Fakahatchee Strand as well as the upland areas. You will go through hardwood hammocks, pine flatwoods, wet prairies, and mixed pine hardwood forest. Don’t expect to see panthers, but hopefully during the ride, the higher perspective might allow you to catch a glimpse of deer, turkey, armadillo, hawks, owls, woodpeckers and the others neighbors that live in the panther’s habitat.
Focus: Wildlife – This field trip will focus on the wildlife, habitat and ecology of the area visited and is NOT primarily a birding field trip. |
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Time: 8:00 am - 11:00 am
Trip Leaders: Layne Hamilton, Refuge Manager, US Fish & Wildlife Service – Florida Panther Refuge
Field trip cost: $10 with Festival registration
Field trip maximum: 12
Additional information: Field trip participants need to be able to climb up a ladder into the 4 to 5 foot high buggy.
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Little Estero Lagoon – Birding Walk
We will spend the morning walking along the inner path and outer beach that surrounds Little Estero Lagoon, a State-designated Critical Wildlife Area. Wading birds such as egrets, herons, and White Ibis are likely and Roseate Spoonbills may still linger in the early morning. Shorebirds likely to be seen include Western and Least Sandpipers, Dunlin, Sanderling, Ruddy Turnstone, Willet, and up to 5 species of plover including Black-bellied, Wilson’s, Semipalmated, Piping, and Snowy. Additional shorebird possibilities include Red Knot, Whimbrel, Marbled Godwit, and American Oystercatcher. Wintering gulls and terns (Royal, Sandwich, Forster’s) may also be present.
Focus: Birding – This field trip will focus on the identification and biology of birds. Please bring binoculars and a bird field guide (if you have one). |
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Time: 8:00 am - 11:00 am
Trip Leaders: Charlie Ewell, Lee County Bird Patrol member
Field trip cost: $10 with Festival registration
Field trip maximum: 20
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Marco Island - Burrowing Owl Tour
Marco Island is habitat for approximately 65 pairs of Burrowing Owls, a State of Florida “Species of Special Concern”. From the meeting place, we will drive (carpool if possible) to two nearby locations to view the burrows and owls. Onsite information will be provided about the biology, history, habitat, behavior, etiquette in maintaining/viewing and the human impacts of the burrowing owls in the urban environment.
Focus: Specialty/Burrowing Owls – This driving field trip will focus on the identification and biology of burrowing owls. Please bring binoculars if you have them. |
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Time: 7:30 am - 9:00 am
Trip Leaders: Nancy Richie, Environmental Specialist, City of Marco and Marco Island “Owl Watch” volunteer
Field trip cost: $10 with Festival registration
Field trip maximum: 20
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Naples Botanical Garden – Birding Tower
Join us for this special opportunity to observe birds from the new James and Linda White Birding Tower at the newly developed Naples Botanical Garden. The Tower overlooks a brackish marsh community that is in early stages of restoration. The diverse habitats visible on this tour include mud flats, marsh, mangroves, ponds, and a hammock and we should see a good diversity of wading birds plus wintering landbirds. We will walk approximately 1 mile from the parking lot, through the Garden to the Tower. Cost of the trip includes all-day access to the Garden.
Focus: Birding – This field trip will focus on the identification and biology of birds. You will also get the opportunity to tour through portions of the Naples Botanical Garden. Please bring binoculars and a bird field guide (if you have one). |
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Time: 8:00 am - 10:00 am
Trip Leaders: David Webb, Education Manager at the Naples Botanical Garden, and Chad Washburn, Natural Areas Manager at the Garden.
Field trip cost: $20 with Festival registration
Field trip maximum: 12
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Rookery Bay National Estuarine Research Reserve - Kayak Adventure - Morning
Paddle along mangroves into Hall Bay to view an eagle’s nest. Watch ospreys dive for their morning meals. Maybe even catch a glimpse of some wild dolphins. From Hall Bay we’ll slowly paddle into Rookery Bay to visit the islands that give the Reserve its name. Kayaks, paddles, and life vests provided. Basic paddling/canoeing experience required.
Focus: Specialty/Kayaking – This field trip will focus on the activity, incorporating education on the wildlife, habitat and ecology of the area visited and is NOT primarily a birding field trip. |
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Time: 10:00 am - 12:00 pm
Trip Leaders: Rookery Bay staff naturalist
Field trip cost: $35 with Festival registration
Field trip maximum: 10
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Rookery Bay National Estuarine Research Reserve - Kayak Adventure - Afternoon
Paddle along mangroves into Hall Bay to view an eagle’s nest. Watch ospreys dive for their morning meals. Maybe even catch a glimpse of some wild dolphins. From Hall Bay we’ll slowly paddle into Rookery Bay to visit the islands that give the Reserve its name. Kayaks, paddles, and life vests provided. Basic paddling/canoeing experience required.
Focus: Specialty/Kayaking – This field trip will focus on the activity, incorporating education on the wildlife, habitat and ecology of the area visited and is NOT primarily a birding field trip. |
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Time: 1:00 pm - 3:00 pm
Trip Leaders: Rookery Bay staff naturalist
Field trip cost: $35 with Festival registration
Field trip maximum: 10
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Tigertail Beach/Sand Dollar Lagoon – Birding Walk
This natural area is the second most valuable resting and feeding site for coastal waterbirds on the west coast of Florida, with over 70 species having been recorded. Among the many species we hope to see are Reddish Egret, Roseate Spoonbill, Peregrine Falcon, American Oystercatcher, five species of plover (including Snowy and Piping), plus other sandpipers, gulls and terns.
Focus: Birding – This field trip will focus on the identification and biology of birds. Please bring binoculars and a bird field guide (if you have one). |
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Time: 8:00 am - 10:00 am
Trip Leaders: Ted Below, Avian Ecologist
Field trip cost: $10 with Festival registration*
Field trip maximum: 15
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Barefoot Beach Preserve - Gopher Tortoise Walk
Enjoy a guided walk through the varied coastal habitats found at Barefoot Beach Preserve, a 342-acre barrier island in North Naples. Take a closer look at one of the Preserve’s unique and important land animals, the Gopher Tortoise, Gopherus polyphemus. This land tortoise is a keystone species that supports the natural community where it lives and contributes to the success of many other species. The coastal strand habitat, found in the Preserve, provides the conditions needed for a healthy gopher tortoise population.
Focus: Wildlife – This field trip will focus on the wildlife, habitat and ecology of the area visited and is NOT primarily a birding field trip. |
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Time: 9:00 am - 11:00 am
Trip Leaders: Collier County Park Ranger/Naturalist
Field trip cost: $10 with Festival registration*
Field trip maximum: 12
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Big Cypress National Preserve – Bear Island Bike Trip
Bike through a variety of Florida habitats while searching for signs of wildlife such as panther and bear. Catch a glimpse of a gator or an otter and watch for wading and songbirds. This 12 mile round trip on hard rock roads is an easy and quiet way to view many wildlife species in the preserve.
Focus: Specialty/Bicycling – This field trip will focus on the activity, incorporating education on the wildlife, habitat and ecology of the area visited and is NOT primarily a birding field trip. |
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Time: 8:30 am - 12:30 pm
Trip Leaders: Big Cypress National Preserve park ranger
Field trip cost: $10 with Festival registration*
Field trip maximum: 15
Additional information: Fat tire bikes only – hybrids or mountain bikes
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Bunche Beach Preserve (San Carlos Bay) – Birding Walk
We will spend the morning walking along Bunche Beach, the mainland side of San Carlos Bay, which is a part of the Lee County Conservation 20/20 program. Shorebirds are the big draw here, but wintering gulls, terns, and wading birds should also be in abundance. Shorebirds likely to be seen include Western and Least Sandpipers, Dunlin, Short-billed Dowitcher, Sanderling, Ruddy Turnstone, Willet, and up to 4 species of plover including Black-bellied, Wilson’s, Semipalmated, and Piping. Additional shorebird possibilities include Red Knot, Long-billed Curlew, and Marbled Godwit. Roosting flocks of Black Skimmers may also be present.
Focus: Birding – This field trip will focus on the identification and biology of birds. Please bring binoculars and a bird field guide (if you have one). |
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Time: 8:00 am - 11:00 am
Trip Leaders: Charlie Ewell, Lee County Bird Patrol member
Field trip cost: $10 with Festival registration
Field trip maximum: 20
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Collier-Seminole State Park – Birding Walk
We will spend the morning exploring the extensive tropical hardwood hammock vegetation in Collier-Seminole State Park for wintering landbirds such as warblers, vireos, and thrushes. Birds we hope to see or hear include Pileated Woodpecker, Great-Crested Flycatcher, and Carolina Wren. Past trips have located winter rarities such as White-crowned Pigeon, Yellow-throated Vireo, Summer Tanager, and Rose-breasted Grosbeak.
Focus: Birding – This field trip will focus on the identification and biology of birds. Please bring binoculars and a bird field guide (if you have one). |
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Time: 7:00 am - 9:00 am
Trip Leaders: Maulik Patel, Environmental Specialist, Collier Seminole State Park
Field trip cost: $10 with Festival registration***
Field trip maximum: 12
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Conservancy of Southwest Florida - Rookery Bay Sunset Roost Cruise
Cast off for some great birding and cruise Rookery Bay on the Conservancy’s Good Fortune pontoon boat. Join us for a beautiful sunset cruise in search of nesting Bald Eagle and Osprey, terns, gulls, shorebirds and waders. Dusk brings thousands of Fish Crows, Brown Pelicans, Double-crested Cormorants, herons, ibis and other wading birds in to roost on a few mangrove islands in Rookery Bay. This is a true southwest Florida treat and a very popular outing.
Focus: Birding – This field trip will focus on the identification and biology of birds. Please bring binoculars and a bird field guide (if you have one). |
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Time: 4:00 pm - 6:00 pm
Trip Leaders: Conservancy of Southwest Florida volunteer naturalist
Field trip cost: $40 with Festival registration
Field trip: Minimum: 6 / Maximum: 25
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Eagle Lakes Community Park – Birding Walk
We will spend the morning walking the berms of the created wetlands at Eagle Lakes Park. The impoundments act as water percolation ponds for treated effluent from Collier County’s Wastewater plant and serve as an oasis for wildlife amid urban development. We will search the ponds and surrounding area for herons, egrets, ducks, raptors, woodpeckers and warblers.
Focus: Birding – This field trip will focus on the identification and biology of birds. Please bring binoculars and a bird field guide (if you have one). |
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Time: 8:00 am - 11:00 am
Trip Leaders: Steve Mutart – Volunteer naturalist and Rookery Bay Environmental Learning Center Interpreter
Field trip cost: $10 with Festival registration
Field trip maximum: 15
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Florida Panther National Wildlife Refuge – Birding Walk
We will be hiking along a 1.3 mile long trail that meanders through several natural community types including hardwood hammock, pine flatwood, wet prairie, and mixed pine hardwood forest. Bird species expected to be seen include a wide range of resident and wintering landbirds including up to five species of woodpeckers, warblers, and with just a little late season water, egrets, White Ibis, and Wood Storks. There is also a good chance to see other wildlife including whitetail deer, raccoons, armadillos, and perhaps a Florida panther track!
Focus: Birding – This field trip will focus on the identification and biology of birds. Please bring binoculars and a bird field guide (if you have one). |
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Time: 7:15 am - 10:00 am
Trip Leaders: Ben Nottingham, Deputy Manager, Florida Panther National Wildlife Refuge
Field trip cost: $10 with Festival registration
Field trip maximum: 20
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Ten Thousand Islands National Wildlife Refuge – Marsh Trail Birding Walk
We will spend the morning walking along newly opened Marsh Trail (2 miles roundtrip) which is the only trail access into the Ten Thousand Islands NWR. Wading birds such as Great Egret, Snowy Egret, Black-crowned Night-Heron and White Ibis should be plentiful and there is a good chance we will see Wood Storks, Roseate Spoonbills and possibly Sandhill Cranes. We will also attempt to draw out secretive marshbirds such as rails and bitterns and search for landbirds wintering in the tropical hardwoods along the road. (This is the same field trip that has been offered in past years as “Oil Pad Road”)
Focus: Birding – This field trip will focus on the identification and biology of birds. Please bring binoculars and a bird field guide (if you have one). |
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Time: 7:15 am - 11:30 am
Trip Leaders: Joyce Mazourek, Refuge Manager, Ten Thousand Islands National Wildlife Refuge and second leader.
Field trip cost: $10 with Festival registration
Field trip maximum: 20
Additional information: This trip entails considerable walking
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Tigertail Beach/Sand Dollar Lagoon – Birding Walk for Beginners
Can’t tell a gull from a tern? Do you think all shorebirds look alike? This trip for beginners is an introduction on how to identify and appreciate the most common birds found on our local beaches. This natural area is the second most valuable resting and feeding site for coastal waterbirds on the west coast of Florida and among the species we hope to see are Great, Snowy and Reddish Egrets, five species of plover (including Snowy and Piping), plus other shorebirds, gulls and terns.
Focus: Birding – This field trip will focus on the identification and biology of birds. Please bring binoculars and a bird field guide (if you have one). |
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Time: 8:00 am - 10:00 am
Trip Leaders: Beverly Anderson, Research Biologist, Rookery Bay National Estuarine Research Reserve
Field trip cost: $10 with Festival registration*
Field trip maximum: 10
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Legend:
* $8 parking fee charged at site or free parking with a current Collier County Beach Parking Permit
** $10 parking fee (per vehicle) charged at site or free parking with an America the Beautiful/Golden Age Pass
*** $5 parking fee (per vehicle) charged at site
Registration opens November 1
Return to Nature Festival Overview |
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