About Friends of County Parks
The Friends of the County Parks, established in 1988, is a group of concerned citizens joining together to promote financial and community support to the Hillsborough County Parks, Recreation, and Conservation Department. They develop public awareness of recreation as an important part of day-to-day life.
Funds provided by The Friends of the County Parks are used as a supplement to the Parks, Recreation and Conservation Department budget and does not replace allocated tax dollars. These additional funds helps maintain, improve, and enhance services provided by the Parks, Recreation and Conservation Department. The Friends of the County Parks enjoys a 501 (c) (3) not-for-profit exemption status.
Contact: Andee Richards, Florida Birding & Nature Festival
Administrator, 813-444-0115.
Florida Birding and Nature Festival set for October
TAMPA – The four-day Florida Birding and Nature Festival will feature field
trips, boat excursions, seminars by experts, nationally renowned keynote
speakers and a free nature expo.
The event will be held Oct. 12-15 at the Suncoast Youth Conservation Center,
6650 Dickman Road, in Apollo Beach (just south of Tampa). The festival
coincides with the peak of fall migration of birds through Central Florida. More
than 180 species have been observed during previous festivals.
The outings, led by knowledgeable guides and in some cases the managers of
the nature habitats visited, include walking, wagon, boat and kayak trips and a
bus tour of Central Florida birding hot spots. Some field trips explore sites not
normally open to the public.
Among the field trip destinations: Egmont Key, the Cross Bar Ranch in Spring
Hill, Cockroach Bay Aquatic Preserve, Alafia River Corridor South Nature
Preserve, Cockroach Bay Ecosystem Restoration Project, Fort DeSoto Park,
Coffeepot Bayou, the Alafia Bank Bird Sanctuary, and the Lower Green Swamp
Nature Preserve. A trip to the Schultz Nature Preserve will highlight butterflies
and dragonflies as well as birds. There even will be an outing devoted to bird
banding.
Space is limited so early registration is advised.
Naturalist, wildlife photographer and writer Stan Tekiela will present the Friday
keynote address. Tekiela is the renowned author of more than 190 field guides,
nature books and wildlife audio CDs for nearly every state. He will talk about the
mysteries of bird migration.
David Johnson, the director of the Global Owl Project, will present Saturday’s
keynote on the taxonomy and science about Burrowing Owls. He recently was
featured in a segment of CBS Sunday Morning. A buffet will accompany both
keynote presentations.
The festival also will offer two days of in-person and Zoom broadcasted
seminars, with experts covering fascinating nature topics. Among them:
“Secrets of Sandhills,” “Why Snakes Are Cool,’ “Birds as Predators and Prey of
Turtles,” “Bird Nests,” “Butterflies of Florida,” and “Prescribed Fires and Wildlife
of Hillsborough County.”
A free Nature Expo on Friday, Oct. 13, and Saturday, Oct. 14, at the Suncoast
Youth Conservation Center will feature displays from numerous environmental
organizations, nature-related businesses, and artists. Exhibitors will sell
binoculars, artwork, bird boxes and native plants that attract birds and
butterflies,
For info information and registration, see
https://www.floridabirdingandnaturefestival.org/