FAQ

Ask FWC

Boating

Fishing

Hunting

Licenses/Permits

Viewing

SiteMap


	Great Florida Birding Trail Home \| Trail Info \| Trail Sections \| Guides \| Publications \| Merchandise \| Events \| Sponsors \| FAQs \| Contact Us

Frequently Asked Questions

	When did the Trail open?
	How do I find and use the trail?
	If I find an error in one of the guides, who should I report it to?
	When will highway sign installation be complete?
	Will new sites be added to the birding trail?
	How does a site get on the trail?
	Who nominates sites?
	What criteria are used to judge nominated sites?
	I heard my friends talking about a good birding site that's not on the trail. Why isn't it?
	Who's organizing the trail?
	Why did the state of Florida organize a birding trail?
	What kind of economic impact do birders have?
	Where did the idea for a trail come from?

When did the trail open?

The East Florida Section of the Trail opened in November 2000, the West Florida Section followed in November 2002, the Panhandle Florida Section opened in May 2004, and the South Florida Section opened in January 2006 to complete this statewide trail.

How do I find and use the trail?

Get a guide to the section(s) of your choice one of these four ways:

1) Download a copy of the guides.

2) Request a free copy be mailed to you.

3) Pick one up at any number of nature centers throughout the four Florida sections, or visit one of the gateway sites. Gateways are hubs for birding trail information and are located at the following sites:

East Florida:

Fort Clinch State Park (Fernandina Beach)
Merritt Island National Wildlife Refuge (Titusville)
Tenoroc Fish Management Area (Lakeland)

West Florida:

Paynes Prairie Preserve State Park (Micanopy/Gainesville)
Fort De Soto Park (Tierra Verde/St. Petersburg)

Panhandle Florida:

Big Lagoon State Park (Pensacola)
St. Marks National Wildlife Refuge (St. Marks/Tallahassee)

South Florida:

Corkscrew Swamp Sanctuary (Naples)
Loxahatchee National Wildlife Refuge (Boynton Beach)

4) An extended "Guide to the Great Florida Birding Trail: East Section" was released in book form by the University Press of Florida in 2002. It is available for purchase online as well as in major Florida bookstores.

If I find an error in one of the guides, who should I report it to?

Information for a Birding Trail site may change after the guides are printed, and sometimes mistakes slip through the editing process. Please report all errors in the Birding Trail guides to the Birding Trail Coordinator so that we may update our information. Check the online guides and corresponding guide updates before heading out on your next trip for the most current information.

When will highway sign installation be complete?

As of spring 2009, highway signs for the East, West and Panhandle trail sections have been installed. The South Section signs should be completed by spring 2010.

Will new sites be added to the birding trail?

Beginning with the East section in 2007, the nomination process for each section of the trail will be reopened approximately every five years so that new sites may be included. Sections will be revisited in the order they were opened. The anticipated timeline is:

	(1)	East - 2007 Closed
	(2)	West - 2010
	(3)	Panhandle - 2011
	(4)	South - 2012

How does a site get on the trail?

Sites are nominated for inclusion on the Trail. Subscribe to the Birding Trail newsletter to learn when site nominations are open in your geographic area! After sites are nominated, land managers review them for accuracy and approval. Then the Trail Coordinator visits each site to gauge its appropriateness according to the acceptance criteria. The Trail's steering committee oversees this process and takes part in the selection of sites.

Who nominates sites?

You do! Anyone can nominate a site: birders, land managers, tourism representatives and government officials.

What criteria are used to judge nominated sites?

Each site is evaluated based on a set of criteria. Any accepted site must possess site resiliency, physical and legal access, and maintenance support. It must also possess at least two of the following: ecological significance, birdwatching characteristics or local economic significance. Educational significance may be used to bolster a site's ranking. A diversity of sites are appropriate for the Trail. Sites can be on public or private land; be excellent birding year-round or just in one season; their access can even be restricted to appointments only. Before you exclude a site because it's nontraditional, consult the Birding Trail Coordinator– you may be sitting on a fabulous birding opportunity and a great benefit to your local economy.

I heard my friends talking about a good birding site that's not on the trail. Why isn't it?

There are several reasons why a site may not be on the Great Florida Birding Trail:

(1)	It may not have met the Trail's criteria. The two most common criteria that sites fail are:
		(a)	The site's owner does not grant permission for inclusion on the Trail. The site may be privately owned or may not be open for public use. The Trail does not endorse trespassing while birding.
		(b)	The site is too sensitive for large-scale birder use. If a site has sensitive habitats or species that could suffer significantly from the disturbance inherent to large numbers of people visiting the site, then it will not be included in the Trail. Birding at these sites would eventually mean there would be no birds to watch.
(2)	The site simply may have been overlooked. Unfortunately, the site nomination process is not perfect, and only works well with your support and assistance. If a site was overlooked, please call it to the attention of the Trail Coordinator. Each section will be revisited on a five-year rotation, meaning there will be a future opportunity to include sites we may have missed.

(3)

The site may have been opened after the last group of sites was nominated.

Who's organizing the trail?

This is a program of the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission, the state agency vested with managing fish and wildlife resources for their long-term well-being and the benefit of people. The Florida Department of Transportation helps fund this Trail in large part through the generosity of their ISTEA and TEA-21 grant programs. Other partners, without whom the Trail would not be possible, include: the Wildlife Foundation of Florida, the Florida Park Service, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Audubon of Florida, Visit Florida, as well as the many municipalities and land owners that have nominated and manage the sites on the Trail.

Why did the state of Florida organize a birding trail?

A growing constituency of the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission are wildlife viewers, specifically, birders. The Birding Trail serves this constituency by making it easier to find places to enjoy this great hobby. By encouraging people to enjoy the outdoors, the Trail builds support for conservation. Lastly, the Trail brings needed economic motivation to conservation efforts around the state in the form of tourism dollars.

What kind of economic impacts do birders have?

Birders spend money on gas, hotels, souvenirs, meals and other travel necessities while they are enjoying their hobby. Unlike traditional tourists, the FEWER capital improvements to an area, the more likely they are to visit, so they generate more economic impact with less capital investment than almost any other demographic group! When you're birding, be sure to flex your economic muscles to support conservation!

Where did the idea for a trail come from?

Texas created a successful series of coastal birding trails (and later other birding trails across the state) that have been immensely popular and have motivated conservation in that state. Florida's Trail is modeled after this successful predecessor, and is incorporating more grassroots involvement in the nomination of, maintenance of, and advocacy for sites.

Have more questions? E-mail the Trail Coordinator!