Enjoy the great outdoors in Brunswick and The Golden Isles during Georgia Coast Birding and Nature Festival

The vast marshlands, rivers, hammocks and beaches of the Georgia coast make it an ideal
destination for exploring, enjoying and learning about the wonders of the great outdoors.

From mainland forests to coastal plains, salt marshes, maritime forests and beaches, coastal Georgia offers a variety of habitats that are home to a vast array of plants, animals, birds and marine life. The Georgia Coast Birding and Nature Festival, Oct. 7-10 on Jekyll Island, is an ideal opportunity for exploring, learning about and enjoying the wonders of the great outdoors.

According to event coordinator Lydia Thompson, this year's festival will offer several "learning tracks" that are tailored to a variety of interests and abilities. "We've broadened our base this year by offering programs and activities for experienced birdwatchers as well as those who are just beginning and don't know where to start. Whatever your level of interest or ability, we'll have something for you."

Thompson is especially excited about the "Family Tracks," which are designed for families with children from ages 6-12. The family tracks cover four topics: Beach, Birds, Marsh and Dock Exploration, and Turtles. Each two-and-a-half hour session will include hands-on activities and excellent instruction by naturalists and nature experts from the Jekyll Island 4-H Center, Jekyll Island Banding Station, Tideland Nature Center and the Georgia Sea Turtle Center.

The "Beginner and Intermediate Tracks" offer an array of nature walks, workshops, and field trips. Activities include an exploration of Latham Hammock, beach walks, Segway® PT tours, golf cart nature tours, a canoeing class, a digital photography workshop and more.

"Adventure Tracks" include a selection of boat, canoe and kayak trips. Activities include brunch on board the Lady Jane shrimp, Altamaha River Delta cruise, canoeing in the Okefenokee National Wildlife Refuge, and kayak expeditions through local creeks and marshes.

This year's festival also includes "Evening Adventures," which are geared toward all ages and experience levels. Activities include "Stargazing by the Water," "Stargazing with Binoculars," and a "Bats and Owls Prowl" led by ornithologist Jim Ozier. "Bats and owls are really cool," Thompson explains. "Each bat species has its own sonar. Jim Ozier has a device called a bat detector. By pointing it at a specific bat, he can tell you what kind of bat it is."

Aspiring nature photographers will want to sign up for any or all of three nature photography classes. Led by award-winning nature photographer John Reed, the classes will cover the basic of camera controls, to basic composition and a field practice session.

Other festival activities will include Nature Day, Saturday Oct. 9 inside the Rookery. Raptor shows will be offered at 1 and 5 pm. There also will be an array of exhibits and displays by show sponsors, nature artists and others. At 11:30 am, there will be a sea turtle release on the beach near Great Dunes Park. Admission to Nature Day is free.

Information about the Georgia Coast Birding and Nature Festival can be found online. There, you can download a festival guide with program descriptions and schedules, and register for various programs.

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Who's watching whom?

Do you know that our little section of the Georgia coast is considered a birding hot spot? Of course you do! Bird watching – or, birding – is a wonderful pastime that offers plenty of exercise and enjoyment with minimal impact on you or the environment. And you don't have to go far at all to do it.

There are at least a dozen good places to go birding in our area: Hofwyl-Broadfield Plantation and the Earth Day Nature Trail in Brunswick: Gould's Inlet and the John Gilbert Nature Trail on St. Simons Island; Clam Creek and St. Andrews recreation areas on Jekyll Island and, of course, Little St. Simons Island just to name a few.

Each of these are spots along the Georgia Coast Birding Trail, which was established by the Georgia Dept. of Natural Resources non-game wildlife division seven years ago. To see a map of the trail, go here.

The best place to get started on your birding adventure is Wild Birds Unlimited, located in the Pier Road Shops on Jekyll Island. These folks know their birds, and they are happy to share that passion with you. They'll help you find the good spots, help you pick the right equipment and suggest other local experts who offer guided nature walks, cruises and more. Call 635-3933 or visit them online.