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Expo isn't for the birds alone
[Photo: Pinellas County Department of Public Affairs]
Enthusiasts gather for a bird-watching field trip during the 2000 festival. |
By WILMA NORTON
© St. Petersburg Times,
published October 4, 2001
Butterflies and bats are also fun to learn about. Try tours, workshops and lectures, or examine equipment for the outdoors: This expo is geared to lovers of nature.
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The annual Florida Birding Festival and Nature Expo offers events for hard-core birders and nature neophytes alike.
"It's not just birds. We've got butterfly trips and a bat trip in the evening and a lot of different variety for a wide range of interests," said Jane Gillespie, who works for the Pinellas County Department of Public Affairs. "This is not just for somebody who has been a birder for a long period of time. It's for people who simply enjoy nature and want to get out and have some different experiences."
The festival, sponsored by the Pinellas County Environmental Foundation, starts today at 7:30 p.m. with a keynote speech by Dr. Jerry Jackson on John James Audubon. Speeches by Arthur Morris on Friday and Paul Konrad on Saturday are also at 7:30 p.m. Tickets are $10 for each of the speeches.
The field trips, workshops and nature expo begin Friday.
The field trip subjects include birds, butterflies, bats and other wildlife. The cost ranges from $40 to $60 per trip. Spaces are still available on some trips.
The workshop topics include "Bird Identification in Verse," Florida frogs, "Following Birds to Cuba," manatees and assorted other nature topics. All workshops are $5 and will be at the Harborview Center.
Activities at the nature expo are designed for the entire family.
"One of the neat things is that kids can build their own birdhouse and take it home," Gillespie said. "People will be there to help them learn where to place it to attract birds."
One family had an owl nesting in its new birdhouse within three weeks of last year's expo, she said.
The rest of the expo will be filled with displays of nature gear, including kayak and canoe demonstrations, and information booths from nonprofit organizations.
"Everything we do has an educational focus," Gillespie said.
PREVIEW
The Florida Birding Festival and Nature Expo runs today through Sunday at the Harborview Center, 300 Cleveland St., Clearwater, and various outdoor locations in the Tampa Bay area. The expo hours are 1-7:30 p.m. Friday, 10 a.m.-7:30 p.m. Saturday and noon-5 p.m. Sunday. Admission to the expo is $10 for adults; students and teachers free with proper ID. Times and fees for workshops and field trips vary. For information, call toll-free 1-877-352-2473 or www.pcef.org.
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