Birds of a feather boost county’s economy
In an attempt to extend tourist season and bolster the local economy, Pinellas County, Fla., officials have turned to the birds. The Florida Birding Festival is the result. The festival, which provides novice and experienced birdwatchers with an opportunity to participate in seminars/field trips and learn from ornithology experts, is designed to boost the area’s nature-based tourism. Begun as a partnership between the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) and the county, the festival provides the region with visitors during the slower tourism months and has raised money to help preserve local wildlife habitat.
To jumpstart the project, the county invited Peter Stangel, director of the USFWS southeast regional office, to discuss potential sources of nature-based tourism. Stangel, who had been tracking birding festivals throughout the country, noted a dramatic increase in such festivals (in 1985, only a few dozen existed; today, the number is more than 250). Based on Stangel’s research, county officials planned their own birding festival.
They targeted September and October because those traditionally are slower months for tourism. Funds for the event were initially provided by the county, the USFWS and private sponsors; the St. Petersburg/Clearwater Florida Convention and Visitor’s Bureau provided support through a new product development grant.
The first birding festival in 1998 featured seminars on bird photography, creating landscaping to attract birds and bird-watching techniques. Keynote speakers included photographer Arthur Morris and Don and Lillian Stokes, hosts of a birdwatching show on PBS. Conference participants also took guided field trips to view native birds, such as the Snowy Plover; one participant reported seeing more than 100 different species during the festival. In 1999, the festival added a Nature Expo to highlight products from environmentally focused companies, nonprofits and other organizations for bird enthusiasts.
Proceeds from the festival originally were earmarked for purchasing privately owned land on Shell Key. The barrier island is the nesting habitat for declining shore bird populations, as well as a migratory destination. It also was a destination for some partying humans, who occasionally brought dogs that disturbed nesting birds. The county wanted to purchase the privately owned portions of Shell Key to give officials more control over the space.
In its first year, the festival raised $15,000 for the project. In 1999, an additional $5,000 from the festival went toward purchasing Shell Key properties. Either Pinellas County or the state now owns all upland portions of the island. Two submerged parcels currently are the subjects of negotiation.
To support additional preservation efforts, the county set up the Pinellas County Environmental Foundation. Funding comes from a variety of sources, including sponsorships, although the county provides the core of the funding, according to Stangel. Some funding comes from USFWS, which also assists with fund-raising and helps manage the grants.
For information on the Florida Birding Festival and Nature Expo, call the St. Petersburg/Clearwater Florida Convention and Visitor’s Bureau at (800) 822-6461; call Pinellas County at (727) 464-4600.