BREVARD COUNTY, Fla. – Bird and Wildlife enthusiasts have descended on Central Florida as an annual festival returns after nearly five years.
Linda McMahan, who is an organizer for the Space Coast Birding and Wildlife Festival, said, “This is our 25th anniversary... It should’ve been our 29th.”
It has been four years since the Space Coast Bird and Wildlife festival has graced Central Florida.
“COVID really did a number on us,” McMahan said.
McMahan told News 6 that while the festival is based here in Cape Canaveral, it was between COVID-19 and a recovering ecosystem in the Indian River that stalled the festival in recent years.
[EXCLUSIVE: Become a News 6 Insider (it’s FREE) | PINIT! Share your photos]
“Several of us got together and said this festival was too critical to our area, to our state, and one of the largest in the United States,” said McMahan.
The festival is set to generate around $2 million in eco-tourism for the area, with more than 500 attendees registered for the convention.
Inside the festival, there are two main sections: one for the convention with information about excursions, and the other for optic equipment set for display and to test out for bird enthusiasts.
During a brief tour of some of the field trips people at the convention would experience, News 6 saw a few birds — like the White Ibis.
Jeff Bouton, who works with Kowa American Corp., explained, “I like to call them the lawn service here in Florida. They work like this sometimes, you know, looking for insects, or, you know, crickets.”
Bouton said another purpose of this convention besides enjoying the hobby of bird watching is to promote environmental awareness.
“It does equate to dollars. It’s important all the way around, you know, from the physical, mental enjoyment all the way back coming around to tourism,” said Bouton.
Back at the convention center, Mike Knight with the Environmental Endangered Land Program said, “When we are talking about protecting conservation lands, it’s important to understand, you know, when water hits, it filters down into the soil.”
Knight runs the environmental endangered land program as a program manager and said that an issue the area saw was with freshwater runoff carrying harmful chemicals like fertilizers, but with recent clean-up referendums, that’s all changed.
That’s a change Knight said will protect the more than 130 endangered species that wildlife call home or visit.
“We are a small piece of the puzzle like everywhere else, but I think it’s important to protect the little pieces,” Knight said.
The birding and wildlife festival is set to continue until Jan. 28.
You can find more information about the convention and where you can spot some interesting birds by clicking here.
Get today’s headlines in minutes with Your Florida Daily: