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Great Florida Birding Trail Home | Trail Info | Trail Sections | Guides | Publications | Merchandise | Events | Sponsors | FAQs | Contact Us
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What is the Great Florida Birding Trail? |
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| The Great Florida Birding Trail is a program of the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission, supported in part by the Florida Department of Transportation and the Wildlife Foundation of Florida. This 2000-mile, self-guided highway trail unifies a total of 489 birding sites throughout Florida. Modeled after the successful Great Texas Coastal Birding Trail, this ambitious project features detailed guide booklets and special highway signs identifying Birding Trail sites. Free guide booklets contain site descriptions, directions, and maps showcasing the wonderful birding opportunities in Florida. Each Birding Trail section consists of a series of clusters, with each cluster containing 1-15 sites highlighting communities and special ecosystems like the Lake Wales Ridge. |
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| The Great Florida Birding Trail is divided into four sections. For a list of individual Birding Trail sites, with counties, nearest cities, web links, and contact phone numbers, use the links below to navigate to each section: | ||
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To better introduce
visitors to the Birding Trail, the Great Florida Birding Trail
designated nine “gateway” sites at exceptional birding locations. There
are two or three gateways located in each trail section. Gateways have
staffed visitor centers and serve as hubs for Birding Trail information.
Each gateway has a special kiosk with birdwatching tips and introductory information regarding the Birding Trail.
Loaner
optics can be checked out for free for a day with a driver’s license or
major credit card at all gateway locations.
Or stop by and pick up a copy of
the free trail guide booklets.
Traditionally, only local birders knew about the great birding sites in their area. Most publicity went to federal and state sites, such as J.N. "Ding" Darling National Wildlife Refuge and Everglades National Park. The Great Florida Birding Trail groups prominent birding sites with smaller local sites to spread out birdwatchers and their eco-tourism dollars into the surrounding communities. Broad-based support and grassroots community investment will make the Great Florida Birding Trail a success for Florida and for our feathered friends. If you wish to receive updates on the progress of the Birding Trail and participate in the site nomination process, please contact us with your name, address, phone number and e-mail address. |
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