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The Eastern Phoebe
A common wintering flycatcher - shows clearly defined coloring in this amazing photo. Photo credit: DeeAnn Kiesel
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Festival Bird Watchers
The Florida Space Coast is a "birdy" destination. Over 200 species were seen during the 2011 Festival.
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Florida Scrub Jay
The Florida Scrub-Jay, found only in central Florida scrub habitat, is officially listed as a Florida and federal threatened species.
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Festival Exhibitor Booths
The Festival Exhibit Center houses 75+ nature-based: artists, photographers, crafters, tour companies, wildlife organizations, optics dealers and the Silent Auction. Photo credit: Joel Reynolds
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Little Big Econ
Birders on an early morning field trip - scopes ready to view a life bird. Photo credit: Ray Scory
Hello everyone,
To all the 2012 Festival Community Volunteers, Sponsors, Partners, Keynote Presenters, Field Trip Leaders, Classroom Presenters, Exhibitors, Photographers, Water Activity Providers, Art Show Volunteers, Donors to the Silent Auction and the always exciting Raptor Project - we say a sincere THANK YOU for helping us to provide an outstanding event.
We especially THANK our local, national and international guests who came to participate in the Festival. Evaluations of Festival activities by Attendees have given us great reviews and a number of good suggestions to help make a better event for 2013. We appreciate festival attendees caring enough to share their thoughts and ideas.
We will post Attendance Statistics soon as well as photos, videos and Art Competition winners.
Please plan to join us for the 16th Annual Space Coast Birding & Wildlife Festival January 23 - 28, 2013.
Laurilee Thompson, Neta Harris, Barbara Hoelscher, Susan Waldron, Dianne George, DeeAnn Kiesel
This project received financial assistance from VISIT FLORIDA and Florida's Space Coast Office of Tourism. Also sponsored in part by the Brevard County Board of County Commissioners through the Brevard Cultural Alliance, Inc.
The 15th Annual Space Coast Birding Festival has been selected as a Top 20 event for January 2012 by the Southeast Tourism Society - the 2nd year in a row.
David McRee
Our official Blog and News writer for the 2012 Space Coast Birding and Wildlife Festival. You can visit him on the web at Beachhunter.net and visit his blog at BlogTheBeach.com
Festival News to Use
A tribute to the Thompson Family. Merritt Island National Wildlife Refuge - a community treasure. VENT post-Festival Tour: a must-go adventure. There's also things to do for non-birders and fundraiser for the Festival (pdf).
Pelagic Birding Boat Trip
Jan. 30, 6:30am-6:00pm; Limited to 110 registrants. Pelagic birds are species that spend a significant portion of their lives on the open ocean, rarely venturing to land except to breed. We will steam out of Ponce Inlet aboard the 100-foot fishing boat - Pastime Princess with Pelagic-trip-experienced Captain George at the helm - to look for some of the most sought-after bird species in Florida. Our destination will be to reach a productive location near the western edge of the Gulf Stream. Read More...
Make Your Own Bird Feeder
Ace Hardware of Titusville is furnishing the hangers and birdseed for this project. These free supplies will be located at the "Birding by David Simpson" booth in the Exhibit Center.
Festival Information
Contact the Festival Office by phone: 800-460-2664 or 321-268-5224 or by e-mail: festival@brevardnaturealliance.org. Mailing address is P. O. Box 517, Titusville, FL 32781-0517. The office is staffed from 9:00am to 4:00pm Monday through Friday.
Office functions will move to Brevard Community College - Titusville campus (1311 North U.S. 1, Titusville, FL 32796) on January 24, 2012 to facilitate the set-up of the Exhibit Center. Telephone numbers and email address remain the same for contact during the Festival. The Registration Desk is located in the Lobby of the Gymnatorium and will be open each day to facilitate early Field Trips. Tuesday, Jan. 24, 1pm-5pm for pick up of ID and Welcome Bag only Wednesday, Jan. 25 through Saturday, Jan. 28, 6:00am-6:00pm Sunday, Jan. 29, 6:00am-1:00pm
Food service will be available Wednesday through Sunday in the Snack Bar Area as follows:- Free Coffee from the Festival: Serve yourself from 4am to 9am
- Breakfast: Variety of delicious items served by Mr. Submarine and Salads from 4am to 9am
- Lunch: Wednesday through Saturday: variety of items served by Chick-Fil-A from 11am to 2pm
- Tables are available near the Snack Bar area, in the south hall of the Gym building and outside in the covered Pavilion near the Art Show room.
- Water is available on each Field Trip bus and per bottle for car pools - please pick up at the Registration Desk.
Note: No food or drink allowed in the Auditorium, Classroom or Keynote presentations, or the Art Show.
Children must be accompanied by an adult at all times.
The Festival is ADA accessible to classrooms, restrooms, food service, Exhibit Area, Art Show and Silent Auction. Arrangements for participation in Field Trips, boat and kayak trips are handled on an individual basis.
Festival Staff
- Laurilee Thompson, Festival Founder
- Barbara Hoelscher, Festival Coordinator
- Dianne George, Community Relations
- Neta Harris, Executive Director
- Susan Waldron, BNA Coordinator
- DeeAnn Jennings Kiesel, Print Graphic Design
Volunteers from this community are the life of every activity offered during the Festival. These dedicated people bring a diverse energy to the tasks that help to make the Festival a success. In all of the evaluations we receive regarding the effectiveness of the Festival, the attitude, helpfulness and caring of the people on the front line of contact have always been given the highest marks of satisfaction. For more information, please visit our volunteer page.
What to Wear
January is typically Florida's coldest month, but temperatures can fluctuate wildly. Expect average temps to be in the 40s and 50s at night and the 60s and 70s in the daytime. Temperatures can dip into the 30s at night and never leave the 50s during the daytime after a strong cold front. Rain is very scarce in January, however, a cold front may be accompanied by a squall line. Plan to layer your clothing. It can be very cold at sunrise and then warm up nicely during the day. It could be chilly out on the water on kayak and boat trips, so dress warmly. Be sure to bring rain gear if you are going on the pelagic trip! More than likely the wind will blow and spray will fly. The Gymnatorium can be chilly too. Bring a sweater or a jacket if you are an exhibitor.
Classroom & Field Trip Tips
A long sleeved shirt or light jacket may make your classroom experience more enjoyable - all rooms are air-conditioned. The field trip staging area is in front of the Gymnatorium.
Most bus trips will depart from that area. Carpool groups will meet there also. You will be directed to your bus location by the Transportation Monitors, who will be available for each departure. Departure times are firm - arrive
10 to 15 minutes early. Please bring sunglasses, sunscreen, a hat, insect repellent, and rain gear (just in case). It is recommended for field trips that you wear comfortable shoes/sneakers, comfortable shirts, and long pants
(protection against insects and thorns).
Don't forget your camera, binoculars, or other equipment that will make your festival experience more memorable.
The Brevard Nature Alliance is a 501 (c) (3) non-profit, tax-exempt organization that provides support services for the Festival.
The mission of the Brevard Nature Alliance, Inc. is to build public awareness and appreciation of the value of Brevard County's natural resources by fostering and promoting ethical nature-based tourism.
For more information or to become a member of the Brevard Nature Alliance, contact Neta Harris, Executive Director, at 321-268-5224 or visit the web site at: http://www.brevardnaturealliance.org/
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