THE YEAR OF THE EGRET
Learn About Amelia Island’s Wild Side by Exploring Barrier Island Nature – May 21-23, 2010
A three day festival of the bioregion around the Amelia Island, Florida area, the Wild Amelia Nature Festival includes numerous nature tours led by area naturalists and Florida State Park Rangers, nature photography workshops taught by local professionals, a green business Expo, a Kids Niche, plus live music, critters from the Jacksonville Zoo, stargazing and more. If you appreciate nature and love the outdoors, plan to attend some activities celebrating local nature at Wild Amelia.
“The year of the Egret,” this is the 4th annual Wild Amelia Nature Festival. Previous honorees have been the Painted Bunting during the inaugural year of the festival, the Gopher Tortoise, and Northern Right Whales.
Egans Greenway, Amelia Island. Orange Wildflowers Blooming.
Spend some quality time with the family in northeast Florida. LOCATION! LOCATION! LOCATION! Amelia Island is within a cluster of barrier islands, with Cumberland Island just off it’s northern tip and the Talbot Islands just to the south, so it’s easy to island hop and explore the natural beauty and wildlife of this special area.
The Wild Amelia Festival is a great learning experience for the kids and an easy drive from Jacksonville and southeast Georgia’s St. Marys and Kingsland.
Some of the Kid’s Niche (nature-based activities for children) include live animal demonstrations by the Jacksonville Zoo, a sea turtle craft, natural tie dying, pine cone bird feeder and paper making. There’s a possibility that the Georgia Sea Turtle Center will able to release a rehabbed sea turtle.
Last year the nature photography classes were a big hit and those programs have been expanded this year in 2010. Here’s the variety of nature photography classes being offered during Wild Amelia:
– Photographing Amelia Island’s Wild Side (FREE ACTIVITY)
– Zoo Photography
– Basics of Nature Photography
– Seeing the light
– Composition
– Getting the most from your camera
– Nature Photography for Children
– Sunset Workshop
– Sunrise Workshop
– Creative Lighting in the Outdoors
– Digital Darkroom
– Flower Photography
The EcoExpo in the Atlantic Recreation Center in Fernandina Beach, Florida will be open on Saturday, May 22 from 9:30am-4pm, and is a place to learn about products that allow living a greener life style that’s more in tune with nature.
Maritime Forest Armadillo at Fort Clinch State Park, Amelia Island. (Photo by W. B. Lawson)
FEATURED NATURE TOURS: Kayaking, Birding, Hiking, Biking, Boat Tour
Wild Amelia nature tours will educate participants about the local environment and the critters that live here in the Amelia Island area. The nature tours held during the festival “get you face to face with the wild side of the local area…” according the Wild Amelia Festival’s website.
Some of the nature tours offered at various venues over the 3-day event include the following:
– Segway Exploration on Fort George Island, (Ecomotion)
– Simpson Creek Paddle (Kayak Amelia)
– Bike Egans Creek Greenway — FREE ACTIVITY
– Stargazing and Music at Ft. Clinch and Owl Encounter
– Birding to the Limits – Huguenot’s Wonderful Shorebirds
– Egans Creek Greenway Birding Walk — FREE ACTIVITY
– Bar Hopping Kayak tour (Kayak Amelia)
– Nature Bike Hike (AIP Naturalist, Amelia Island Plantation Nature Center)
– Beach Walk at Little Talbot Island State Park (no charge with $5 per vehicle park fee)
– Egans Creek Paddle (Up the Creek Xpeditions)
– Nature Hike Little Talbot Island State Park (no charge with regular park entry fee)
– Guided Nature Walk Ft. Clinch State Park (no charge with park entry fee ($6/car, $2 walking or biking)
– Wildways Sunset Boat Tour (Amelia River Cruises)
– Birding by Golf Cart AIP Naturalist (Amelia Island Plantation Nature Center )
– Owl Prowl (Egans Creek Greenway)
– Sunrise Movement & Meditation at Main Beach Park (FREE ACTIVITY)
– Birds of Amelia. AIP Naturalist (Amelia Island Plantation Nature Center )
– Bike Ecotour Fort Clinch State Park
There will also be opportunity to bid on some great gifts at a silent auction during the festival.
Please check the Wild Amelia Nature Festival’s website for full schedule of events and times during the 3-day festival as well as ticket prices for various tours and workshops. For further information call 904-251-0016.
