|
 
Footprints & Paddledrips
Volume 3 Issue 11
Newsletter of the Georgia Nature-Based Tourism Association,
December, 2001
November Meeting Highlights
The Nov. 20 meeting of the GNTA was held at Obediah's Okefenok in
Waycross. The host was Billy Brantley of Obediah's Okefenok (www.okefenokeeswamp.com)&
Sheila Willis of Native American-Naturalist Talks & Tours.
The morning program was based on the topic "Working for Conservation
& Nature-based Tourism". Those present all had a chance to participate
in the informative session by describing events & concerns coming
from their respective areas.
After lunch in the Walt Tatum Pavilion, attendees were given a walking
tour of the historical Obediah's Okefenok site by owner Billy Brantley.
The 19th Century cabin and rustic outbuildings were examined, and tales
were told about the lifestyle of the legendary Obediah Barber and his
fellow "Swampers". The Waycross trapper and guide received his
title of "King of the Okefenokee" after he killed a black bear
with only a piece of pine wood.
A variety of wildlife was viewed in several enclosures located on the
grounds, and exhibits made of items donated by local residents that depict
a unique regional culture were admired.
Nature trails wound through cypress swamps, pinelands, and fallow fields,
and hikers enjoyed the Fall foliage that was colored in yellows,
burnt oranges, and reds.
GNTA Contacts
GNTA Web site
www.georgianature.org
Correspondence & Membership
Correspondence/membership
President:
Sheila Willis
326 Pineview Dr.
Waycross, GA 31501
912-285-0419
Newsletter Items (by last Monday of each month)
Vice President:
Karen Arms
P.O. Box 10585
Savannah, GA 31412
912-232-0032
karms@tootsytours.com
Billing statements
Treasurer:
Joy Campbell
Rt. 2, Box 3325
Folkston, GA 31537
912-496-7156
info@okefenokeeadventures.com
"Working for Conservation & Nature-based Tourism"
The November meeting of the Georgia Nature-based Tourism Association
centered around a special Educational Focus Session that was entitled:
"Working for Conservation & Nature-based Tourism".
Due to a family emergency, the key speaker, Thomas Williams, Director
for Special Projects for Sen. Max Cleland, was unable to attend;
however, he sent word that the Senator is interested in working with the
Association as he shares their interest in both conservation and nature-based
tourism.
At the top of the list of topics discussed was the effect of the recent
terrorist activities on tourism. A variety of local & state media
campaigns & other projects have been created to offset the decline
in tourism that has negatively affected several GNTA members.
Kitty Sikes of the GA Dept. of Industry, Trade, & Tourism
sent details about the program "Georgia for Georgians" that
offers discounts for state residents traveling within our own state. Travel
writers and radio & t.v. stations are also being targeted.
GNTA members stated that a way that communities with a small budget can
make their area more attractive to nature-based tourists is to enhance
entrances to their city via tree/shrub/wildflower corridors, small mini-gardens
scattered throughout the city, & proudly promoting their status as
a bird sanctuary via colorful notices on city limit signs.
Local restaurants could offer "Early Bird Specials" and motels
could develop wildlife-friendly landscaping. Newspapers could offer a
local nature column.
All agreed that communities in a particular region should combine their
efforts to promote their area, thereby saving time & money, and that
Georgia should match the media efforts of its sister Southern states in
showcasing their natural beauty & cultural heritage
Jim Burkhart (Okefenokee National Wildlife Refuge) stated
that the refuge is working on a Comprehensive Conservation Plan that takes
into account the increase in nature-based tourism.
Sheila Willis is writing "A Birder's Guide to the Okefenokee
Swamp Region" that will help tourists locate area birds in both the
Okefenokee Swamp and surrounding countryside. Lydia Thompson (Artworks
by Lydia) is the illustrator for the nature book.
Several Southeast Georgia sites are continuing to highlight the conservation/nature-based
tourism connection by revitalizing their nature trail systems, offering
special events, and/or developing new features & programs.
These include: Okefenokee Adventures (night boat tours in the
Swamp), Obediah's Okefenok (greater access to the Northern Okefenokee),
Okefenokee Heritage Center (area exhibits & educational classes),
Savannah-Ogeechee Canal Museum & Nature Center (trails &
Spring festivals), Wilderness Southeast (expanded tours), &
Laura S. Walker State Park (trails & lake boardwalk).
Another outcome of the recent terrorism attacks is the focus on America's
natural resources as they are connected to the energy situation. These
natural sites provide the foundation for the nature-based tourism industry.
Concern was expressed about proposals in Congress to open the Arctic
National Wildlife Refuge to oil-drilling as an "emergency" measure.
Apart from the harmful effects upon the Alaskan environment (& nature-based
tourism), a precedent for allowing similar activities on other federal
lands that now have a degree of protection would be set.
The Georgia Conservancy is leading efforts to protect Georgia's
coast. Developers want to build bridges to hammocks in the saltmarshes
in advance of creating housing developments there. These fragile areas
which serve as buffers during hurricanes are important to marsh wildlife
and contain many unique plants.
A national conservation group, Scenic America, has designated Georgia's
coastal marshes as one of the United States' 10 most endangered places.
The St. Marys River Management Group is developing a plan to prevent
further degradation of the scenic St. Marys River with the effort being
led by local residents who live along the river.
Calendar of Events Web Page
The GNTA website will soon put the spotlight on nature-based events around
the state via a calendar format. Send yours in!
GNTA Website "Issues" Page
The GNTA will begin developing an "Issues" page for its website
in Jan. 2002 to keep the public & its members informed of current
concerns in the conservation & nature-based tourism arenas.
The Environmental Advisory Committee (Jim Burkhart, Chip Campbell,
Lydia Thompson, Sheila Willis) and the Public Relations Officer (Joy
Campbell) will create this special section.
All members are invited to contribute to this effort by e-mailing the
following: info@okefenokeeadventures.com.
Send Us Your News
If you know of any interesting nature news, conservation con-cerns, or
nature-based events & conferences, please help spread the word by
sending us a notice.
At each meeting member news-letters & other informative docu-ments
will be available for display.
Directory Updates
Reminder: please check your GNTA directory periodically & note any
revisions. These are typically done on a monthly basis and sent by e-mail
where possible.
Welcome New Members
June LaRogue...The GNTA wishes to welcome Ms. LaRogue of Waycross
who recently joined the Association as an Individual Member. She is a
retired teacher who is interested in protecting our natural resources
& enjoys visiting our natural areas. See her directory listing.
Association Schedule
General Meetings are held on the third Tuesday of alternate months. If
you would like to host a future meeting, please contact the current president
no later than the 15th of the month preceding the gathering.
2002(date/location/host)
- Jan. 15--Okefenokee COC, Folkston--Okefenokee Chamber of Commerce
- Note: Hosts are needed for 2002 for Mar. 19, May 21,
Jul. 16, Sept. 17, & Nov. 19
Newsletter Delivery
The Footprints & Paddledrips newsletter will be sent via e-mail
where possible. If you would like a hard copy instead, please contact
Sheila Willis at 912-285-0419. It is vital that we have your current,
correct e-mail address. Thanks for keeping things current.
Okefenokee Swamp Info
Waycross Tourism Bureau Director Vickie Leverette and Manager
Staci Tucker announce the completion of the first comprehensive
travel brochure for the Okefenokee Swamp. Through their efforts visitors
can now have one folder that provides information on all the entrances
to this great natural wonder with their local accommodations
& yearly festivals. This creation is an example of a win-win-win situation
for the visitor, local communities, and the resource as a whole. Congratulations
Vickie & Stacie!
Other GNTA members who participated in and/or are listed in this project
include Okefenokee Chamber of Commerce, Okefenokee National
Wildlife Refuge, Okefenokee Adventures, The Inn at Folkston
B & B, Stephen C. Foster State Park, City of Fargo, Helmstead
Bed & Breakfast, & Obediah's Okefenok.
Member News
Stephen C. Foster State Park...The GNTA extends its sympathy
to the staff at SCFSP and the family of Supt. John Tippens who
passed away recently. Our thoughts are with them at this time.
Artworks by Lydia... Congratulations go to St. Simons Island
artist Lydia Thompson who was recently honored during a reception
held by The Nature Conservancy at its Butler Island offices near Darien.
The talented birder is the designer of the latest artwork on the t-shirts
that are sold by the organization as a fund-raiser. It features American
Oystercatchers, Red Knots, and Willets that use the Altamaha River Delta
which The Nature Conservancy works to protect.
2002 Membership Campaign
The Membership Committee reports that efforts are continuing in the work
to increase the GNTA membership base.
Brantley Printing of Waycross has been working with the GNTA in the preparation
of its assorted forms, and various members have provided the committee
with lists of contacts.
If you know of any individuals, businesses, organizations, or agencies
that might be interested in joining the work of the GNTA, please help
spread the word by passing on our contact addresses to them or letting
an officer know about them.
Remember, application forms
may be taken directly from our website.
Sierra Club Funds Release
The Sapelo Foundation has sent the GNTA a notice that it, the Georgia
Chapter of the Sierra Club, the Sierra Club Foundation, and the national
Sierra Club have come to an agreement about the release of the remaining
startup funds that were granted in 1997 to the Georgia Chapter to create
& support the Association in its initial years with money for staff,
expenses, etc.
However, this support was not forthcoming at the level expected, and
funds have been frozen for several years.
Thus, the work of the Association has been in the hands of a core group
of volunteers who have struggled with a miniscule budget and
the competing
demands of their own work and family. In addition, businesses such as
Brantley Printing Co. (www.printing@brntlyprntg.com)
and Lenz Design and Communications (www.lenzmarketing.com)
have gone that "extra mile" in their assistance to us.
Thank-yous go to all who had a part in keeping the GNTA functioning and
securing the release of the much-needed funds.
Broxton Rocks Preserve
The Nature Conservancy has issued a call for support for the expansion
of its Broxton Rocks Preserve in Coffee County near Douglas. The GNTA
has made several visits to this remarkable place.
This unique site contains the largest and most dramatic outcrops of ancient
sandstone in the Southeastern U.S. In addition, it contains rare wildlife
and plants that are found only here.
The 785-acre tract has mature longleaf pine communities complete with
pitcher plant seepage bogs, towering sandstone crevasses dripping with
mosses, ferns, & liverworts, caves outlined in vividly-colored lichens,
and a tannic acid-stained waterfall.
The organization is hoping to acquire additional adjacent lands that
will be placed under protection and also made available for educational
field trips.
For further information, contact Barbara Horwitz, Major Gifts
& Planned Giving Officer at 404-873-7979 ext. 225. See also www.nature.org/georgia.
Happy New Year
Best wishes for the upcoming year for all our wonderful members and associates.
May it be one of your best!!!
GEORGIA NATURE-BASED TOURISM ASSOCIATION MEMBERS' SPOTLIGHT
The GNTA is composed of a variety of individuals, organizations, businesses,
& agencies who all believe that conservation and commerce are inter-connected.
Nowhere is this more evident than in the field of Nature-based Tourism.
There is a shared sense of responsibility to our communities and our natural
resources. Also, GNTA members believe in the importance of looking past
artificial boundaries of city, county, & state limits and those that
separate various agencies & organizations.
In order to learn more about the individual members of the GNTA &
the focus of their work, a "Members' Spotlight" column is presented
here with excerpts taken from the members' brochures, flyers, and other
information sources. Additional members will be highlighted on a regular
basis.
ALBANY TOMORROW
A non-profit organization charged with developing the RiverCenter &
revitalization of downtown Albany... "Building today for Albany Tomorrow"
"Our future is riding on the river" "It's not surprising
that the health of Southwest Georgia is directly connected to the artery
running through it."
"The waters of the Flint have carried bark canoes, paddle-wheels
and ski boats...sustained cypress swamps as well as orderly rows of cash
crops...and echoed with the calls of birds & fervent cries of "Amen"
as the newly baptized are born again."
"The Flint River is the source of our community's rebirth. It is
bringing Albany and South Georgia back to life"
"For children, the river environs is a magical territory where they
can experience the wonders of the natural world & discover their place
within it. That experience will shape the rest of their lives. It can
instill within them a love for learning, a respect for the land, and a
sense of responsibility toward each other & other living beings."
"As our community begins to embrace the Flint River, we are also
discovering new depths in ourselves. Bonds are being forged between young
& old, wealthy & needy, businesses & individuals. The appeal
of the river transcends race, gender & education. Architecture &
arbors...high-technology & historic preservation... recreation &
education...spiritual refreshment & economic opportunities...what's
good for people & what's good for nature...the Flint River is the
thread that weaves them all together in a single, harmonious fabric."
The Flint River Center---a center to interpret the geologic,
hydrologic, ecologic, & climatic conditions of the Flint River basin.
An innovative, interactive facility that combines education, recreation,
& economic development--and other riverside projects like outdoor
classrooms, parks, & nature trails. With a RiverCenter as a unifying
factor, Albany's facilities and museums could work together, creating
more energy, learning opportunities and interest than they can alone.
The architect...absorbs the energy inherent in a site & discharges
it in a design that reveres the nature & celebrates the culture of
the land. The exhibit designer...specializes in developing living ecosystems
that entertain, educate, & allow visitors to explore & experience
habitats.
"On Albany's riverfront, people & nature can come together without
barriers and without causing harm to each other. The benefits are vast.
Albany's new riverside development allows South Georgia to expand its
economy while protecting its natural resources. It enables residents to
enjoy the Flint River without disrupting its ecology."
|
