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Footprints & Paddledrips
Volume 4 Issue 6
Newsletter of the Georgia Nature-Based Tourism Association,
June & July, 2002
May Gathering Highlights
The May meeting of the GNTA was held on May 28 at Cypress Lake Plantation in
Dodge County. Ronna Janssen of the Eastman/Dodge County Chamber
of Commerce (www.eastman-georgia.com )
acted as hostess.
After the general meeting, participants were treated to a guided boat
tour of Cypress Lake and its famous wading bird rookery. The group glided
through towering cypress trees with their floating carpet of water lilies
and duckweed.
There were constant flights of egrets overhead as they made frequent
trips to and from their nests carrying either sticks for nest construction
or worms for the already-hatched young. The rookery was a scene of constant
motion and sound with the arriving birds and the calls of the hungry
young.
The trees and shrubs were filled with over 50,000 Cattle Egrets, Little
Blue Herons, White Ibis, and Anhinga. Also present were Great Blue Herons
who chose a neighboring site for their nesting grounds. Other species
recorded during the trip were Wood Storks, Prothonotary Warblers, and
Yellow-throated Warblers. Alligators of all sizes could be seen cruising
through the waters and Yellow-bellied Turtles sunned themselves on protruding
logs.
Thanks to the efforts of the GNTA the site is now on the list for nomination
as an Important Bird Area for the state.
Next, the group traveled to the small community of Rhyne for its mid-day
meal and then visited some of the shops along the main avenue in an example
of how nature-based tourism helps the local economy.
In the afternoon, the members and their guests returned to Cypress Lake
where Sheila Willis of Native American-Naturalist Talks & Tours (swillis@wayxcable.com)
served as guide for a driving and walking tour of the Plantation.
A variety of birds was seen and heard singing their courtship calls.
Among those recorded were the colorful Indigo Buntings, Orchard Orioles,
Summer Tanagers, and a dainty Ruby-throated Hummingbird. The unusual
calls of the Yellow-breasted Chat and Yellow-billed Cuckoo were also
heard while other attention-getters were the many blooming wildflowers.
After exploring, the group returned to the patio overlooking the lake
where they relaxed in rocking chairs and discussed the day’s events.
GNTA Regional Activities
The GNTA is continuing its program of being involved in a variety of
regional events and with organizations that promote nature-based tourism
and environmental protection.
Members are serving on an assortment of committees around the state
as representatives of the GNTA and contribute updates on the various
projects at the Association meetings for the group discussion period.
Some of the GNTA activists and their area of involvement are: Ashton,
Ashton, & Associates (www.geocities.com/ashtonbiodiversity)
with the development of nature-based tourism seminars; Center for
a Sustainable Coast (www.sustainablecoast.com) with coastal
issues including titanium mines proposals & coastal development;
and Okefenokee Adventures (www.OkefenokeeAdventures.com)
with the St. Marys River Water Management Association.
Partnerships include: Baxley-Appling Co. Board of Tourism (www.baxley.org) & Hazlehurst-Jeff
Davis Co. Board of Tourism (www.hazelhurst-jeffdavis.com)
with the Altamaha River Protection Association; City of Fargo (cityoffargo@hotmail.com) & Okefenokee
Chamber of Commerce (www.folkston.com)
with the Okefenokee Swamp Scenic Highway Project; and the National
Wildlife Federation (www.nwf.org) & Georgia Wildlife Federation (www.gwf.org) with the Okefenokee Swamp Education & Research
Center.
GNTA Contacts
Newsletter Items (by last Monday of each month)
Editor: Current President
Correspondence & Membership
President
Sheila Willis
326 Pineview Dr.
Waycross, GA 31501
912-285-0419
swillis@wayxcable.com
Vice-President
Billing Statements
Treas. Joy Campbell
Rt. 2, Box 3325
Folkston, GA 31537
912-496-7156
July Meeting Set
The GNTA will hold its July 16 meeting in Savannah at the offices of Bull
River Cruises (www.bullriver.com). Michael Neal,
owner, will serve as host.
Bull River Cruises is well-known for its quality tours that emphasize
the value of our natural resources and the responsibility that we all
have to work for the environment. The coastal company specializes in
private charters and provides tours of Chatham County rivers, barrier
islands, and wildlife refuges.
Their excursions offer more than just the standard sight-seeing trips
as they focus on the ecology & history of the area.
Michael will also present a program on "GA Rivers". He will
update us on area efforts for their preservation & in linking the
outdoor recreation providers.
July Schedule
9:00 a.m.--Committee Meetings
9:30 a.m.--Refreshments & Social Period
10:00 a.m. -- Introductions & General Meeting
10:45 a.m.--"GA Rivers" (Michael Neal of Bull River Cruises)
11:30 a.m.--Lunch (bring a bag or eat out)
12:30--2:00 p.m.--Boat Ride on Chatham Co. waterways (courtesy Bull
River Cruises)
New Member Forms
The GNTA now has newly-revised forms for Member & Resource Information
and Membership Application &/or Donation. They can be downloaded
from the Association’s website (www.Georgianature.org) for mailing by
the public or renewing members.
The new format for the Member & Resource Information sheet includes
more detailed instructions for the various categories plus a new section
for volunteer work with the Association.
Among other improvements, the Membership Application &/or Donation
form now contains a section that can be filled out by those who wish
to make a donation for the work of the GNTA. Donations can be made above
the annual membership fee or by non-members as a Friend of the Association.
Remember, all fees & contributions are tax-deductible.
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)
July 16—Bull River Cruises, Savannah—Bull River Cruises
Note: Hosts are needed for 2002 on Sept. 17 & Nov. 19.
Members’ Spotlight
The GNTA is composed of a variety of individuals & entities 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.
Each of us can reap benefits by examining the work & ideas of others.
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.
Georgia Wildlife Federation (Folkston Office)
“Promoting the wise use and management of Georgia’s natural resources”.
These are the words that appear prominently on all the Georgia Wildlife
Federation’s publications and its website. They give the public a
clue as to what has driven this hard-working organization over the years.
Further details can be gleaned from their mission statement: “To
encourage the intelligent management of the life sustaining resources
of the earth - its essential water resources - its protective forests
and plant life - and its dependent wildlife - and to promote and encourage
the knowledge and appreciation of these resources, their interrelationship
and wise use, without which there can be little hope for a continuing
abundant life.”
The Georgia Wildlife Federation is the oldest and largest conservation
organization in the state, and an affiliate of the National Wildlife
Federation. It “speaks out on issues ranging from clean air and water
to wetlands preservation and wildlife management.”
Showing that they “put their money where their mouth is” where conservation
is concerned, a listing of their many accomplishments with relevance
to the Folkston area would include the following: “Led Nationwide Promotion
for Backyard Wildlife Habitat Program; Helped to Establish Conservation
Plan for Red-cockaded Woodpecker; Led Statewide Celebration for 20th
Anniversary of Earth Day; Created and Launched Schoolyard Wildlife Habitat
Program; Fought to Stop Proposed Mining Near Okefenokee Swamp; and Fights
to Re-establish Longleaf Pine Ecosystem in South GA.”
Some of the ways in which the organization carries out its mission to
educate the public is by providing informational materials and holding
special events. This pathway includes the Backyard & Schoolyard Habitat
Programs (designed to provide the basic elements for attracting & sustaining
wildlife); introduction of the “Georgia Wildlife: A Natural Georgia Series” magazine
that highlights the special natural areas of Georgia such as the Okefenokee
Swamp and is created by GNTA member Lenz Design and Communications;
and the “Georgia Wildlife Viewing Guide” that is a key to areas of the
state for wildlife viewing.
Roger Wangsness is Project Coordinator for the GWF in the Folkston
Office. He oversees all renovation and new construction at the Okefenokee
Swamp Education and Research Center in Folkston, GA and serves as the
liaison between the GWF, the city of Folkston, and the state of Georgia.
Plans for the Okefenokee Swamp Education and Research Center evolved
out of efforts to protect the uplands surrounding the eastern Okefenokee
Swamp from a proposal by the DuPont Corporation to strip-mine the area
for titanium.
The idea was to create a center where scientists could be based in order
to conduct their studies of this unique ecosystem. In addition, another
goal was to develop interpretive displays that explain the ecology, natural
resources, and cultural history of the area. The staff would offer special
Okefenokee Swamp-based programs and field trips, and a library would
also be available for those interested in delving more into various topics.
Georgia Wildlife Federation
1160 Hazelbrand Rd.
Covington, GA 30014
770-787-7887
www.gwf.org
Georgia Wildlife Federation/Folkston Office
c/o City Hall
103 N. First St.
Folkston, GA 31537
912-496-2563 (via City Hall)
rwangsness@gwf.org
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