Great Texas Wildlife TrailsGreat Texas Wildlife Trails: : Reconnecting Local Communities with Reconnecting Local Communities with

Natural Resources for Conservation and Natural Resources for Conservation and Economic DevelopmentEconomic Development

Shelly PlanteShelly PlanteNature Tourism CoordinatorNature Tourism Coordinator

Texas Parks and WildlifeTexas Parks and Wildlife

Goals of Nature TourismGoals of Nature Tourism•• Promote habitat conservationPromote habitat conservation•• Promote sustainable economic Promote sustainable economic

development for local development for local communitiescommunities

•• Build broadBuild broad--based public based public support for wildlife conservation support for wildlife conservation programsprograms

•• Provide additional recreational Provide additional recreational opportunities to the publicopportunities to the public

As North America Becomes Increasingly UrbanAs North America Becomes Increasingly Urban……•• People are seeking to reconnect with nature.People are seeking to reconnect with nature.•• They enjoy rural areas and seeing wildlife.They enjoy rural areas and seeing wildlife.•• They want to escape from the city.They want to escape from the city.

Why the Interest in Nature Tourism?Why the Interest in Nature Tourism?

•• More Americans camp than play basketball. More Americans camp than play basketball.

•• The number of Americans who participate in The number of Americans who participate in bicycling is double the population of Canada. bicycling is double the population of Canada.

•• More Americans paddle (kayak, canoe, raft) More Americans paddle (kayak, canoe, raft) than play soccer. than play soccer.

Source: Outdoor Industry Foundation; Sporting Goods Manufacturing Association (SGMA) estimates 32 million Americans 6+ played basketball in 2005; SGMA estimates 17 million Americans 6+ played soccer in 2005.

How Popular is Nature Tourism?How Popular is Nature Tourism?

Top 12 Birding Top 12 Birding Sites in North Sites in North

AmericaAmerica

Texas CoastTexas CoastHigh IslandHigh Island

Rio Grande ValleyRio Grande Valley

TransTrans--PecosPecos

1212

88

11

66 9955

1111

33

77

22

441010

The Great Texas Wildlife Viewing The Great Texas Wildlife Viewing Trails: 889 Sites!Trails: 889 Sites!

308 sites308 sites

Completed in Completed in 20002000

97 sites97 sites

Completed Completed in November in November 20032003

239 sites239 sites

Completed in Completed in January 2004January 2004

245 sites245 sites

Completed Completed in May 2006in May 2006

Palo Duro Canyon – PHP #040

Concho River at Paint Rock Concho River at Paint Rock –– HOTW #115HOTW #115

Public Public sitessites……

……and private and private sites are sites are represented represented on the trails.on the trails.

State Birding Trails in 1999State Birding Trails in 1999

State Birding Trails in 2007State Birding Trails in 2007

Great Texas Wildlife Trails: Great Texas Wildlife Trails: The ConceptThe Concept

• Unify existing and potential sites into a single, cohesive marketing and enhancement platform

• Appeal to a wide diversity of wildlife enthusiasts

Creating a Birding/Wildlife Trail:Creating a Birding/Wildlife Trail:•• Determine your target audienceDetermine your target audience

•• Determine a site selection processDetermine a site selection process

•• Develop partnershipsDevelop partnerships

•• Identify viewing areasIdentify viewing areas

•• Design tourDesign tour routesroutes

•• Provide accessProvide access

•• Develop facilities and viewingDevelop facilities and viewing equipmentequipment

•• Offer information (maps, signage, interpretation)Offer information (maps, signage, interpretation)

•• Design local Design local ““handshands--onon”” activities (local experience)activities (local experience)

Building partnershipsBuilding partnerships•• CommunitiesCommunities•• Land ownersLand owners•• Local organizations, business and industryLocal organizations, business and industry•• State and federal agenciesState and federal agencies•• Tribes and indigenous peoplesTribes and indigenous peoples

Partners can provide:Partners can provide:•• ExpertiseExpertise•• PersonnelPersonnel•• MaterialsMaterials•• FundingFunding•• Access to habitat and areasAccess to habitat and areas

Community LeadershipCommunity Leadership

•• The key catalyst for The key catalyst for successsuccess

•• A person who can bring A person who can bring together business, together business, landowners, and landowners, and governmentgovernment

•• A visionary and planner A visionary and planner

•• OnOn--thethe--ground eyes for ground eyes for the trails projectthe trails project

Great Texas Coastal Great Texas Coastal Birding Trail MapsBirding Trail Maps

Great Texas Wildlife Trail MapsGreat Texas Wildlife Trail Maps

Types of viewing facilitiesTypes of viewing facilities•• TrailsTrails•• BoardwalksBoardwalks•• Observation platformsObservation platforms•• BlindsBlinds•• Vehicle pulloutsVehicle pullouts•• Information kiosksInformation kiosks•• Identification signsIdentification signs•• Automobile tour Automobile tour

routesroutes•• Visitor centersVisitor centers

The Great Texas Coastal Birding Trail The Great Texas Coastal Birding Trail Community ProjectsCommunity Projects

Connie Hagar Cottage Sanctuary in Rockport

The Corps Woods at Galveston

Port Aransas Wetland Park

Texas City Sundance Garden

Palacios Trull Marsh

Valley Nature Center and Valley Nature Center and FronteraFronteraAudubon Thicket (LTC #057 and #058)Audubon Thicket (LTC #057 and #058)•• Valley specialty birdsValley specialty birds•• Migrant rarities on Migrant rarities on

small acreagessmall acreages•• Outreach and Outreach and

education to local education to local school children and school children and general publicgeneral public

•• Nature festivalsNature festivals•• Native plant salesNative plant sales

Port Aransas Birding Center and Port Aransas Birding Center and Wetland Park (CTC #057 and #059)Wetland Park (CTC #057 and #059)

•• General and Avid General and Avid Birders and Wildlife Birders and Wildlife ViewersViewers

•• Great for tourists and Great for tourists and locals to get back to locals to get back to naturenature

•• Wonderful access onto Wonderful access onto the wetlands through the wetlands through viewing platforms and viewing platforms and boardwalksboardwalks

High Island Audubon Sanctuary High Island Audubon Sanctuary (UTC #052 and #055)(UTC #052 and #055)

•• Avid birders mainlyAvid birders mainly–– want access to migratory birdswant access to migratory birds

•• Want real time information Want real time information –– boards for boards for sitingssitings

•• Need facilities for large groups and information on Need facilities for large groups and information on other birding sitesother birding sites

World Birding CenterWorld Birding Center-- A worldA world--class destination for birds and class destination for birds and

birdersbirders

•• The The ““Iron ManIron Man”” of birding of birding •• An annual event since 1997 An annual event since 1997 ––

this was our 12this was our 12thth year!year!•• Conservation Grants Conservation Grants –– over a over a

$650,000 given to on$650,000 given to on--thethe--ground habitat projects to ground habitat projects to date!date!

•• Teams of birdwatchers spend Teams of birdwatchers spend three official "big days" three official "big days" counting and observing birds counting and observing birds along the Texas coast along the Texas coast

•• Fun and friendly, competitive Fun and friendly, competitive birding!birding!

Great Texas Birding ClassicGreat Texas Birding Classic

Great Texas Birding Classic: Great Texas Birding Classic: Guiding the Public into the OutdoorsGuiding the Public into the Outdoors

•• Engages diverse groups with the outdoors Engages diverse groups with the outdoors –– blind blind birders, youth, teens, adults, and college students birders, youth, teens, adults, and college students

•• Texas Parks and Wildlife MagazineTexas Parks and Wildlife Magazine’’s May birding s May birding issue with the migration calendar of eventsissue with the migration calendar of events

Updated and ExpandedUpdated and ExpandedWebsite launched in May 2006!Website launched in May 2006!

•• TPWD is able to market and TPWD is able to market and promote community tourism promote community tourism attractions on trails websiteattractions on trails website

•• New brochures drive traffic New brochures drive traffic to the webto the web

•• Communities benefit from Communities benefit from advertising platform of trails advertising platform of trails at no cost to themselves!at no cost to themselves!

www.tpwd.state.tx.us/wildlifetrailswww.tpwd.state.tx.us/wildlifetrails

““Really enjoyed it. ItReally enjoyed it. It’’s great in helping the s great in helping the public to learn about, protect, and preserve public to learn about, protect, and preserve

our natural amenities.our natural amenities.””

““It is such a wonderful addition to our It is such a wonderful addition to our beautiful state, for residents and incentive to beautiful state, for residents and incentive to visitors. We can see more visitors. We can see more ““businessbusiness”” from from

the visitors each time we visit.the visitors each time we visit.””

““I talk to people all the time that think the program has I talk to people all the time that think the program has organized and organized and ““savedsaved”” TexasTexas’’ wildlife by highlighting wildlife by highlighting

what we just need to slow down to see. Without location what we just need to slow down to see. Without location information it is just guesswork. The smartest thing this information it is just guesswork. The smartest thing this

““dumb in conservationdumb in conservation”” state has ever done!state has ever done!””

““We were able to find areas we didnWe were able to find areas we didn’’t know t know existed and how to get there and we went.existed and how to get there and we went.””

““Well, here Well, here we are, my we are, my

little little chickadee.chickadee.””

And then the And then the bovine bovine

watchers were watchers were given a given a realrealtreat. On a treat. On a

small knoll, in small knoll, in full splendor, full splendor,

there suddenly there suddenly appeared a appeared a Guatemalan Guatemalan

cow of cow of paradise.paradise.

ReferencesReferences•• Great Texas Wildlife Trails site:Great Texas Wildlife Trails site:

www.tpwd.state.tx.us/www.tpwd.state.tx.us/wildlifetrailswildlifetrails

•• Texas Texas AgriLifeAgriLife Extension Bookstore:Extension Bookstore:http://http://aagrilifebookstore.orggrilifebookstore.org

Shelly PlanteShelly PlanteTexas Parks and Wildlife DepartmentTexas Parks and Wildlife Department

512512--389389--45004500NatureTourism@tpwd.state.tx.usNatureTourism@tpwd.state.tx.us