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By Jared Teutsch, Executive Director
Next year, in 2026, Birds Georgia will celebrate the 100th Anniversary of our founding in 1926 as the Atlanta Bird Club making us Georgia’s oldest, continually operating conservation organization. In the century since our founding, Birds Georgia has experienced a steady trajectory of growth as we work to build places where birds and people thrive across Georgia … from the mountains to the coast and everywhere in between.
Planning is well underway for a year-long Centennial Celebration with events, workshops, field trips, and speaker series planned across the state. But the crowning jewel and our legacy to the state will be the rollout of a new statewide birding trail stretching across Georgia and leaving a lasting impact for birds, their habitats, and the people who enjoy watching them.
The number of birders in the United States has grown rapidly since the COVID-19 pandemic, with roughly three in 10 Americans reporting that they engage in watching birds. According to the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service’s 2022 Survey of Hunting, Fishing, and Outdoor Recreation*,2.8 million non-residents visited Georgia and participated in birding activities. In addition, 12,016 Georgia jobs are supported by birding and other wildlife recreation activities. The statewide birding trail will serve as a new recreational resource for Georgians and create a potentially lucrative ecotourism opportunity in some of Georgia’s rural areas. Additionally, it is a project that will benefit all nature lovers, from beginners to expert naturalists.
At least 20 states, including Florida, Arizona, and Colorado, have state-wide or regional birding trails, coordinated by state agencies or non-profit organizations, and often in partnership among several entities. The term ‘trail’ describes a collection of key birding sites as opposed to a single trail (aka the Appalachian Trail.) The birding trail sites will be subdivided into geographical groups based on Georgia’s six physiographic regions, allowing users to follow the “trail” for a few hours, a day, or longer, visiting multiple stops along the way. Each region will include several “trails” comprising the best birding sites in that area. In order to engage birders of all experience levels, we will strategically select important birding hotspots as well as sites that are welcoming to new and novice birders
The Georgia Department of Natural Resources (DNR) currently has two regional trails: the Colonial Coast Trail consisting of 17 sites within a single trail and the Southern Rivers Trail consisting of 29 sites grouped into four trails. We will continue to work closely with the DNR as we roll out our statewide trail.
Over the last few months, staff, board members, and committee volunteers had many conversations with DNR, trail coordinators from other states, and potential partners and stakeholders. We have been hard at work planning and organizing the logistics and funding sources for the trail. The first batch of sites on the birding trail will be rolled out in late 2025 or early 2026, setting the stage for our Centennial Celebration beginning in January,
Through the development of a statewide birding trail, we are excited to honor the diversity of birds, habitats, and birders across Georgia. To celebrate the launch, we will host bird walks, paddles, and other events at select sites throughout the state.
Happy birding, and we hope to see you on a trail soon!
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