From our friends at Birmingham Audubon:
So grateful to everyone who made the first Hale County Black Belt Birding Tour a success! Around 120 people joined Audubon on a tour around Greensboro and Newbern, Alabama, with special guests Dr. Drew Lanham and Jason Ward. The Joe family was delightful, graciously hosting our large group as we took turns riding their tractor and exploring their 200+ acre farm. Saw almost all our target birds—Scissor-tailed Flycatchers, Mississippi and Swallow-tailed Kites, Wood Storks, Loggerhead Shrikes, Bald Eagles, Eastern Meadowlarks, and many more. Audubon will definitely be back!
The event targeted Hale County for multiple reasons: It is an area with amazing bird diversity, especially in the summer months, it is within driving distance of Alabama's largest city, Birmingham, and it has been an extreme example of racial inequality for decades. Though bringing 120 people into the area for a day trip won't change the economic disparity of the region, it does have a much more significant impact on the area than it would in, say, a large metro area. And opening the door to the idea that economic impacts can come from eco-tourism means people in the area can learn from the mantra of "Don't build it and they will come." "Don't destroy it and they will come."
