North Alabama Birding Trail

The Alabama Division of Wildlife and Freshwater Fisheries' Nongame Wildlife Program conducted a series of public meetings throughout north Alabama during the week of November 10 to provide information about the North Alabama Birding Trail project to members of the region's communities. MORE

Funding for the $280,000 birding trail project is from a federal grant to the state to provide recreation and education about Alabama's non-game wildlife species. Matching funds for the grant are from a number of municipalities and counties, TVA, the North Alabama Tourism Association, and several area businesses. The chambers of commerce and visitors bureaus in north Alabama led the effort to obtain these matching funds.

James Fincher (left), 3M Decatur Manufacturing Division Site Manager, presents a donation from the company to Mark Sasser, Alabama Division of Wildlife and Freshwater Fisheries Nongame Wildlife Coordinator, to support the agency's efforts to establish the North Alabama Birding Trail. 3M lands are slated to be one of the waypoints on the new Trail. Philip Wirey, a 3M Environmental Specialist, and Pam Swanner, Decatur-Morgan County CVB Director, look on. Swanner was the driving force behind the Trail's inception.

The Alabama Department of Conservation and Natural Resources has selected FERMATA, Inc. to work with the Department and members of the North Alabama Tourism Association in creating a Birding Trail through the Tennessee River Valley across North Alabama. Our key contacts are: Mark Sasser, Nongame Wildlife Coordinator for Alabama's Division of Wildlife and Freshwater Fisheries and Pam Swanner, Decatur-Morgan County CVB

Purpose of the Trail

The North Alabama Birding Trail (NABT) is intended to unify existing and potential North Alabama birding sites into a single cohesive marketing entity. Many of the sites along the NABT are already being used by thousands of birders annually.   However, most of these locations function independently and they are limited in their capabilities to market their resources or gain economies of scale. The broad scale participation of agencies, organizations, communities, goods and service providers, private landowners and individuals is critical to the development and implementation of the NABT. See list of project partners.

As ultimately implemented, the NABT will offer the public a chain of approximately 50 birding sites, designated in three “loops”, with each loop requiring no more than a long weekend to view. See map of the 11 counties that make up the NABT region. A set of criteria that consider resource protection and visitor safety and enjoyment are being used by the Alabama Department of Conservation and Natural Resources to guide their selection of North Alabama Birding Trail sites.

Project components

Work has begun on assessing all nominated sites to develop an interpretive plan for the NABT. The plan will identify interpretive themes for the Trail and related storylines. These messages will be delivered to the visiting public at six kiosk sites (two for each loop) and using wayside exhibits to be established at other sites along the Trail.

Kiosk on Coastal Alabama Birding Trail	Example of a wayside interpretive exhibit
Highway directional and wayfinding signs similar to these on the Coastal Alabama Trail will also be fabricated with a unique logo for North Alabama	Signage will be designed to help guide visitors from main roads to the viewing sites along the trail

The project will also include the preparation of an informational brochure as well as a detailed map and guidebook. A website that contains detailed site maps and directions to each viewing location will also be created.

Participating Chambers of Commerce and Convention and Visitor Bureaus

Athens/Limestone Chamber of Commerce

Colbert County Tourism and Convention Bureau

Cullman Chamber of Commerce

Decatur/Morgan County Convention and Visitors Bureau

DeKalb County Tourist Association

Florence/Lauderdale Tourism

Huntsville-Madison County Convention and Visitors Bureau

Jackson County Chamber of Commerce

Lawrence County Chamber of Commerce

Marshall County Convention and Visitors Bureau

Contact FERMATA project manager: Mary Jeanne Packer

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