New Jackson County nature group offers boat tour
CHRISTINA STEUBE/SUN HERALD Benny McCoy points out wildlife along the Pascagoula River during boat tour Tuesday morning.
The Coastal Nature Destinations Group held its first public
event Tuesday morning, a nature tour of the Pascagoula River.
The Pascagoula River Audubon Center hosted the tour and its director, Mark LaSalle, and Benny McCoy of McCoy's Swamp and River Tours told guests about the natural resources of the last free-flowing river in the lower 48 states.
CNDG, created a year ago, is a partnership of several nature-based nonprofit groups across Jackson County. The members are the Audubon Center, Gulf Islands National Seashore, Mississippi Sandhill Crane Refuge, Grand Bay National Estuarine Research Reserve, Gulf Coast Research Laboratory/Marine Education Center, the Land Trust for the Mississippi Coastal Plain and the Mississippi Gulf Coast Community College Estuarine Education Center.
The group's mission is to get visitors and residents interested in nature tourism.
"Our purpose is to tell the story of the great natural resources that we have on the Gulf Coast," said Julia Weaver with special projects at the Gulf Coast Research Laboratory.
CNDG is based in Jackson County, but Weaver hopes to expand the group into Harrison and Hancock counties as well.
The two-hour boat trip was an example of the types of educational, nature-based tours CNDG encourages, especially for residents.
"It's surprising to hear about the people that grew up here that have never been on this river," said Chris Snyder, director of the Marine Education Center. "This organization wants to change that dynamic."
Jen Buchanan, education coordinator with the Grand Bay NERR, wants to bring the idea of a "daycation" to visitors and locals where they can experience nature tourism in one day or a weekend stay.
"It's amazing what you can do here in a day on the Gulf Coast," she said.
The guides educated guests on wildlife and plants seen on the tour, such as ospreys, turtles, bald eagles, native wisteria, wild rice and grasses.
The Pascagoula River Audubon Center hosted the tour and its director, Mark LaSalle, and Benny McCoy of McCoy's Swamp and River Tours told guests about the natural resources of the last free-flowing river in the lower 48 states.
CNDG, created a year ago, is a partnership of several nature-based nonprofit groups across Jackson County. The members are the Audubon Center, Gulf Islands National Seashore, Mississippi Sandhill Crane Refuge, Grand Bay National Estuarine Research Reserve, Gulf Coast Research Laboratory/Marine Education Center, the Land Trust for the Mississippi Coastal Plain and the Mississippi Gulf Coast Community College Estuarine Education Center.
The group's mission is to get visitors and residents interested in nature tourism.
"Our purpose is to tell the story of the great natural resources that we have on the Gulf Coast," said Julia Weaver with special projects at the Gulf Coast Research Laboratory.
CNDG is based in Jackson County, but Weaver hopes to expand the group into Harrison and Hancock counties as well.
The two-hour boat trip was an example of the types of educational, nature-based tours CNDG encourages, especially for residents.
"It's surprising to hear about the people that grew up here that have never been on this river," said Chris Snyder, director of the Marine Education Center. "This organization wants to change that dynamic."
Jen Buchanan, education coordinator with the Grand Bay NERR, wants to bring the idea of a "daycation" to visitors and locals where they can experience nature tourism in one day or a weekend stay.
"It's amazing what you can do here in a day on the Gulf Coast," she said.
The guides educated guests on wildlife and plants seen on the tour, such as ospreys, turtles, bald eagles, native wisteria, wild rice and grasses.
No comments:
Post a Comment