A group of naturalists, business owners, local residents, city, state and agency employees gathered together to showcase our bioregion.
Mission Statement
We are a group of nature minded citizens, both professional and volunteer, who exist to educate residents and visitors about our bioregion, and encourage stewardship of the area's natural resources through events and programs that educate and entertain, while promoting a conservation ethic.
What I do for my Home.....
Earth
See what others are doing to help the planet - here
Contact us if you want to share what you do
It's not easy being Green..... but it is important!!! So what is Wild Amelia Nature Festival doing for our home Earth.....
---Our logo T shirts are 100% organic cotton (More info here)
A celebration of our local bioregion - May 21-23, 2010
Bring the family!
This exciting 3-day festival of our bioregion around Amelia Island, includes numerous nature tours led by area naturalists and Park Rangers, nature photography workshops taught by local professionals, a green business expo, The 'Kids Niche' nature-based activities for children, live music, critters from the Jacksonville Zoo, stargazing and more! Check the links to the left for activities, times and registration. See and overview of the entire festival schedule. You will also find a pre-festival photography class and Wild Nites seminars.
This is the 4th year for the Wild Amelia Nature Festival. Last year the Nature Photography contest and classes were a big hit and those programs will be expanded this year. The winning photos included birds, flowers and landscapes.
The Year of the Egret - Each year Wild Amelia chooses a different local critter to highlight. The first year was the Painted Bunting, 2008, was the Gopher Tortoise.. In 2009 we highlighted Northern Right Whales This year we had WANF supporters vote for their favorite critter and it was close but the Egret won by a nose...or a beak! The Green Anole was second. The story of the egret is a real preservation success story, brought back from the brink of extinction. Learn more about the interesting story of the Egret.
What folks are saying about Wild Amelia Nature Festival
"I must tell you that recently I was interviewed for a local radio public forum and the interviewer commented about how rewarding it must be to introduce children to the natural world. Volunteering in the Kids Niche and taking part in other Festival activities I witnessed many introductions to the natural world among children and adults alike. The excitement, wonder, curiosity and awe that I saw over a weekend worth of such introductions was, indeed, rewarding. The bigger picture is that you and a handful of others were not just part of organizing a fun and educational festival, but also helping to connect people to resources that so desperately need their protection. We know that connection is critically important to people acting as good stewards of the natural world and conserving and preserving our precious resources. Thank you to the entire Festival Committee for fostering such connections that will benefit us all."
Sally A. Wazny
Nature Program Coordinator
City of Gainesville
YouTube Video from past festivals
To view YouTube videos you need:
Adobe Flash Player 7.0+ plug-in (Free download)
Windows 2000 or higher with latest updates installed
Mac OS X 10.3 or higher
Firefox 1.1+, Internet Explorer 5.0+, or Safari 1.0+
Broadband connection with 500+ Kbps
Amelia Island is uniquely situated. Almost totally surrounded by miles and miles of preserved lands. Cumberland Island National Seashore to the north, Fort Clinch and Amelia Island State Parks on either end of the island. The Egan's Creek Greenway nestled in the middle. And to the south Big & Little Talbot Islands and Ft. George State Parks along with the Timucuan Ecological and Historic Preserve. All that is just minutes away. A bit over an hour drive will put you in the Okefenokee Swamp or Osceola National Forest.
and don't forget
Amelia Island has wonderful restaurants and accomodations to return to after your adventure.
Beach Clean-up - Amelia Island State Park
Sunday May 23, 2010 - 9 -11am
Calling all beachwalkers. Join a Park Ranger to discover what 'treasures of the deep' are washed up on Amelia's southern shore and do a little clean up along the way. Meet in the upper parking lot in Amelia Island State Park. Gloves and bags will be provided.
