Going To The Birds: By Bill Reitter

America, it seems, is going wild. As a group travel organizer you are continually looking for new and different ideas for destinations, attractions and activities. Whether your group is a youth, senior or special interest group, you have probably visited most of the popular theatres, museums and historic sites in your area. Many leaders are beginning to explore nature tours and ecotours as outdoor alternatives to the more typical commercial attractions. The most popular nature tours include birding festivals, birding trails and migration spectacles. In fact, birdwatching is being acclaimed as one of the fastest growing outdoor activities. Hundreds of groups are flocking to these exciting destinations and are signing up for guided tours in record numbers. The top 10 birding tour operators were recently interviewed to find out how group leaders can successfully add birding tours to their annual list of adventures. All were optimistic about the future of group (or "custom") birding tours, and several common themes emerged from these conversations. Here are their recommendations for setting up your first birding tour. Determine Interests: Find out how many in your group are birdwatching enthusiasts. Every group has at least a few members who are backyard birders and have binoculars and field guides (bird ID books). These individuals will form the core of your tour group and will help you persuade others by spreading their enthusiasm. Sharing photos and stories about their birdwatching experience is all it takes to spark the initial interest of the group. Provide Educational Programs: Fan that initial interest into a flame by providing interesting presentations at club meetings. Local birding experts are usually willing to put on a colorful slide show and demonstrate optical equipment such as "scopes" and telephoto cameras. The excitement of the group will soar as they discover the wonder and beauty of the hundreds of different species in their area. There are over 9,600 species of birds in the world, so once hooked you never stop learning. Keep the Tour Group Small: Every birding tour operator I spoke with emphasized that for the best birding experience you should not take more than 10-15 people at a time. This allows each member to benefit from the tour leaders expertise, equipment and advice. Each person must be able to hear what is being said in an outdoor environment and have the opportunity to ask questions and discuss ways to improve their skills. These skills include use of equipment, bird identification and proper safeguards for the environment. The development of these abilities requires considerable one-on-one attention. Some private tours limit their groups to only 5-10 people, so if you have a large group, talk to a tour operator about dividing the group into small segments. I have handled up to three busloads of students this way, but it required a lot of guides and coordination. Start Local and Cheap: Your first birding tour should be near enough so that members can return to the site frequently, on their own, to test and build their skills. This also keeps the expense down. Many local nature centers and Audubon Centers offer group birding tours for only $10- $20 per person. You can bring your own lunch and often get free printed information such as bird lists, maps and brochures on special birding events. Then as your group becomes more proficient and dedicated, they will want to explore some of the more elaborate and exotic tours such as those to the tropics and tours to birding hotspots and festivals worldwide. This article is sponsored by: www.grouptravelblog.com