Georgia’s coast is throbbing with thousands of feeding birds and butterflies and other unique coastal wildlife. Experience this drama together with outdoors enthusiasts expected at Georgia’s Colonial Coast Birding & Nature Festival held on Jekyll Island October 9-13, 2008. The sixth annual festival offers a variety of entertainment and educational activities including a keynote speech by Pete Dunne, internationally renowned birdwatcher and author of numerous birding guides. On Saturday, October 11, a Nature Day event is planned for youngsters and families. A variety of field trips and seminars will highlight coastal Georgia’s abundant natural beauty and wildlife. The Jekyll Island Convention Center will serve as the hub for festival activities, and field trip excursions will include many of the Georgia Department of Natural Resources’ (DNR) Colonial Coast Birding Trail sites.

“The Birding Trail provides excellent places for birding and cultural exploration,” said Jim Ozier, DNR’s Program Manager for the Wildlife Resources Division – Nongame conservation Section. “This festival will offer first time and repeat visitors to Georgia’s coast a myriad of opportunities to see amazing bird life and other natural resources.”

Throughout the weekend, festival-goers, young and old, will have the opportunity to enjoy free beginner birding field trips; beach and marsh walks; live reptile displays; and special presentations on topics such as animal tracking. For a small fee there are seminars will also be offered by some of the Southeast’s foremost naturalists and will include topics ranging from gardening for wildlife to basic nature photography.

Festival participants will be able to learn more about Georgia’s magnificent coastline at “The Rookery,” an interactive exhibit center located in the Jekyll Island Convention Center’s Atlantic Hall. Georgia’s coastal environment will be showcased at information stations hosted by authors, artists, and conservation-based organizations. Experts will be on hand to help with the selection of binoculars, scopes, high tech birding equipment, birdfeeders bird and bat houses as well as guidebooks for wildlife identification. On Saturday afternoon in The Rookery, master falconer Steve Hein will present two live raptor shows (noon and 5:00 P.M.) starring a collection of hawks, falcons, and owls from Georgia Southern University’s Center for Wildlife Education and Lamar Q. Ball Raptor Center. All Rookery activities are free and open to the public.

The festival’s keynote speaker, Pete Dunne, is expected to draw the largest crowds to his Saturday evening program (October 11; 6:45 – 9:00 P.M.) when he will recount “Twenty Five Things That Changed Birding.” He will reflect upon institutions, ideas, initiatives, and products that changed birding, making it one of the most popular wildlife-oriented activities in the country today. Pete Dunne is a field birder with an international reputation. He has served on the board of the American Birding Association and the Roger Tory Peterson Institute, and is the director of the famed Cape May (New Jersey) Bird Observatory. An authority on the optical needs of birders, Dunne has served as a marketing and product advisor to Nikon, Zeiss, Leica, Swarovski Optik, and Bausch and Lomb. Among the books he has authored are The Wind Masters, Hawks in Flight, and The Essential Field Guide Companion. In addition, Dunne contributes to publications such as Birding, Bird Watcher’s Digest, Birder’s World, American Birds, and Living Bird. The Dunne keynote address will follow a dinner catered at the Jekyll Island Convention Center (tickets required).

This year’s registration was a huge success. Almost all the field trips filled up the first week. But don’t worry, there is a lot to see and do at the Jekyll Island Convention Center. Come see the Rookery exhibit area, opened Thursday evening 4:00 pm to 8:00 pm, Friday evening 4:00 pm to 7:30 pm and Saturday from 10:00 am to 6:00 pm. On Saturday morning there hourly bird walks beginning at 9:30 am and the last one begins at 1:30 pm.

For more complete information visit
the website www.coastalgeorgiabirding.org
or call 1-877-4JEKYLL.

Tags: "colonial coast", bird, birding, festival, jekyll, jekyll island convention center, nature, photography, trail, wildlife
Posted in Beachscape, October 2008 | No Comments »

We are proud to publish the winners of the 2nd Annual Shrimp & Grits Cooking Competitions.
Amateur Division:
1st Place - Chris Ford of Saint Simons Island, GA
2nd Place - Laurie Saul of Kinston, NC
3rd Place - Missy Roefler and Jason Smith of Fernandina Beach, FL
Consumer Choice Winner - Joe Barnett of Washington, GA

Professional Division:
1st Place - Christopher Hewitt of the Olde Pink House in Savannah, GA
2nd Place - Paul Paskins of Hampton Island
3rd Place - Tim Thomas of Oak Forest Golf Club on Sea Island
Consumer Choice Winner - Tim Thomas of Oak Forest Golf Club on Sea Island

NEXT YEARS DATES: September 19, 20, 21

Tags: 2007, festival, jekyll island, Shrimp & Grits Festival, winners
Posted in Festivalgoer | No Comments »

By KRISTA HARRIS
The Brunswick NewsWith quick hands, Joe Barnett shoveled out a mound of shrimp and grits to place in a dish.”This is going to be good,” he said with a broad smile and Southern accent.

His creation, “Well, Split My Grits,” was for the Second Annual Wild Georgia Shrimp Festival on Jekyll Island this weekend.

On Saturday, amateur cooks came out to try their luck at creating the most delicious shrimp and grits concoction.

Barnett, from Washington, Ga., was the winner of last year’s amateur competition. He got to cook his signature dish, General Oglethorpe’s Shrimp and Grits, on the Martha Stewart show earlier this year.

“I’m trying something totally different,” he said, taking a break from handing out the dish. “The recipe, Well, Split My Grits, got its name from the football-shaped space in the middle of the grits, which serves as reservoir for a special mixture of cheese and cream spinach.”

Barnett says he has several recipes and lets his family members decide which one to use in competition.
“This was my family’s favorite (this time),” he said, holding up a steaming plate of shrimp and grits covered in fettucine sauce, different seasonings and a secret ingredient.

It was his 15-month old grandniece’s, Cassidy Barnett, favorite and Barnett could not refuse her.

Barnett says this is a great festival for Jekyll Island, which he calls his second home.

“It’s a good thing,” Barnett said. “Give it a little time and it will be a big thing.”

Some people travel from out-of-town to taste the Southern dish.

“I’ve never heard of shrimp and grits,” said Cherrilyn Brooks.

Brooks, her husband Robert, and their two girls, Andrea, 12, and Victoria, 7, traveled from Jacksonville to get their first taste of shrimp and grits. It was also their first time on Jekyll Island.

“I’m excited,” Brooks said, looking around the historic millionaire’s village on Jekyll Island.

“It’s very beautiful.”

As they walked toward the variety of vendors and food booths, the McNeese family was taking a break from the sun underneath an ancient oak near Sans Souci by the Jekyll Island Club Hotel.

“We’ve eaten one of everything,” said Buddy McNeese. He and his wife, Mindy, enjoyed the shrimp and grits from Latitude 31, a local restaurant on the Jekyll Island marina, which had a booth set up.

Their 8-year-old son, Campbell, agreed, adding that it “was delicious.”

However, the food was not Campbell’s favorite part of the festival.

He enjoyed rock climbing but admits his younger sister went higher than he did.

“I did,” Hansley Cate, 6, said, grinning proudly.

Her friend, Olivia Ann Packard, 6, says she would rather climb the oak tree, or play with the bubbles from the Bubble Man, Robin Booth, of Stone Mountain.

Mandy McNeese says the family had a wonderful time but wishes the festival had more things for the children to do.

Music blared from the stage set up across from the club hotel. Booths filled with shrimp, grits, funnel cakes, corn dogs and every festival food imaginable lined the park.

On Sunday, the professional chefs set up shop to test their skills at cooking tasteful shrimp and grits dishes.

The whole weekend was filled with loads of Wild Georgia shrimp, grits, music, games and boat rides.

Tags: article, Brunswick News, festival, jekyll island, Shrimp & Grits Festival
Posted in Festivalgoer | No Comments »

You can almost hear the jazz music in the air. Next weekend Jekyll Island welcomes Bella Sera, Sunset Jazz Festival. We are all crossing our fingers that the weather we have been having recently will continue into that weekend. The days have peaked perfectly in the lower 70s. Also, there are still plenty of VIP tickets left for the VIP dinner and special seating Saturday night. Sesame chicken, burgundy beef, jumbo shrimp on ice, grilled salmon with wine sauce - sound delicious? Sign up to get your VIP meal tickets at www.jekyllisland.com/bellasera.

Tags: Bella Sera, festival, jazz, music, Sunset Jazz Festival, VIP
Posted in Festivalgoer | No Comments »

Set to take place March 16-17, this two-day festival will combine the sounds of enchanting jazz music with the taste of delectable wines against a backdrop that is pure history. The event will showcase the finest regional jazz artists as they perform on the Bella Sera stage. To round out the experience, festival goers can attend several symposiums to learn the ins and outs of wine.Bella Sera, which translates into �beautiful evening,� will feature two nights of music. Friday, March 16th, visitors will watch the sunset at the historic Jekyll Island Wharf outside the Rah Bar as the King City Jazz Trio entertains. On Saturday, March 17th, the Festival moves to the Historic Landmark District. Music begins at 11 a.m. with wine sessions mingled throughout the day. There is no charge to attend the festival itself, but there will be a $12 per person fee to participate in each wine session. Guests can choose to participate in all three wine features for $30 per person. Wine participants must be ages 21 or older, and show valid identification. Proceeds will go to the Jekyll Island Foundation and benefit the Georgia Sea Turtle Center on Jekyll Island. For more information and event schedule, visit http://www.jekyllisland.com/bellasera

Tags: 2007, beautiful, Bella Sera, evening, festival, jazz, music, Sunset Jazz Festival, VIP
Posted in Festivalgoer | No Comments »