Everglades National Park hosts Global Big Day of birding at Shark Valley

A Great Egret stands on top of the Bobcat Boardwalk Trail in Shark Valley

NPS Photo

News Release Date: May 13, 2016

Contact: Phillip Greenwalt, 305-225-2001

Contact: Allyson Gantt, 305-242-7714

HOMESTEAD, Florida:Miami, FL: Shark Valley Visitor Center will host its first "Global Big Day" tour on May 14, 2016 at 9:00 a.m.

Join park rangers and professional photographer Robert Chaplin from the South Florida National Parks Camera Club for this 2-hour birding event along Shark Valley's walking trails and tram road. During the program, visitors will have the chance to learn about bird life in Shark Valley and receive expert tips on how to capture images of birds.

"Global Big Day" is the biggest day in birding. It is a worldwide event organized by The Cornell Lab of Ornithology to unite birdwatchers from around the world to share their passion for birds and register bird sightings. Last year, 14,000 people from 135 countries participated on Global Big Day.

Visitors joining us on May 14 will take part in registering all birds spotted in Shark Valley for the Global Big Day website's eBird checklist at: https://secure.birds.cornell.edu/cassso/login?service=https%3A%2F%2Febird.org%2Febird%2Flogin%2Fcas%3Fportal%3Debird. You can upload your photos on social media and use the hash tag #GBD2016.

After the walk, Robert Chaplin will be available for questions and for signing his new book Everglades National Park: A Photographic Destination available for sale in the South Florida National Parks Association Bookstore.

This and other park news releases are available at https://www.nps.gov/ever/parknews/newsreleases.htm

More information on Everglades National Park can be found on the park website at https://www.nps.gov/ever

-NPS-