Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: MONDAY, August 2, 1993 TAG: 9309080428
SECTION: SPORTS PAGE: B6 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE: BILL COCHRAN OUTDOOR EDITOR
DATELINE: LENGTH: Medium
Or to see a black bear rumble across a ridge top? Or watch a flock of Canada geese sail into a salt marsh?
The answers to these questions should be easier next spring when the Virginia Wildlife Viewing Guide is published, a full-color book that will showcase some of the best places in the state to watch wildlife.
In fact, if you have a favorite location, the guide's author, Mark Duda, wants to hear about it.
``We want people to nominate spots, then the nominations will be considered by a committee of experts,'' said Duda, a natural resource and environmental consultant based in Harrisonburg.
Virginia is poised to join approximately 20 states that have wildlife viewing guides in a handy, reference-book form. Some 90 to 100 viewing sites will be included in the Virginia volume, which is expected to sell for $7.95 to $9.95. It will be part of a uniform, nationwide series published by Falcon Press.
Taking trips to observe wildlife is one of the fastest growing recreational activities in the nation, Duda said. Between 1980 and 1990 there was a 63 percent increase in participation, according to a study conducted by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and Bureau of the Census.
Nearly 800,000 Virginians take such trips annually, and spend $380 million on travel and equipment, said Duda.
Those figures, which fall under a new catchword called ecotourism, have grabbed the attention of the Department of Game and Inland Fisheries. The agency is committed to broadening both its constituency and financial base by embracing outdoorsmen who enjoy wildlife but don't buy a hunting or fishing license. Fifty percent of the readers of the wildlife guide in other states have been female, while 98 percent of the buyers of a hunting license are male.
``This project will help both residents and visitors enjoy our rich wildlife diversity, and also will draw attention to the habitats on which they depend,'' said Bud Bristow, executive director of the game and fish department.
The agency is one of the sponsors of the guide project, along with the U.S. Forest Service, Department of Defense, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, National Park Service, National Fish and Wildlife Foundation and Defenders of Wildlife.
``We want to broaden the base of interest in wildlife,'' but that doesn't mean it will be done at the detriment of hunting, said Duda. ``Seventy-five percent of the hunters go out to watch wildlife.''
Wildlife actually benefits from people interest, said Duda, a biologist who holds a master's degree in natural resource policy and planning from Yale University.
``Research indicates that the best way to teach people about wildlife and the environment, and foster positive attitudes, is direct participation in wildlife activities such as wildlife watching, hiking and bird identifying.''
You can teach youngsters appreciation for wildlife in the classroom and through videos, but these lack the impact of a first-hand glimpse of a hawk soaring along the crest of the Blue Ridge, he said.
``Virginia has an incredible range of wildlife diversity,'' said Duda, who is a native of the state. ``I could move anywhere in North America, and I chose the Shenandoah Valley of Virginia. A lot of people think of natural resources being out West. That's not true. That's one of the keys of the book, to show people how much diversity there is in Virginia.''
The wildlife guide will be a full-color, pictorial book with maps to direct people to viewing sites. A system of road signs will help viewers find the sites. Care will be taken to protect sensitive areas, Duda said.
``Conservation is the key. That is the first thing we are going to consider.''
Anyone who would like to nominate a wildlife watching site should contact: Mark Duda, Virginia Wildlife Viewing Guide, 245 East Water Street, Harrisonburg 22801; 703-432-1806. Nominations must be received by Aug. 16.
by CNB