Alabama’s Birding Trails offers the public a chain of eight geographic regions known as the following: North Alabama, West Alabama, Appalachian Highlands, Piedmont Plateau, Black Belt Nature and Heritage, Pineywoods, Wiregrass, and Alabama Coastal Birding Trail. The eight regions unify existing and potential birding sites into a series of cohesive trails and loops that are collectively marketed as part of a state-wide system.
Many of the sites along the various trails are already being used by thousands of birders and other visitors annually.
The Piedmont Plateau Birding Trail in East Central Alabama has over three dozen sites, from Alabama’s highest mountain to the shores of Lake Martin, the state’s first Treasured Alabama Lake. The bird habitat found here is as varied as the scenery. From a paved walking trail in the middle of a city park to an adventurous float down a scenic river, you’ll find an activity that fits your interest.
The region consists of the counties of: Autauga, Chambers, Chilton, Clay, Coosa, Elmore, Lee, Randolph and Tallapoosa. Lee County has multiple official sites, from the rustic Opelika Wood Duck Heritage Preserve and Siddique Nature Park, to the versatile Chewacla State Park. The Louise Kreher Forest Ecology Preserve and Lee County Public Fishing Lake round out the local sites.
The Auburn University’s Louise Kreher Forest Ecology Preserve, informally known as the Kreher Preserve and Nature Center, is part of the trail. The 120-acre preserve, located just north of Auburn, features five miles of well-marked trails which traverse seven natural bird habitats including pine, oak/hickory, bottomland hardwood and mixed pine/hardwood. As part of the Saugahatchee Creek Watershed, visitors will also find a stream, small waterfall, pond and wetland areas.
Approximately 80 different bird species can be found on the property throughout the year, including the Belted Kingfisher, Mississippi Kite and Indigo Bunting. The preserve habitat hosts migratory birds in the spring such as warblers, vireos, tanagers and orioles. Fall and wintering birds such as nuthatches, kinglets and woodpeckers are frequently observed.
Visitors to the Kreher Preserve are also able to observe various species of raptors including hawks, owls and vultures. Nesting Bald Eagles are present on nearby properties and are frequently observed flying into and over the preserve.
“The Kreher Preserve and Nature Center is enjoyed by the university community as well thousands of locals and visitors every year,” said Janaki Alavalapati, dean of the Auburn University School of Forestry and Wildlife Sciences.
“The economic impact of outdoor and wildlife-related recreation is a boom for the U.S. economy representing nearly 1 percent of the gross domestic product,” said John Wild, president of the Auburn Opelika Tourism Bureau.
The Kreher Preserve and Nature Center is located at 2222 North College Street in Auburn. It is open to the public every day from sunrise to sunset and features amenities such as a picnic area, restrooms, drinking fountains, boardwalks, and two parking areas.
The preserve was established in 1993 with a gift of land from Louise Kreher Turner and Frank Allen Turner to Auburn University and is operated by the School of Forestry and Wildlife Sciences as a not-for-profit outreach program.
The Alabama Birding Trails is a partnership of the Alabama Department of Conservation and Natural Resources, the University of Alabama Center for Economic Development, and the Birmingham Audubon Society. It highlights many of the birds found in Alabama and encourages economic development through a tourism-based model.
More information about the Kreher Preserve and Nature Center can be found online at http://wp.auburn.edu/preserve/
More information about Alabama Birding Trails can be found online at https://alabamabirdingtrails.com/