In late July our council had the pleasure of welcoming five visitors from Azerbaijan for a project focusing on ecotourism and national park management in Northwest Florida.
The group began their program with an active weekend of cycling along the shores of Santa Rosa Island. One of the visitors took on the challenge of a 35-mile cycling trip along with Gulf Coast Diplomacy Council board member, Randy Bullock, and a local cycling club, The Wheelmen. Others found cruising along the beach bike path more their speed but the entire group enjoyed a beautiful day on the Gulf Coast.
Their busy first day of meetings began with a morning visit to City Hall where they were welcomed to Pensacola by City Council President Maren DeWeese. After discussing local history, demographics, and the effects of the BP Oil Spill on local tourism, the group got a bird’s eye view of the progress of the Maritime Park from City Hall. Before leaving, each was presented with a certificate of Honorary Citizenship by the City of Pensacola and President DeWeese.
The visitors’ next stop was Big Lagoon State Park where they learned about the challenges of managing Florida’s State Park System while meeting with Rangers Anne Harvey, Kiersten Wilson, and Chris Telhiard. Afterwards the group explored the protected waterways of the park with kayaks and paddle boards. For several of the international visitors it was their first time to try these water sports.
Their outdoor experience continued with the next stop at Blackwater State Park where they enjoyed a two-hour ranger led canoe trip on Blackwater River with Park Services Specialist Marshall Shaw. The ranger discussed the need to balance tourism in the park and protection of the natural resources.
The next day started with a discussion on ecotourism promotion with Lori Coppels at the Pensacola Bay Area Convention and Visitors Bureau. Afterwards, Brent Wipf, Environmental Program Manager in the Escambia County Bureau of Neighborhoods & Services, accompanied the group to several locations along the Jones Creek Restoration Project and discussed the development and management of this public-private partnership which promotes ecotourism and environmental restoration.
To round out the group’s visit, they spent the afternoon exploring Ft. Pickens and learning about the Gulf Islands National Seashore during a tour of the fort led by Ranger Daniel Ogden. They learned more about the park’s history and management of historic sites while meeting with Deputy Superintendent Nina Kelson and Chief of Interpretation Gail Bishop. The visit to Pensacola was wrapped up by a visit to the Bands on the Beach concert at Casino Beach.
We extend a special thanks to Randy Bullock for arranging a cycling trip for one of the visitors and for hosting him for the day.
