Wildlife & Birding

Find Your Wild Side

Great Florida Birding & Wildlife Trail

The Great Florida Birding and Wildlife Trail is a network of hundreds of sites with exceptional birding and wildlife viewing opportunities. We work with partners across the state to help you find the best places to explore wild Florida!

Northwest Florida has so much to explore, with beautiful springs, sandy beaches, longleaf pine forests, coastal dune lakes, and scenic rivers. The trail routes in the region will take you on a journey to see the unique birds and wildlife of the region.

Whether you travel by foot, car, bicycle, kayak or horseback, amazing wildlife viewing opportunities await you. The region offers species such as Mississippi Kite, White-breasted Nuthatch and Swainson’s Warbler. Apalachicola National Forest harbors the largest population of endangered Red-cockaded Woodpeckers in the U.S. Winter brings a host of northern birds that are difficult to find elsewhere in Florida, including American Black Duck, Red-breasted Nuthatch, Brown Creeper, and Dark-eyed Junco. Spring and fall are spectacular for migrating birds, and every fall there is an explosion of monarch butterflies along the coast as they prepare for their journey south.

Learn more at FloridaBirdingTrail.com and let us lead you on the road to adventure!

Click here for a listing of the 45 Great Florida Birding and Wildlife Trail sites in the Explore Northwest Florida region.

Seacrest Wolf Preserve

Education Through Preservation

Seacrest Wolf Preserve is a fully-fledged, tax-exempt 501(c) (3) non-profit organization dedicated to providing a safe and humane sanctuary for displaced captive wolves. Through our profound educational outreach program, we are striving to create a greater awareness of the natural world and to educate individuals on the connectedness of all living things. Our goal is to foster a greater respect for the wolf in order to preserve this magnificent carnivore, hence the Seacrest creed, “Preservation through Education”.

Founded in 1999 by Cynthia and Wayne Watkins, the Seacrest Wolf Preserve provides a safe and humane habitat for wolves needing placement and rescue. Located on “The Oaks Farm” in Washington County, Florida, the farm covers over 400 acres. A haven for wildlife, it is dotted with spring-fed ponds and lakes and crisscrossed by nature trails. This setting provides a perfect environment for the incredible animals Seacrest Wolf Preserve is home to the Gray Wolf.

The goal of the Seacrest Wolf Preserve is to provide a safe, humane habitat for displaced wolves, and to educate all who visit, especially children, about the beauty, intelligence, and importance of the gray wolf. By teaching tolerance and respect for these animals they hope to educate the public on the vital role these animals play within the natural world, and cultivate a passion to protect them in the wild. Currently the largest wolf preserve in the Southeastern United States, Seacrest is licensed by the State of Florida and the United States Department of Agriculture.

TOURS ARE BY APPOINTMENT ONLY.

Please call to reserve your spot on the Saturday public tour. Seacrest also books group and VIP tours on weekdays.

Visit their website for more information