Coffee beans. Photo by Adam Betuel.
Birds and Beans: Southwest Georgia Birding and Café Campesino
September 21 and 22, 2024
Photos: Sign, by Adam Betuel; Scarlet Tanager, by Linda Steele; Blackburnian Warbler by Kat Bradley Bennett.
Guides: Adam Betuel, Director of Conservation, Dottie Head, Director of Communications, and Jared Teutsch, Executive Director
Group Size: 18 people
Fees:
Join Birds Georgia for a two-day one-night trip to middle and south Georgia for some birds and beans….coffee beans, that is.
We’ll meet up on Saturday morning at Amerson River Park in Macon for some birding around the 180-acre park that contains forests, meadows, and wetlands surrounded by a river oxbow. The park boasts several high bluffs that provide beautiful views of the river and its banks.
From there, we’ll make our way down I-75 with a quick stop at Dooly County ponds to look for shorebirds and any other migrants that may be passing through. We’ll arrive in Americus in time for lunch at Sweet Georgia, a local café associated with Café Campesino. After fortifying ourselves, we’ll adjourn to the Café Campesino roastery for a tour of their facility and a coffee tasting. Birds Georgia has partnered with Café Campesino for more than a decade to produce our shade-grown, organic blend of coffee that uses beans from shade-grown plantations in Latin America, and we’ll learn from Adam and the roastery staff why this coffee is good for birds and people, too.
After our tour, we’ll make our way to Columbus, adding a couple of middle Georgia birding counties to our list. We’ll spend the night in Columbus, and get an early start on Sunday visiting Oxbow Meadow where we’ll be looking for migrating warblers, vireos, tanagers, and more. Then we’ll start heading back towards the Atlanta area stopping at some hot spots along the way. Potential stops include WestPoint Lake and Dam, Chattahoochee Bend State Park, and more. We’ll wrap up around lunch time on Sunday.
Group Size: 18 people
Fees:
- Master Birder in Good Volunteer and Membership Standing: $250
- Birds Georgia Member: $260
- Non-Member (cost includes 1-year membership): $310
Join Birds Georgia for a two-day one-night trip to middle and south Georgia for some birds and beans….coffee beans, that is.
We’ll meet up on Saturday morning at Amerson River Park in Macon for some birding around the 180-acre park that contains forests, meadows, and wetlands surrounded by a river oxbow. The park boasts several high bluffs that provide beautiful views of the river and its banks.
From there, we’ll make our way down I-75 with a quick stop at Dooly County ponds to look for shorebirds and any other migrants that may be passing through. We’ll arrive in Americus in time for lunch at Sweet Georgia, a local café associated with Café Campesino. After fortifying ourselves, we’ll adjourn to the Café Campesino roastery for a tour of their facility and a coffee tasting. Birds Georgia has partnered with Café Campesino for more than a decade to produce our shade-grown, organic blend of coffee that uses beans from shade-grown plantations in Latin America, and we’ll learn from Adam and the roastery staff why this coffee is good for birds and people, too.
After our tour, we’ll make our way to Columbus, adding a couple of middle Georgia birding counties to our list. We’ll spend the night in Columbus, and get an early start on Sunday visiting Oxbow Meadow where we’ll be looking for migrating warblers, vireos, tanagers, and more. Then we’ll start heading back towards the Atlanta area stopping at some hot spots along the way. Potential stops include WestPoint Lake and Dam, Chattahoochee Bend State Park, and more. We’ll wrap up around lunch time on Sunday.
Questions? Please contact Dottie Head via email.
Please Note: Credit card processing fees are now included in the registration price.
Please Note: Credit card processing fees are now included in the registration price.
Additional Details:
Price Includes:
Price Does Not include:
Payments:
1. Full Payment is due at time of registration
Cancellation Policy:
If notice of cancellation by the participant is received by September 1, 2024 a refund of all payments made will be given (less a $50 administrative and all credit card fees). If notice of cancellation is received between September 2 and September 15, 2024 a 50% refund of the fees paid to date will be given unless the space(s) can be filled, in which case a full refund will be given (less a $50 administrative fee and all credit card fees). Thereafter, all deposits and payments are non-refundable unless the space(s) can be filled, in which case a full refund will be given (less a $50 administrative fee and all credit card fees). In the event of tour cancellation due to weather, strike, war, quarantine, or other unforeseen emergency situation, a refund will be given less any non-refundable payments made to local companies. Please contact Dottie Head if you have any questions regarding the non-refundable payment schedule.
Terms and Conditions:
Please review the Birds Georgia Travel Program Terms and Conditions prior to registration.
- Lunch on Saturday at Sweet Georgia’s Café in Americus
- Café Campesino Roastery Tour and Cupping Demonstration
- Park entrance fees
Price Does Not include:
- Transportation (participants will drive their own vehicles)
- Lodging (a block of rooms has been reserved at the Holiday Inn Express Northeast in Columbus, GA). Participants are responsible for making their own reservations. Rate includes breakfast.)
- Meals and snacks other than lunch on Saturday
- Medical costs
- Souvenirs
- Other incidentals participants may wish to purchase
Payments:
1. Full Payment is due at time of registration
Cancellation Policy:
If notice of cancellation by the participant is received by September 1, 2024 a refund of all payments made will be given (less a $50 administrative and all credit card fees). If notice of cancellation is received between September 2 and September 15, 2024 a 50% refund of the fees paid to date will be given unless the space(s) can be filled, in which case a full refund will be given (less a $50 administrative fee and all credit card fees). Thereafter, all deposits and payments are non-refundable unless the space(s) can be filled, in which case a full refund will be given (less a $50 administrative fee and all credit card fees). In the event of tour cancellation due to weather, strike, war, quarantine, or other unforeseen emergency situation, a refund will be given less any non-refundable payments made to local companies. Please contact Dottie Head if you have any questions regarding the non-refundable payment schedule.
Terms and Conditions:
Please review the Birds Georgia Travel Program Terms and Conditions prior to registration.
Travel Information
Physical difficulty:
This trip is physically easy. Much birding will be done from roads and other easily accessible places. We will always be walking at a birding pace (that is, very slowly), but we will stand a lot. These walks could last up to a few hours and total several miles by the end of the day.
Hotel:
A block of rooms has been reserved for Birds Georgia at the Holiday Inn Express Northeast, 2761 Warm Springs Rd, Columbus, GA 31904 at a rate of $129/night plus applicable tax. The rate includes a hot breakfast. Participants should call the hotel to reserve a room at 706-330-5000 and ask for a room in the Birds Georgia block. The room block expires on September 5 so please reserve your room ASAP.
Weather and Packing Considerations:
Middle and South Georgia can still be very hot and humid in late September, but we can also be experiencing some hints of fall that time of year. Keep an eye on the weather and plan your wardrobe accordingly. Light layers and a rain jacket are always advised. Sturdy walking shoes or light hiking boots are also in order. Please bring sunscreen and bug spray.
In terms of gear, you will want to bring the usual binoculars, field guide, hat, camera, and other gear you are accustomed to going birding with. Please bring a reusable water bottle. For coffee drinkers, a travel coffee mug is a nice to have along in the morning. The guides will have scopes available but please feel free to bring your own!
This trip is physically easy. Much birding will be done from roads and other easily accessible places. We will always be walking at a birding pace (that is, very slowly), but we will stand a lot. These walks could last up to a few hours and total several miles by the end of the day.
Hotel:
A block of rooms has been reserved for Birds Georgia at the Holiday Inn Express Northeast, 2761 Warm Springs Rd, Columbus, GA 31904 at a rate of $129/night plus applicable tax. The rate includes a hot breakfast. Participants should call the hotel to reserve a room at 706-330-5000 and ask for a room in the Birds Georgia block. The room block expires on September 5 so please reserve your room ASAP.
Weather and Packing Considerations:
Middle and South Georgia can still be very hot and humid in late September, but we can also be experiencing some hints of fall that time of year. Keep an eye on the weather and plan your wardrobe accordingly. Light layers and a rain jacket are always advised. Sturdy walking shoes or light hiking boots are also in order. Please bring sunscreen and bug spray.
In terms of gear, you will want to bring the usual binoculars, field guide, hat, camera, and other gear you are accustomed to going birding with. Please bring a reusable water bottle. For coffee drinkers, a travel coffee mug is a nice to have along in the morning. The guides will have scopes available but please feel free to bring your own!
Images by Cafe Campesino
