The National Audubon Society, LSU AgCenter, and Louisiana Delta Adventures are hosted an ecotourism workshop on December 16 at the Honey Brake Lodge to introduce landowners to ecotourism opportunities in the region.

The daylong workshop featured an overview of wildlife viewing opportunities in northeast Louisiana and strategies for managing land for wildlife. Attendees also learned about promoting themselves as an ecotourism operator, legal issues and wildlife habitat incentive programs.

A tour of the Honey Brake property, a premier ecotourism destination in the region, took place in the afternoon.

“Most ecotourism activities that were discussed are included under the agritourism limited liability law that was passed in 2008 under the leadership of state Rep. Andy Anders,” said Dora Ann Hatch, LSU AgCenter agritourism coordinator.

Louisiana is a sportsman’s paradise, offering a tremendous variety of wildlife. “Over 300 species of birds can be found in northeastern Louisiana, about 1/3 of all species found in the United States and Canada,” said Erik I. Johnson, Ph.D., Director of Bird Conservation for Audubon Louisiana. Bird watching and wildlife watching generates about $12 billion per year, and about 10% of the nation’s population over 16 travel at least once a year to watch birds.