‘An understanding of the natural world, and what’s in it as a source of not only great curiosity but great fulfilment.’ – David Attenborough
The United States boasts diverse and breathtaking landscapes. From the sandy beaches of North Carolina to the Great Smoky Mountains, and on to the misty bayous of Louisiana, there’s no shortage of natural beauty to explore. What’s more, each region is home to an array of wildlife, from majestic whales off the coast of Boston to towering moose of northern New England.
The United Nations World Wildlife Day falls on 3rd March, and here are some experiences our destinations offer which truly capture the diversity of America’s flora and fauna.
Visit Tucson
Tucson is a land of wide-open spaces. Situated in the heart of the Sonoran Desert, the city is surrounded by five mountain ranges and lush Sonoran Desert vegetation that’s ripe for exploration
The Trail Dust Tours company offers an informative Desert Ecology Tour leads through some of the most beautiful and rugged desert wilderness surrounding Tucson. Visitors can see the abundance of cacti variety, including the giant Saguaro in their natural habitat.
Nature enthusiasts should not miss a stop at the Arizona-Sonora Desert Museum, which is widely recognised as a model institution for innovative presentation and interpretation of native plants and animals featured together in ecological outdoor exhibits. Wildlife enthusiasts can indulge in birdwatching and the chance to view up to 500 species of birds along the Tucson Birding Trail
More information at: visittucson.org/things-to-do/outdoors/wildlife-viewing/
Discover New England
New England’s wildlife is as rich and varied as the landscape of its six states. From black bears and loons, bald eagles to whales and great white sharks. The breathtaking scenery of the region also offers beautiful mountains, stunning lakes and a gorgeous coastline.
Maine’s wilderness is home to over 25,000 moose that can be found throughout the state’s 17.6 million forested acres. Maine is home to many species, from black bears and bobcats found in the vast wilderness, to loons calling on the lakes. In 1897 Cornelia “Fly Rod” Crosby became the first ever Registered Maine Guide. She deeply loved the Maine wilderness and committed herself to showing its wonder to the world. Over the last 200 years the number of Maine guides has grown to more than 4,000, offering guests fun, memorable experiences in numerous outdoor activities.
New Hampshire’s largest land mammal is the moose, and the best way to see this species in the wild is with local guides like Pemi Valley Moose Tours and Gorham Moose Tours. Nature lovers should also check out The Rocks in Bethlehem, a 1,400-acre forest reservation for hiking, with private tours available.
The Birds of Vermont Museum in Huntington, Vermont is a 100-acre preserve, sanctuary, and education centre. For bird sightings, sign up for the museum’s bird walks, where expert spotters lead visitors on strolls throughout the property.
Ipswich River Wildlife Sanctuary in Massachusetts offers wetlands and woodlands to explore with over 12 miles of trails through the Sanctuary’s 1900 acres. Visitors can grab a paddle and rent a canoe to get a unique look at the area’s flora and fauna. There are even cabin rentals and camping opportunities.
Set aside time for a nature outing with Old Lyme’s Black Hall Outfitters, in Connecticut which offers guided kayak tours through the Great Island Salt Marsh. The Lavender plant spreads across the stunning 25 acres of Lavender Pond Farm in Killingworth, just inland from Connecticut’s central coast. The farm is open to the public from June’s first blooms through Christmas.
A Rhode Island treasure is Blithewold, a historic 33-acre estate overlooking Narragansett Bay in Bristol. It has not only amazing ocean views but also more than 500 species of trees and shrubs in its gardens; highlights include a weeping pagoda tree and a 100-foot giant sequoia that’s thought to be the largest in the eastern United States.
More information at: discovernewengland.org/eco-itinerary/ and discovernewengland.org/wildlife-encounters/
Meet Boston
America’s walking city has over 300 parks and many green spaces. Boston has nearly 4800 acres of park land including 30 protected urban wilds. The Boston Common, which was established shortly after the city in 1634, is the oldest public park in the United States. Boston has developed parks and recreational spaces that are woven seamlessly into the urban landscape blending history, innovation, and natural beauty
It’s Whale Watching season in Boston from May to October. Set sail for the whale watch experience of a lifetime on the New England Aquarium Whale Watch Cruise. The destination: Stellwagen Bank Marine Sanctuary, a rich feeding ground for whales, dolphins, sea birds, and other marine creatures. Stellwagen is home to many species of large whales, including humpbacks, finbacks, and minkes.
The Boston Harbor Islands are easily accessible from the ferry terminal on the north side of the Marriott Long Wharf. You can visit either George’s Island or Spectacle Island. The islands are home to more than 200 species of birds including gulls, terns, herons, ducks, geese, hawks, turkeys, plovers, sandpipers, doves, owls, woodpeckers, and perching birds.
Head down to the water and upend some rocks to see local green crabs scurry away and spot periwinkle snails and mini hermit crabs or maybe a starfish or horseshoe crab in the shallows.
For more information visit: meetboston.com/blog/post/parks/
Visit Mississippi
Mississippi, affectionately known as the Magnolia State, is a haven of diverse plant life, stunning landscapes and home to a variety of birdlife. Spring and autumn migrations attract neotropical songbirds, as well as many waterfowl species, to the Mississippi Flyway.
The Sandhill Crane National Wildlife Refuge, is a sanctuary for the endangered Mississippi Sandhill Crane and is not only dedicated to the survival of these birds, but it also protects one of the last remaining wet pine savannas in the United States. Here, rare orchids and carnivorous plants also flourish in a unique ecosystem.
The Noxubee National Wildlife Refuge offers 48,000 acres of wilderness and rich ecosystems. Visitors can watch bald eagles hatching in their nests, follow the soaring flight of black vultures and red-shouldered hawks, and observe the seasonal migrations of over 200 bird species that return to this exact location every year.
Mississippi also offers a serene environment ideal for birdwatching, including state wildlife management areas, national forests, national parks, and national wildlife refuges. Visitors can book tours to further explore Mississippi’s wilderness in all its glory. Gulf Coast Eco-tours is a mobile tour company on the Gulf Coast that provides ecotourism and educational field trips.
The Quapaw Canoe Company provides wilderness adventures by canoe, kayak or paddle board on any section of the Mississippi River with perfect conditions for bird watchers and wildlife photographers.
For more information visit visitmississippi.org/things-to-do/birding-wildlife/
Visit San Antonio
The Alamo City has plenty of gorgeous gardens and parks that are home to birds and wildlife. Located in the heart of San Antonio, Brackenridge Park is a 343-acre park that features walking trails, picnic areas, and gardens, making it a great spot to enjoy nature and wildlife. You can spot ducks, turtles, and a variety of birds in the park’s creek and pond areas. The San Antonio Botanical Garden is designed with sustainability in mind, including habitats that attract butterflies, bees, and birds.
Bracken Cave, on the northern outskirts of San Antonio, is home to the largest bat colony in the world, where 15 million Mexican free-tailed bats can be viewed emerging from the caves at dusk through the summer months. This is a key maternity site for the species, and females congregate there each year to give birth and rear their young.
Mitchell Lake Audubon Center is another great spot for nature lovers and birdwatching enthusiasts in San Antonio. Located just south of downtown, this 1,200-acre wildlife sanctuary offers a peaceful retreat with a diverse range of habitats, including wetlands, grasslands, and prairies. It’s one of the best places in the area to observe migratory birds, with over 300 species recorded at the center.
For more information visit: visitsanantonio.com/blog/post/a-san-antonio-road-trip-for-the-nature-lovers/
Explore Louisiana
More than half of Louisiana is covered in wetlands, waterways, and swamps, making it an ideal habitat for alligators. Its vast bayous, rivers, and marshes provide countless opportunities to observe the reptiles safely in their environment. One of the best ways to explore Louisiana’s swamps is on an airboat tour deep in the Atchafalaya Basin, where licensed captains navigate the waterways, offering entertaining insights along the way.
The Louisiana outback teems with diverse species, including American black bears and bobcats. Through dedicated conservation efforts, the recovery of the black bear from endangerment has become one of Louisiana’s greatest ecological success stories, contributing to the preservation of American wildlife and leading to a significant population increase.
Louisiana is also a paradise for birdwatchers, thanks to its location along the Central and Mississippi Flyways, visitors can spot roseate spoonbills, snowy egrets and majestic falcons. For those eager to experience this untamed beauty, the Creole Nature Trail offers a breathtaking journey through one of America’s last great wildernesses. This All-American Road is steeped in history, with stories of pirates. The Wetland Walkway, located on the Sabine National Wildlife Refuge allows visitors to walk out onto the marsh and see alligators, birds and animals all in their natural habitats.
For more information visit: www.explorelouisiana.com/ and www.birdinglouisiana.com/
Visit New Orleans
Explore Bayou Sauvage, where vast stretches of freshwater and brackish marshes meet coastal hardwood forests. All of this national wildlife refuge is within the city limits of New Orleans, only 15 minutes from the French Quarter and downtown, making it the nation’s largest urban national wildlife refuge. On a good day, when the water levels in the marsh are high, visitors are likely to see alligators, snakes, birds and rodents. Many aquatic flowers flourish there, including the exotic-looking purple water hyacinths (in late spring/early summer), water lilies, pickerelweed, lotus flowers and other colorful species
New Orleans oak trees are one of the city’s deeply historic and breathtaking fixtures. Some even have roots dating back to before the city’s founding in 1718. New Orleans City Park is home to New Orleans’ and the world’s oldest and most stunning collection of live oak trees. The Anseman and McDonogh Oaks that grow in City Park are between 750-900 years old.
More details at neworleans.com/
Tennessee Vacation
Tennessee is a haven of biodiversity. In the east, North Cumberland’s Campbell County is home to the Hatfield Knob Elk Viewing Tower, where visitors can marvel at the majestic elk that have roamed since the 1860s.
At Short Springs Natural Area, you can see some of the best spring wildflowers in the state. Slopes are covered in bluebells, larkspur, trout lilies, thickets of mountain laurel and more.
Heading east of the state, the Great Smoky Mountains National Park grants a lucky few the chance to camp under the stars and witness one of nature’s most prolific displays, the synchronised flash patterns of fireflies during their mating rituals. These fireflies illuminate the forest in a rhythmic glow, creating unforgettable spectacles. Visitors can also spot bears in the wild in the Smokies and visit the Eagle Mountain Sanctuary in Dollywood where they can see the largest exhibit of non-releasable Bald Eagles in the United States.
More details can be found at tnvacation.com/
Visit North Carolina
For more than 500 years, the Outer Banks have been home to a herd of wild colonial Spanish mustangs. These horses, believed to have arrived as early as the 1520s, may have come ashore after a shipwreck or been left behind by settlers of failed colonies. The largest herds roam the northern shores of Corolla and the southernmost Shackleford Banks, with groups of up to 100 stallions, mares, and foals. The mustangs can be seen on a guided tour or an off-road adventure on your own. witnessing these powerful creatures is unforgettable.
Further south, Bald Head Island is a sanctuary for sea turtles, where hatchlings begin their journey from nest to ocean. As they emerge from their sand-buried nests, the soft yellow beach looks as though it is bubbling with little specks of moving green. From May to November, these same turtles return to lay their eggs on the very shores where they were born.
More information at visitnc.com/
Maverick Helicopters
Maverick Helicopters, offers luxury helicopter excursions to one of the greatest natural wonders of the world, the Grand Canyon. The highlights include bird’s-eye views of Hoover Dam, Lake Mead, Bowl of Fire, Mojave Desert and more. Maverick’ tours also showcase some of the most iconic sites in the world from the Eagle Point Grand Canyon to the stunning California coastline and Hawaii. The helicopter tours of Maui provide stunning views of the Haleakala Crater, the Hana Rainforest, and the sea cliffs of Molokai.
More details at: maverickhelicopter.com/
Here is a link to images for any of the above articles – https://spaces.hightail.com/receive/uHyWKx2GoQ
Ends
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Caroline Donaldson-Sinclair, PR Account Director: caroline@ttmworld.co.uk
For Meet Boston, Discover New England, and Visit San Antonio
Kirsty Dillury, Owner / Chief Communications Officer kirsty@ttmworld.co.uk
For Explore Louisiana and Tennessee Tourism
Jennie Jordan, Senior PR Account Manager: jennie@ttmworld.co.uk
For Visit Mississippi
Anisha Hegde, PR Account Executive: anisha@ttmworld.co.uk
For Visit Tucson and New Orleans & Company
For any other enquiries, email ttmoffice@ttmworld.co.uk or call +44 (0)208 313 1717