Mission |
The California Watchable Wildlife Project celebrates the state's wildlife and diverse habitats by acknowledging and elevating the value of wildlife viewing to benefit individuals, families, communities, and industries while fostering awareness and support for conservation and protection of wildlife and habitats.
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Who's Watching Wildlife? |
During 2016, 86.0 million U.S. residents, 34 percent of the U.S. population 16 years or older, participated in wildlifewatching activities. People who took an interest in wildlife around their homes numbered 81.1 million, while those who took trips away from their homes to wildlife watch numbered 23.7 million people.
Of all the wildlife in the United States, birds attracted the biggest following. Approximately 45.1 million people observed birds around the home and on trips in 2016. A large majority, 86 percent (38.7 million), observed wild birds around the home, while 36 percent (16.3 million) took trips away from home to observe wild birds. Participants averaged a startling 96 days of birding in 2016, primarily due to the 105 days of around-the-home birders. Away-from-home birders averaged 16 days.
California continues to attract more wildlife viewers and associated expenditures than any other state in the nation. Approximately 48 percent of all the dollars spent in 2016 for wildlife related recreation was due to wildlife watching. Wildlife-watching participants 16 years or older spent $75.9 billion, an average of $1,193 per spender. An estimated 75 percent of all wildlife watchers spent money on their avocation.
For links to the National Survey of Fishing, Hunting, and Wildlife-Associated Recreation reports, see Announcements below.
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California Children's Outdoor Bill of Rights |
California Watchable Wildlife is a member of the California Roundtable on Recreation, Parks and Tourism, a volunteer consortium of public and private organizations that has created the California Children's Outdoor Bill of Rights. California Watchable Wildlife is committed to these goals, recognizing that children who participate in these outdoor recreation activities are healthier, do better in school, have better social skills and self image, and lead more fulfilled lives.
California Watchable Wildlife's network of wildlife viewing sites offer opportunities for youth between the ages of four and fourteen to:
1. Play in a safe place 6. Camp under the stars
2. Explore nature 7. Ride a bike
3. Learn to swim 8. Go boating
4. Go fishing 9. Connect with the past
5. Follow a trail 10. Plant a seed
Download the California Children's Outdoor Bill of Rights.
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Announcements |
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2016 National Survey of Fishing, Hunting and Wildlife - Associated Recreation |
Issued August, 2017
This is the National Overview of the report issued every 5 years by the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service. |
Click Here For More Information |
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Nominate a Watchable Wildlife Viewing Site |
The California Watchable Wildlife Project is soliciting nominations for wildlife viewing sites to be included in our statewide network. Our goal is to address the growing interest in wildlife viewing and nature tourism by educating the public about where and how to view native wildlife and habitats in a respectful and sustainable way while building support for the long-term conservation and management of California's natural resources.
Viewing sites are evaluated by the Steering Committee for their wildlife viewing values, quality and diversity of habitats and visitor amenities to ensure that the state's wildlife values are protected from overuse and that each site offers the highest quality viewing experience to visitors.
All viewing sites must be nominated by the site manager or designated staff member. Often an interpretive specialist is the best person to complete the nomination form. Double-click (Nominate a Site) to open the PDF Nomination Instructions.
Once a site has been approved for inclusion in the California Watchable Wildlife Viewing Network, the selected sites will be promoted on the website (cawatchablewildlife.org), through the posting of directional road signs (premier and regional sites), and included in all marketing efforts. This project is endorsed by the partnering agencies listed below.
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