Why A Boycott Will Work – Point Pelee National Park.

In 2006 the Visitors Bureau of Windsor, Essex County and Pelee Island released an economic impact report, ‘Birding in Essex County’, describing the importance of birding in the region. The report recommends promoting birding opportunities throughout the region to maximize economic benefits beyond just Point Pelee National Park. While Point Pelee National Park was identified as the primary site for birders, the majority of birders interviewed considered birding throughout the region to be superb.

The cancellation of Point Pelee National Park from your birding itinerary will still offer superb birding opportunities throughout Essex County, and could have a greater local economic impact.

Some Key Results:

Spring songbird migration is the most important product;
Fall hawk and songbird migration is secondary but still has the potential to draw more birders to the region;
There is a need to develop a diversity of habitats for birds and birders.

Some Key Recommendations Specific to Point Pelee National Park:

The park should be managed for habitat diversity for migrating birds;
The park should re-evaluate its current investment in management of environmental impacts;
The park should develop managed viewing opportunities for birders.

Instead, Point Pelee management staff will begin dismantling the famous colonial waterbird colony on Middle Island as early as April 2008 by shooting thousands of nesting Double-crested Cormorants. The short-sightedness of this policy must be challenged by local businesses and rejected by birders and tourists alike.

Dramatic Visitor Decline at Point Pelee National Park
Since 1991, visitors to Point Pelee National Park have dropped from over 400,000 annual visitors to approximately 225,000 in 2006, and 2007 trends continue to show a steady decline. (source Point Pelee National Park). Declines are consistent for very month.

Information collected in 2006 suggests that the international birder has disappeared completely from Essex County – 18% of visitors were from the United States, and 82% were domestic birders.

While the Visitor Bureau recommends promoting Point Pelee National Park abroad, including Quebec, the United States and Europe, a regionally focused boycott - steering visitors away from Point Pelee National Park and promoting local and regional alternative birding sites – should be successful. A successful campaign would stop direct funding for environmentally destructive governemnt policies such as the dismantling of the colonial waterbird colony on Middle Island.

Excellent Birding Sites Outside Point Pelee National Park
Within 15 minutes of Point Pelee National Park

Hillman Marsh Conservation Area
Wheatly Harbour
Wheatly Provincial Park
Two Creeks Conservation Area
Kopegaron Woods Conservation Area
Sturgeon Creek

Birding Sites within 1 hour of Point Pelee National Park

Holiday Beach Conservation Area
Ojibway Park Complex
Detroit River and Little River
Ruscom Shores Conservation Area
Tremblay Beach Conservation Area
St. Clair National Wildlife Area
Comber (big ‘O’ Woods Conservation Area)
Jack Miner Sanctuary
Kingsville Harbour and Shore
Cedar Creek Conservation Area
Sewage Lagoons
Pelee Island
Rondeau Provincial Park (south of Chatham)