Scheduled Nature Tours
Wilderness Southeast’s “Walks On the Wild Side” (WOWS) are expertly led nature tours that will have you saying “Wow!” about the natural resources of the Georgia coast!
Two ways to reserve your space(s) and pay:
- [1] Click on the Add to Cart button below your chosen nature tour to pay by credit card online.
- [2] Call 912-236-8115 and arrange to pay by check or cash.
Most, but not all, Scheduled Nature Tours are weekend tours. Don't see what you want? Contact us to arrange your personal nature tour at the time and place of your choice. For example, your private Alligators & Anhingas tour can often be arranged with 6-24 hours notice. Motorboat tours need at least 24 hours notice.
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August 7, 2010 (Sat.): 8:00 – 10:00 am
Alligators & Others
There’s lots of life in the Refuge: alligators and turtles basking, egrets and herons fishing, birds of prey prowling the skies, and more. Learn secrets of species survival, both predator and prey. We’ll explore seldom-seen parts of the Refuge as we discuss adaptations, needs and habits of the life we see. Meet at the Savannah National Wildlife Refuge. Please call for directions and itinerary update. Fee: $20/person; $10 for children under 12 accompanied by an adult. Tour size 6-15 people. Reservations required.
August 14, 2010 (Sat.): 8:30 am – 12:30 pm
Blackwater Paddle
After basic canoeing instruction, your WiSE naturalist will lead the way downstream past stately tupelo and cypress. Their bright green foliage and dark trunks reflect perfectly in the mirror-dark water. We'll be on the lookout for turtles, herons, and noisy kingfishers diving for their next meal. Maybe we'll be lucky enough to spot a shy alligator sunning in the shallows. Whether shady when trees are close, or sunny when the channel widens, there's beauty around every bend. Fee of $45/person includes canoe, paddle, and basic instruction. Tour size 4-16 people. Meet in Rincon, GA. Reservations required.
August 22, 2010 (Sun.): 8:30 – 11:30 am
Best of the Birds! (Tidal Creek birds)
Join Diana Churchill, local birding maven, as you venture into the tidal creeks on the falling tide. Your open boat will meander the watery twists and turns between walls of bright green marsh grass – while all sorts of birds look for fine dining on the exposed mud flats and oyster rakes. Sought-after birds will be American oystercatchers, clapper rails, herons, egrets, gulls, terns, and shorebirds just back from their Arctic sojourns. Diana will tell you the life stories of all you see. And you never know when a dolphin, osprey, or bald eagle will happen by. $55/person fee. Tour size 6-12 people. BOAT SPACE IS LIMITED; RESERVATIONS REQUIRED!
August 29, 2010 (Sun.): 9:00 am – noon
Wild Island & Estuary
Join your naturalist guide and licensed captain for a journey through tidal creeks and marshes before stepping ashore on Williamson Island, Georgia's youngest barrier island. Discover how islands come to life. Exploring the estuary you'll see birds, dolphins and oysters and talk about their lives. On the wild island we'll walk the beach, looking for the wonderful and strange "washed ashores" that reveal more secrets of life beneath the waves. Meet at the Bull River Yacht Club. Fee: $55/person. Tour size 12-35 people. Reservations required.
September 4, 2010 (Sat.): 9:30 am – noon
Native Medicinal Plants
Here’s your chance to discover uses of our native plants both gentle and powerful! Savannah’s specialist in naturopathic healing, Peter Brodhead, will lead you through the sheltered zone of bottomland forest discussing historical and current medicinal uses for native plants. Fee $20/person. Tour size 5-15 people. Meeting site to be determined. Reservations required.
September 11, 2010 (Sat.): 8:30 am – 11:30 am
Best of the Birds! (Shorelines)
Discover the joy of birding with Diana Churchill, local birding expert and author of the popular Birder’s Eye View newspaper column. Diana will help you meet some of the long distance flyers that visit the Georgia coast, and provide her enlightening commentary. You’ll discover some of the mysteries and dynamics of our wide, flat beaches, and find out who hides under the sand, and what they’re hiding from. Fee of $20/person includes use of spotting scope and binoculars. Tour size 5-12 people. Meet on Tybee Island. Reservations required.
Sept. 12, 2010 (Sun.) 4:30 pm -7:30 pm
Sunset Birds of the Marshes!
Enjoy a beautiful boat ride through the tidal creeks of the marsh with local birding maven Diana Churchill. We will see wading birds such as egrets and herons fish, ospreys hunt, and pelicans dive for dessert as sunset spreads her endless bouquet of peaches, pinks, and lavenders across a horizon of grasses and delicate creeks. This is truly a unique experience in an impressive landscape during this delicate time of day. $55 a person includes use of binoculars. 4:30 p.m. - 7:30 p.m. Group size of 12-15 people. LIMITED BOAT SPACE AVAILABLE. RESERVATIONS REQUIRED, PLEASE CALL TO MAKE A RESERVATION.
| Events from Sept. 17th through Sept. 26th are operated in cooperation with the Savannah Ocean Experience. Please click on each link to learn more or to sign up for the event.
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- Friday Sept. 17th
- Saturday Sept. 18th
- Sunday Sept. 19th
- Monday Sept. 20th
- Tuesday Sept. 21st
- Wednesday Sept. 22nd
- Thursday Sept. 23rd
- Friday Sept. 24th
- Saturday Sept. 25th
- Sunday Sept. 26th
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October 2, 2010 (Sat): 8:30am – 12:30pm
Wassaw Island National Wildlife Refuge
Enjoy your motorboat ride through the estuary to the pristine wilderness of Wassaw Island National Wildlife Refuge. As your official naturalist guide gives you a new angle on the coast, your open boat will meander the watery twists and turns between walls of bright green marsh grass. Discover the life that depends on the rich estuarine waters as you observe dolphins, egrets, crabs, and even oysters from your boat, then stroll the spectacular beach and forest of this gorgeous island, learning the ecology and human history as you go. Meet on Wilmington Island, Savannah. Free is $55/person; Tour size is 5-6 people. RESERVATIONS REQUIRED.
October 9, 2010 (Sat): 8:30am – 12:30pm
Blackwater Paddle
After basic canoeing instruction, your WiSE naturalist will lead the way downstream past stately tupelo and ancient cypress. The beginning of fall colors and dark trunks reflect perfectly in the mirror-dark water as you watch for turtles, herons, and noisy kingfishers diving for their next meal. Maybe we'll be lucky enough to spot a shy alligator sunning in the shallows. There's beauty around every bend. Fee of $45/person includes canoe, paddle, and basic instruction. Tour size: 4-16 people. Meet in Rincon, GA. Reservations required.
October 16, 2010 (Sat): 8:30am – 12:30pm
Cruise the Savannah National Wildlife Refuge
Join your naturalist guide aboard a small motorboat for a journey back in time. Beginning just above the bustle of the harbor, you’ll travel through the narrow back channels of the Savannah River exploring the serene expanse of the Savannah National Wildlife Refuge. You’ll see more of the 28,168 Refuge acres than can be seen from the Wildlife Drive, while your guide describes the historic uses of the river and its tidal wetlands. We may step ashore on one of the few spots of high ground. Fee: $75/person includes use of binoculars. Tour size 5 to 12 people. BOAT SPACE IS LIMITED; RESERVATIONS REQUIRED!
October 23, 2010 (Sat) 9:00am - 12:00pm
Best Of the Birds; Feathered Potpourri
As you drive and stroll through Harris Neck National Wildlife Refuge you’ll enjoy enlightening commentary by local birding columnist Diana Churchill. This time of year you never know what you’ll find, but Diana will be able to tell you about everying you find! Possibilities include late-to-depart purple gallinules and lingering fall migrants, as well as early winter waterfowl headed to warmer climes. You’re certain to find an eyeful of resident waders, maybe even spotting a shy rail among the reeds. Meet at Harris Neck National Wildlife Refuge entrance. Fee of $30/person includes use of binoculars and a spotting scope. Tour size 4-10 people. Reservations required.
October 30, 2010 (Sat) 9:30 – 11:30am
Snakes and Turtle Tales
A Halloween special! What better day could there be to celebrate the creepy, the crawly and the slithery? Superstitions abound about some of these much feared and maligned creatures. Others are much loved. Here’s your chance to learn and get as close as you want (as long as our expert says it’s safe!) Fee: $20/person; $10 for children under 12 accompanied by an adult. Fee includes admission to the Savannah-Ogeechee Canal Museum and Nature Center, so you can explore the “spooky” swamp, too. Tour size 5-15 people. Reservations required.
November 6, 2010 (Sat): 8:30am – 12:30pm
Blackwater Paddle
After basic canoeing instruction, your WiSE naturalist will lead the way downstream past stately tupelo and ancient cypress. The beautiful fall colors and dark trunks reflect perfectly in the mirror-dark water as you watch for turtles, herons, and noisy kingfishers diving for their next meal. Maybe we'll be lucky enough to spot a shy alligator sunning in the shallows. There's beauty around every bend. Fee of $45/person includes canoe, paddle, and basic instruction. Tour size: 4-16 people. Meet in Rincon, GA. Reservations required.
November 13, 2010 (Sat): 9:00 – 11:30am
Best Of the Birds; Savannah National Wildlife Refuge
The Refuge is full of life: alligators and turtles basking, egrets and herons fishing, birds of prey prowling the skies, and more. With local birding columnist Diana Churchill leading us, we’ll stroll some of the lesser-used areas of the Refuge as we learn about adaptations and secrets of survival for both predator and prey species. Discover the importance to wildlife of maintaining the old rice paddies as the Refuge prepares for the annual influx of winter waterfowl. Meet at the Savannah National Wildlife Refuge. Please call for directions. Reservations required. Fee: $25/person; $10 for children under 12 accompanied by an adult. Tour size 6-15 people.
November 27, 2010 (Sat): 9:00 – 11:00am
River Swamp Reptiles
Bring your holiday guests! Here’s your chance to get outdoors and enjoy meeting some fascinating creatures. Our herpetology experts brings his collection of reptiles – turtles, snakes, and more to look at, learn from, and, for some, even hold. Join our WiSE specialist at the Savannah Ogeechee Canal Museum for this interesting morning. With luck and some skill, you may be able to sneak up to see the endangered gopher tortoise, too. After you hear these life stories, you’ll have the chance to stroll the trails and boardwalks, as your fee includes admission to the Nature Center. Fee: $20/person ($10 for children under 12 accompanied by an adult). Tour size 6-20 people. Reservations requested.
November 20, 2010 (Sat): 8:30am – 12:30pm
Wassaw Island National Wildlife Refuge
The fall migration of songbirds brings many species to our Southern Coast. Near Savannah, yet accessible only by boat is Wassaw Island National Wildlife Refuge. Wassaw provides the perfect resting place for these weary travelers. Venture off the beaten path, explore a wild island, and join our birding interpreter to locate and observe these brave migrants, as you learn about their lives. Depending on weather and species available, we may spend more time in the forest than on the beach on this program. Appropriate for novice and expert birders alike. Fee of $50/person includes use of binoculars and boat transportation. Tour size: 6 people. Reservations needed.
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