West Bay Wonder

The National Audubon Society and The St. Joe Company team up to consider building a nature center on the south shore of West Bay.
- by Taylor Bruce, photography by Ralph Daniel and Beth Maynor Young, illustration by Steve Stankiewicz

John James Audubon, the famed ornithologist, was fearless in his pursuit of birds for the illustrations that now grace the pages of Birds of America. What he did not risk during his brief stay in Pensacola in 1837, though, was an encounter with the local Seminoles. After one of his botanist colleagues was killed during the Second Seminole War, Audubon cut short his journey through the Florida Territory on his way towards what is now known as West Bay.

Now, nearly two centuries after his attempted trek into Florida territory, it appears the spirit of Audubon finally may arrive in Northwest Florida. In January, The St. Joe Company and the National Audubon Society signed a Memorandum of Understanding to study the feasibility of building a nature center on the 40,000-acre protected wildlife preserve on West Bay's south shore.

“West Bay is one of Florida's most pristine bays,” says National Audubon Society President John Flicker. “Under the West Bay Sector Plan, it is to remain that way. This project has the potential to provide a unique diversity of nature-based experiences to Bay County residents, tourists to the region, students, researchers and many, many others. We are very excited about the potential.”

Dr. Neil Lamb, president of the Bay County Audubon Society, echoes Flicker's energy and optimism for the project. “The timberlands and wetlands and marsh near West Bay is on an ecological par with Indian River Lagoon near Cape Canaveral,” says Lamb, who also is a scientist and retired U.S. Air Force colonel. “People rave about Indian River, and they should. But West Bay—like Indian River—is one of the most diverse ecosystems on the planet.”

A Lynn Haven resident of twenty-one years who runs, kayaks, and bikes in the area, Dr. Lamb sees West Bay’s horizon shining with the promise of enjoyment and discovery of nature by everyone, including future generations. “This proposed center is a gateway to so much,” he explains. “Today’s Audubon members find interest in the world around them, the color, the variety, the wonder. With Audubon, West Bay would be a major attraction for vacationers to see how land can be restored to the natural landscape.”

West Bay's restoration is the culmination of a decade-long effort by Bay County advocates. Efforts began in the mid-1990s when local citizens voiced concerns about airport expansion on land near West Bay. A local group called Citizens for Sensible Airport Development laid the groundwork for the visionary West Bay Sector Plan during dozens of community meetings. Then in late 2006, The St. Joe Company secured a 9,609-acre conservation easement that will become part of the West Bay Preservation Area once construction of the Panama City-Bay County International Airport begins.

If approved, the Audubon Center will be the focal point of a new ‘green destination’ that marries birding, wildlife pursuits, education, cycling, canoeing, hiking, fishing, and hunting. “Throughout the seasons of the year, these wildlife events—dolphins chasing fish out of cold waters, nesting ducks, clusters of breeding fiddler crabs—give Audubon so much to interpret to visitors,” says David Anderson, executive director of Audubon of Florida. “Win-win situations between community growth and wildlife retainment are possible.”

The tentative name for the nature center is LaFlorida, the name given to the state by European explorers in the 1500s. The nature center would be an example of how The St. Joe Company and the National Audubon Society plan to restore the land to its former glory—as Audubon himself might have discovered it 170 years ago. With statuesque longleaf pines, wire grasses, bobcats roaming the understory, and blue herons wading in the shallows, West Bay still has a pristine air in its magnificent woods and waters.

And now, after all this time, the spirit of Audubon finally may find refuge on the south shore of West Bay—a perfect reward for a long journey.