Meet Christopher Joe | owner, Connecting with Birds and Nature Tours, LLC.

We had the good fortune of connecting with Christopher Joe and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Christopher, is there something that you feel is most responsible for your success?
I started Connecting with Birds and Nature Tours, LLC October 31, 2018, to diversify the family’s Black Angus cattle farm. I credit our success to working effectively with partners in the birding and ecotourism community. I reached out to my state’s Audubon chapter as well as economic development departments to meet with professionals to help me get off to a fast start.
With our mission being the effective use of our private property as a conduit to provide people the opportunity to enjoy the outdoors, I knew I could be successful.
Through activities such as birding, nature walking, biking, and camping, we wanted to educate, demonstrate, and show others that they too can become friends of the environment though low impact ecotourism activities and even educational program that we can teach.
To date, we have hosted over 700+ visitors. We have been featured in multiple magazines, on podcasts, television segments, and even a birding show called Extraordinary Birder with Christian Cooper which is now streaming on Nat Geo Wild and Disney+.
With all the tours, public speaking engagements, publicity in print and media, I’ve been able to capitalize more and grow organically to have income generated for me in multiple forms and opportunities.
I believe our property can serve as an educational site as well as a positive impact on the community. I know we can show other landowners a different way to look at their property and diversify its uses to add another revenue source.

Can you open up a bit about your work and career? We’re big fans and we’d love for our community to learn more about your work.
I’m a 2007 graduate of Alabama A & M University with a BS in Agribusiness Management (magna cum laude). Growing up on a multigenerational cattle farm, agribusiness wasn’t too far from me. I started my internship while in college and fell in love with the Natural Resources Conservation Service, an agency under the United States Department of Agriculture. I’m currently the District Conservationist for Macon County Alabama and have been with the agency for a little over 15 years. I’ve learned so much from this career. Working with people of different backgrounds and ethnicities to bring conservation on the ground while helping achieve a goal. Seeing people be successful on their farm and in their business gives me satisfaction knowing I helped them in some way. I’ve been privileged to travel across the country and work in other areas to see how our natural resources are used and how we can best share in keeping them thriving for future generations.

Any places to eat or things to do that you can share with our readers? If they have a friend visiting town, what are some spots they could take them to?
I’m so much about reconnecting with nature and getting away from it all that my favorite thing to do is pull up a map and find the nature preserves, parks, national forest, or nature trails that will provide an experience that will do more for you mentally, physically, and spiritually. I’ve made it part of my traveling around the country to do this in every stop. I take my camera, binoculars and just explore. The time seems to fade, and your senses are reset and calibrated to the natural world around you.
Sorry but no brunch spots or night life in my experience.

Who else deserves some credit and recognition?
My entire Joe family for the continued support in helping me get this vision for the farm up and soaring high (pun intended). Big shoutout to my wife Christy for being the push and drive to encourage me to go for it and always supporting in multiple ways with this entire entrepreneur thing. Also, my Alabama Audubon family, Alabama Blackbelt Adventures family, and countless visitors that gave us a chance to share our love of birds and the outdoors with them.

Website: https://www.connectingwithbirdsandnaturetours.com/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/birdsandnaturetours/

Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCaKuif-ZQ4A9rgkerH_RWPw

Other: TikTok https://www.tiktok.com/@birdsandnaturetours?_t=8jlwnH3HtAR&_r=1
Ebird https://ebird.org/hotspot/L11657086

Image Credits
Christopher Joe