Virginia: trail goes to the birds.

There's more to Virginia than Monticello, Civil War battlefields and colonial America museums. Virginia has a "wild side." And the Virginia Department of Game and Inland Fisheries (VDGIF) is helping visitors discover it.

The VDGIF has created the Virginia Birding and Wildlife Trail. This trail consists of three distinct segments: the Coastal, the Piedmont and the Mountain. Each segment contains anywhere from 13 to 34 loop trails, encompassing hundreds of miles.

In all, sites had to pass a 35-point criteria plan to be included in the trail system. Such criteria included evaluating the site's biodiversity, whether the site offered a unique Virginia wildlife experience, its location to other sites along the trail, and if there were cultural or historical areas nearby that would offer additional experiences for tourists.

The new trail system pays special attention to wildlife, showing off 400 species of birds, 250 species of fish, 150 species of terrestrial and marine animals, 150 species of amphibians and reptiles, and a wealth of other species present in Virginia for nature voyeurs to enjoy.

David Whitehurst, director of Wildlife Diversity at VDGIF, said there were many reasons as to why this trail system was created. "Most importantly, we wanted to get the citizens of the Commonwealth [of Virginia] to value wildlife ... so that they will work to conserve our wildlife resources. We only protect what we value."

"The trail's ability to get local decision-makers (city councils and county boards and administrators, for example) to better recognize the value of their parks and greenways," is a surprise benefit of this program, according to Whitehurst. "I have seen that happen as we have developed the trail, and it is extremely important that these decision makers understand the value of their green spaces."

To date, 220,000 of the trail guides have been distributed to individuals, bird clubs, schools, visitor bureaus, garden clubs and a variety of other groups. The VDGIF has been consulted by about 20 states about how to establish a similar trail system elsewhere.

To learn more about the Virginia Birding and Wildlife Trail and to order the three free guides, go to http://www.dgif.state. va.us/wildlife/or call 1-866-VABIRDS (1-866-822-4737).