Meet the Guides for Black Belt Birding Festival 2026
We are excited to have an incredible group of guides coming from across the Southeast for the Black Belt Birding Festival 2026. Each of them brings a unique background and experience to the trips they are leading.
Regardless of the trips you choose to attend, you can expect your guide to provide a memorable experience.
Some guides may not be listed.
Brian Cammarano
Having called South Florida my home since birth, I now reside in Pensacola, located in the far Western Florida Panhandle working for Audubon FL as the panhandle’s Shorebird Stewardship Coordinator. In this position, I work with staff, volunteers and partners of the Florida Shorebird Alliance to help protect Florida’s imperiled beach-nesting birds, like the Snowy Plover and Black Skimmer.
Throughout my early career, I have held seasonal positions monitoring Florida Scrub-Jay productivity, conducting Black Rail detection surveys, banding migratory songbirds at the Cape Florida Banding Station, and being stationed on an island off the southern coast of Maine monitoring nesting productivity of hundreds of Common Terns, Roseate Terns, and Arctic Terns.
I also lead private tours for American Birding Guides helping clients see highly sought-after target species. I have previously guided at the North Shore Birding Festival in Central Florida and lead bird outings throughout the year under my current position with Audubon FL.
Collin Dobson
I’m an avid birder originally from central Illinois and have birded for nearly 20 years in Illinois and beyond! I recently finished my master's at Arkansas State University in the Boves Lab and I’m currently beginning a PhD position at Mississippi State University in the McConnell Lab.
Most of my research focuses on bird communities at restored wetlands in the Mississippi Alluvial Valley. I also lead bird trips throughout the US and beyond, as well as travel and run races as often as I can during my spare time!
Mary Smith
Mary Smith is a 16 year old who is homeschooled in her sophomore year of high school. She has been interested in birds from a very early age and started birding in 2021. In 2025, she attended taxidermy school and her passion deepened where she gained a greater appreciation for bird anatomy and preservation. She enjoys volunteering at banding events where her knowledge has broadened through hands-on experience and learning from others in the field.