For nearly a century, the Audubon Society has been creating conservation programs throughout the country. The newest project takes place in Vicksburg’s own backyard, with an attempt to start a Mississippi River Field Institute.

Bruce Reid, Lower Mississippi River program office director, said, for the first time the National Audubon Society is connecting the upper and lower parts of its river-saving efforts to try and unite state Audubon Societies, and already has $150,000 toward its $250,000 goal.

The idea ties in with not just conservation, but making observation and appreciation of wildlife part of American life.

&#8220Tourists are looking at the river as a region, not just state lines,” he said.

The Institute will focus on 10 states that border the river and the initial funds will cover a two-year start-up. It will focus on six points, including adult and youth education, nature tourism and regional workshops.

Reid is also exploring the idea of using places such as Tara Wildlife, a vast private game preserve on the Mississippi north of Vicksburg, to act as a classroom for high school science teachers to earn credits toward teaching endorsements.

The idea for the institute began with talks among people from the Lower Mississippi Audubon office and Tara, as well as representatives from local universities and conservationists from the Upper Mississippi Region.

He said with the new institute, Vicksburg could play a vital role in conservation of the Mississippi River, and at the same time add more nature tourism to the city.

&#8220Vicksburg is undergoing a cultural and economic renaissance,” Reid said. &#8220It has always been a river town; we’re just looking at it a little differently now.”

The Audubon office downtown is also changing with the addition of a store offering products featured on the Audubon Web site, www.msaudubon.org, from mugs to art. This way, Reid said, when people visit the store, he can give them additional information about nature tourism and the Audubon Society’s work.

&#8220Whenever people come into the office they’re always looking for more,” Reid said.

The store should be open within six months, he said, and eventually the funds from the store can be used for educational summer camps and workshops.

Madge Lindsay, executive director of Audubon Mississippi, said education is essential to building a stronger, more ecologically friendly river.

&#8220We want to connect kids and adults so they have some ownership of nature,” Lindsay said, &#8220Right now, kids have ownership over their computers, and they don’t go outdoors.”

She said if more people got out and experienced nature, they would appreciate it more and want to protect it. This is a key point of the Mississippi River Field Institute, to have people look at the river and adjacent habitat as a vital asset to the community, she said.

One attempt to connect locals to the river is the Mississippi River Festival at Tara Wildlife. Mark Bowen, sales and marketing director for Tara, said the annual event is being expanded this year to include more visitors.

&#8220We want to get more kids involved,” Bowen said. &#8220They are the ones who are going to be the stewards of the land in the future.”

Bird watching, river and land tours and a nature photography workshop will be the main events, along with guest speakers and wine tasting.