Know
Audubon rejects TradeWinds’ claims over music festival
“Audubon Florida has urged TradeWinds over the last few months to find an alternative location.”
TradeWinds Resort’s claim that the Audubon Society is involved in overseeing environmental education efforts for the upcoming Country Thunder Music Festival is being directly disputed.
In a statement to the Catalyst, Audubon Florida said it has not partnered with TradeWinds on the event and has instead urged organizers to relocate the festival away from St. Pete Beach.
“Audubon Florida has urged TradeWinds over the last few months to find an alternative location, which would allow the concert to proceed without harming potential wildlife or their habitat,” the organization said.
TradeWinds had previously stated that the festival would include educational components “with oversight from the Audubon Society,” alongside other environmental safeguards.
“We will not be overseeing an education booth at the event,” the Audubon refutes. The organization also cautioned the event’s timing comes at a cost.
“Unfortunately, this event has been scheduled at a critical nesting time for vulnerable and protected sea and shorebirds,” Audubon said, reiterating concerns raised by local wildlife advocates in recent days, which would provide a boost to the local economy while protecting beach-nesting birds.”
The response adds another layer to a developing debate surrounding the three-day festival, scheduled for May at TradeWinds Resort.
Wildlife advocates, including Coastal Wildlife Advocacy Group CEO Lisa Reich, have warned that the nature of the event’s infrastructure could disrupt sea turtle nesting and hatchling patterns during peak season.
TradeWinds has maintained that it is coordinating with multiple agencies, including the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission and the Florida Department of Environmental Protection, and has implemented measures such as nest monitoring, controlled lighting and temporary infrastructure adjustments.
The festival remains under review, with no final permits issued by the city or state agencies.
At the center of the debate is a familiar tension for St. Pete Beach: whether large-scale events that drive tourism and economic recovery can coexist with environmental protections during one of the most sensitive periods for coastal wildlife.
Sarah Hoddinott
April 6, 2026at2:30 pm
The answer is simple they could hold the event after nesting season is over or before it begins. This is selfish corporate greed.
Debbi Hubley
April 8, 2026at10:55 pm
The Country Thunder Festival event at the TradeWinds is expecting 10,000 ticket holding participants. Not including the days prior of Large Event Stage building, environmental impacts to endangered wildlife that nest seasonally, Sea Turtles, Black Skimmer Birds, both and Federally Protected. Impacts at this level will have lasting effects to the ecosystem and environment our wildlife has “grown” to prosper. Having and Staging such an event of this magnitude will have long lasting consequences for our wildlife. This even needs to be moved to a location that is optimal for all. SPB is not that place. We love our tourist, 10,000+ is not a sensible plan during these critical nesting seasons.