July 20, 2016

Archive

View the sun and the stars at Topsail Hill Preserve State Park July 30

Date/time: July 30, 2016 – 4:30 – 9:30 p.m. Topsail Hill Preserve State parks invites your family to enjoy Topsail under the Stars. View the sun and stars from the park with the Northwest Florida Astronomy Association. The NWFAA will be onsite with solar telescopes set up for instruction on how to view the constellations, the sun, and planets after sunset. There will be plenty of telescopes but you are welcome to bring your own. The park entrance closes at 8 p.m. so...

Kellogg Park: A south Walton nature lovers’ generous legacy remains mostly ignored

Santa Rosa Beach residents Patricia and Louis Kellogg lived long and fulfilling lives. After raising five children, the outdoor enthusiasts enjoyed their retirement on the Choctawhatchee Bay. With a passion for nature and double masters degree in education, Patricia Kellogg donated much of her time to developing reading programs for children at the Santa Rosa Beach Coastal Branch Library. She was also an active member of the Choctawhatchee Audubon Society (CAS). Kellogg enjoyed sharing the wonders of nature to such...

Camp Helen State Park hosting movie, food and fun on July 27

The evening begins at 5:30 p.m. in the park’s Recreation Hall with a brief interpretive program led by a Camp Helen Park Ranger or other expert. The program will be followed by an old-fashioned campfire cookout of hot dogs and s’mores provided by the Friends of Camp Helen. Each evening will conclude with a family-oriented movie in the Recreation Hall, where seating will be provided. A parent or guardian must accompany all children. These special movie nights are sponsored by...

Learn about the beach mouse at Topsail Hill Preserve State Park July 27

Date/time: July 27, 2016 – 9-10 a.m. Topsail Hill Preserve State Park invites you to enjoy an informational program about one of the imperiled species we share the park with. Beach mice inhabit coastal dunes in the panhandle and along the Atlantic coast of Florida. Development of coastal areas has caused a loss of habitat for beach mice and other plants and animals that live in the dunes. Due to this loss of habitat, five of the six subspecies of...

Northwest Florida Water Management District awarded $15.3 million for springs projects

Funding targets springs in five local counties HAVANA – The Northwest Florida Water Management District received more than $15.3 million for springs-related projects from Governor Rick Scott’s 2016-17 Florida First Budget. The money, which comes through the Department of Environmental Protection, will be used to fund eight springs restoration and protection projects in Bay, Jackson, Leon, Wakulla, and Washington counties. “Governor Scott, DEP Secretary Jon Steverson and the Florida Legislature have once again shown their commitment to restoring and protecting...

Walton County fishing report for July 13

Fishing is good Bay: Good trout bite, some redfish. River: Good flathead catfish bites along with some bass, hybrids, and shellcracker. Click here for fishing forecast Bay and river report brought to you by Copeland’s. “Where the locals shop and the tourists are welcome.” Click here to find out more about Copeland’s. Copeland’s Gun and Tackle Shop 17290 U.S. Hwy. 331 S Freeport, Florida 32439 (850) 835-4277 Store hours: Mon. – Fri.: 6 a.m. – 5:30 p.m. Sat.: 6 a.m....

Learn about pollinators at Topsail Hill Preserve State Park July 20

Date/time: July 20, 2016 – 9 – 10 a.m. Topsail Hill Preserve State Park invites you to enjoy an informational program about one of the most important species in the world, the common honeybee. More than 25,000 species of bees have been identified around the world, with 3,500 within the continental US. Of all of these species, only eight to ten of them are known today as “honey bees”. Without pollinators like the honeybee, there would be no fruit, no...