Head out to the Choctawhatchee River with Backwater Tours
Guided tour – Boating
Interested in exploring a tucked away crystal clear spring on the Choctawhatchee River? Head out and discover nature at its best on with a river cruise with Backwater Tours.
Captain Andy Coleman knows the Choctawhatchee River waterways and shares stories of its history as a major thoroughfare for logging and commerce. Living here and exploring the area since 1976, Capt. Andy will take you to some tucked away places only the locals know. One of those special places is a spring run with clear, cool water.
The vessel is a 26 ½ ft. Panga that glides through the water smooth and easy. A a nature lover himself, Capt. Andy also enjoys exploring the water on a YOLO stand up paddle board. He will bring a few boards along to explore the crystal clear waters of a spring run.
The vessel can hold up to six adventurers, and snacks and drinks are provided. Four hour and two hour tours are available. The boat launches from the Point Washington boat ramp on CR395 in Santa Rosa Beach.
Expect to see a variety of wading birds, osprey, turtles, and maybe a gator or two. Head out and explore the real Florida with Backwater Tours.
Call Andy Coleman at (323)353-7859.
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Learn about creatures great and small at Appleseed Kids Gulf Sea Life Discover Center
A new opportunity for learning all about our Gulf of Mexico, bays, and coastal dune lakes has just become available in south Walton. The Appleseed Kids Sea Life Discovery Center in Grayton Beach offers a wide variety of environmental educational programs, which educates through lab studies, snorkel adventures, kayak/stand up paddle trips, and more.
The new non-profit science center owned and operated by fisheries scientist Joe Moore, will be hands on learning with programs in house and field trips. Some of the trips planned include snorkeling the artificial reef off of Grayton Beach State Park, snorkeling the grass beds near St. Andrew’s State Park, and 2-day camps with the Choctawhatchee Basin Alliance working with the oyster reef restorations.
Moore has plans to not only educate visitors to our area, but also children from schools across Walton County. Educational birthday parties are in the works as part of the offerings as well.
Moore has a strong history in environmental education. In the 90s he started teaching science in the Florida Keys, and has hosted educational vacations for the last nine years with Appleseed Expeditions.
“Many people don’t understand our environment, especially the unique coastal dune lakes,” said Moore. “Additionally, our focus is to inspire a sense of purpose in the lives of the participants, who will go on to be involved in conservation programs that protect our ocean environment.”
Moore grew up in less than perfect conditions, and has a strong desire to offer field trips to those that might not otherwise afford the experience or have an opportunity to learn about sea life. He hopes to educate the less fortunate with funds from tourism dollars.
The Sea Life Discovery Center is located at 37 Logan Lane, Santa Rosa Beach. To learn more, go to 30asealife.org, email info@sealife.org, or call (850) 419-7703.
The grand opening will be March 9, 2018 from 5:30 – 7:30 p.m.
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Get aboard Nonie’s Ark for a wildlife adventure
Guide Services – Environmental education parties and guided evening hikes for children
Local wildlife educator makes learning about wildlife a fun event
Contact: noniesark.com
Walton County resident Nonie Maines has loved wildlife as long as she can remember. Growing up in South Florida, Nonie’s step-father would bring home unwanted or abandoned exotic pets while working as a pool installer. Nonie and her mother would nurse the critters back to health and raise them.
Learning about animal husbandry along the way, Nonie went on to get a summer job at the animal nursery at Busch Gardens right out of high school. Her career has been wrapped around animal care and education ever since.
Nonie’s love for animals is what inspired her to create Nonie’s Ark wildlife encounter parties, geared for children ages 5-11.
Nonie calls herself an “edutainer,” part educator, part entertainer. With more than 30 animals in her repertoire, Nonie educates children about wildlife and the risks involved in owning exotic pets. Children interact with the animals as Nonie explains the animal’s biology. Wildlife included in her shows may include a tarantula, turtle, snake, frog, severe macaw and a hissing cockroach. Click here to continue
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A peaceful journey for nature lovers awaits at the Shoal Sanctuary
Host guided tour – Nature preserve in North Walton
Contact: Robert and Chris Larson: Call first for reservations: Phone: (850) 651-0392
For more information, go to: www.ShoalSanctuary.com
Tucked away off the beaten path in north Walton County there is a unique outdoor experience for nature lovers called the Shoal Sanctuary.
Located on 50 acres of trails, sculptures and serene vistas, proprietors Robert and Chris Larson welcome visitors to their retreat dedicated to sharing the beauty of the outdoor experience and appreciation of Mother Nature’s gifts.
Recorded history dates back to the 1830s. The property is believed to of been along the path of the “Trail Of Tears.” After the U.S. government’s “Indian Removal Act,” Cherokee, Seminole, Creek, Timuquan, Muskhogean, and Apalachee were forced migrate west, and lore sites a leg of that journey along the old Indian footpath now called Crowder Chapel Road near the retreat. Local Native Americans have said that Shoal Sanctuary was once a ceremonial gathering place. Click here to continue
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Seacrest Wolf Preserve provides safe haven for displaced gray wolves and an experience not easily forgotten
Host guided tour – Gray wolf preserve, Chipley, Fla.
Contact: Cynthia Watkins (850) 773-2897 www.seacrestwolfpreserve.org
Cynthia Watkins, owner of the Seacrest Wolf Preserve has been fond of animals as long as she can remember. A show breeder of Siberian Huskies early on in her career, she became interested in the conservation of wolves in the 1980s. In 1995, Cynthia became involved with the Yellowstone National Park Wolf Reintroduction Program where she experienced her first physical contact with a wolf.
“The experience stoked the fire of conservation in my heart,” Cynthia said beaming with enthusiasm for the animals.
What started off as a small conservation effort in 1999, Cynthia and her husband Wayne now care for 25 pure gray wolves along with several other animals at their preserve.
The primary goal of the Seacrest Wolf Preserve is to provide a safe, humane habitat for displaced wolves. Their interpretive educates visitors on their beauty, intelligence and importance of the animal’s role as a keystone species in their natural environment. Click here to continue
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A journey to the Glendale Memorial Nature Preserve
Host guided tour – Nature Preserve, North Walton
Contact John Wilkerson: Call ahead for reservations: (850) 859-2141
www.glendalenaturepreserve.org
Up in the Northern part of Walton County sits an extraordinary and interesting place called the Glendale Memorial Nature Preserve. What a great morning I had off the beaten path, exploring living things, rusted things, and eco-friendly methods of laying the deceased to rest. Where else can you find a bamboo farm, Rustaphorian sculptures, a chufa farmer and a green burial ground?
John Wilkerson, along with his brother Bill and John’s better half, Allison run the Preserve, and offer the only green burial option available in Northwest Florida. Not only can you acquire this eco-friendly option, the Wilkerson’s offer what John calls “the perfect eco coup.”
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