Environment

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Keep your eyes to the sky for white pelicans migrating through Northwest Florida

By Stan Kirkland, Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission One of the many benefits of living in the Florida panhandle and particularly near the coast is the vast variety of wildlife we often see. Daily, you’re apt to see bald eagles, ospreys, fox squirrels, black bears, wild turkeys, deer and numerous other species. It’s all about being in the right place at the right time. One species you may miss that’s migrating through our area now are white pelicans. Just...

Red tide organism are currently present along Escambia, Santa Rosa, Okaloosa, Walton, and Bay counties

Nov. 13, 2015 – As evident from recent satellite images, fish kill reports, and analysis of water samples, blooms of the Florida red tide organism are currently present along Escambia, Santa Rosa, Okaloosa, Walton, and Bay counties in Northwest Florida and Pinellas, Manatee, Sarasota, Charlotte, and Lee counties in Southwest Florida. In Northwest Florida over the past week, Karenia brevis was detected in low concentrations in one sample collected alongshore of Escambia County; in very low concentrations in 3 samples...

Volunteers needed for oyster shell bagging Nov. 10, 14, 21

The Choctawhatchee Basin Alliance is seeking volunteers to help bag and build oyster reefs on Nov. 10, 14, 21. 2015. The project will be from 9 a.m. – 1 p.m. You will be bagging oyster shell at the South Walton Center of Northwest Florida State College, 109 Greenway Trail, Santa Rosa Beach. You will travel (about 5 miles) as a group to place bagged oyster shell in the water at a park nearby in Santa Rosa Beach, FL. Some transportation...

Volunteers needed for invasive plant removal Nov. 11

Choctawhatchee Basin Alliance (CBA) is seeking volunteers to assist with invasive plant removal. The Longleaf Alliance is partnering with CBA to cut down invasive Chinese tallow and mimosa trees and you will be helping haul the tree debris (limbs and cut up trunks) from participating properties to a collection point. Wear clothes and close-toed shoes that you don’t mind getting dirty. Bring sunscreen, snacks, a water bottle and a hat. Water, snacks, and gloves will be provided. Meet at the...

Red tide status currently high in Walton County

Oct 28, 2015 You may want to reconsider talking a walk along the beaches in South Walton for a few days. Red tide is present in high concentrations, and is present in Western Lake, which has had an inflow from the Gulf due to the recent rain events. Dead fish as a result of the red tide have washed ashore on the beach and lake. Blooms of the Florida red tide organism, Karenia brevis, are present in, along, and offshore...

Hazmat collection day in north and south Walton Nov. 7

The Walton Board of County Commissioners is sponsoring a project to collect, recycle, treat and properly dispose of these and other household hazardous wastes: Pesticides – Used Oil – Stale Gasoline – Solvents – Fertilizers – Paint – Paint Thinners – Paint Strippers – Batteries – Furniture Polish – Brake Fluid – Engine Degreasers – Anti-Freeze – Pool Chemicals – Insecticides – Spot Removers Waste tire amnesty will also be held on the same date, during the same hours and...

Consider the Bear

Editorial River current slipped my kayak around cypress knees and beneath the arms of tupelo gum, but my mind was wrapped around black bears: the state wildlife commissioners had just voted to open a hunting season on them, beginning October 24. As we left the woods, a black bear cub galloped across the dirt road in front of our car. Could hunters legally shoot such a small bear, we wondered? Would they? Really? And how would a cub survive if...