Environment

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Oyster reef construction volunteers needed June 29

The Choctawhatchee Basin Alliance is looking for volunteers to help build an oyster reef in Point Washington on June 29. The project will last from 9 a.m. – 2 p.m. You will be bagging oyster shell at the South Walton Center of Northwest Florida State College. Everyone will travel as a group to place bagged oyster shell in the water at a reef site near Point Washington. Some transportation to reef site is available. Meet at the South Walton Center...

FWC prohibits campfires on public lands it manages until wildfire threat subsides

In light of significant drought conditions and the increased threat of wildfires, the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC), in cooperation with the state Division of Forestry and other partner agencies, issued an executive order June 16 prohibiting campfires in wildlife management areas, wildlife and environmental areas and all other lands it manages. The order went into effect at 12:01 a.m. June 17 and remains in effect until rescinded by a subsequent order. The FWC joins the DOF, the...

FWC to taking steps to remove Florida black bear from threatened species list

From the Desk of the FWC By Stan Kirkland, FWC The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC) took the initial step this week in removing the Florida black bear and 15 other species from the state’s list of threatened species. In 2007 the Commission began a review of threatened species to see which had recovered and warranted removal from the list, and which should remain. The review focused on 61 species and involved more than 200 experts – 174...

Manatees visit Northwest Florida in summer months

Gentle giants can be seen in the Choctawhatchee Bay and as far west as Escambia County By Stan Kirkland, Public Information Coordinator, Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission Northwest Region It’s been six or seven years since a guy in a plaid shirt and shorts walked into our Deer Point office one summer morning and said a big manatee was hanging around the Deer Point Dam. I grabbed my camera and drove the quarter mile to the dam and the...

E.O. Wilson Biophilia Center open to the public

Center open on weekends The E.O. Wilson Biophilia Center is now open to the public on weekends. The Center offers education on a better understanding of our environment; with its focus on the importance of biodiversity, ecosystems, conservation, preservation and restoration of our natural resources.  The hands-on environmental learning facility had previously only been open to serve students, teachers and professional audiences. The exhibition hall showcases exhibits of bees, snakes and turtles, forest and wetland habitats and hands-on interpretive displays....

E.O. Wilson Biophilia Center open house June 3

Discover this wonderful environmental learning facility Time: 9 a.m. – 3 p.m. Previously available exclusively to school groups, the E. O. Wilson Biophilia Center will open to the public thanks to an innovative public-private partnership between the Walton County Tourist Development Council (TDC) and the Center’s visionary, M.C. Davis. Nestled within 49,000 of some of the most bio-diverse acres in the continental U.S., this amazing state-of-the-art, LEED certified educational facility offers visitors the unique opportunity to observe and interact with...

Walton County Health Department issues rabies alert for Grayton Beach

Fox has tested positive for rabies The Walton County Health Department Administrator, Gail Allen, has issued a rabies alert for the Grayton Beach area of Walton County. This is in response to a fox that tested positive for rabies reported on May 23, 2011. All citizens in Walton County should be aware that rabies is present in the wild animal population and domestic animals are at risk if not vaccinated. The public is asked to maintain a heightened awareness that...