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Econfina Creek history overview and discussion at Pitt Spring Sept. 30

Learn about the Econfina’s rich history and restoration efforts Econfina Creek has attracted varied cultures and conflicts over the millennia.  Five experts will give an overview of the Creek’s rich historical resources during a panel discussion titled, Econfina Creek: Preserving Water Resource History, at Pitt Spring on Friday, Sept. 30, 10-11:30 a.m. central time.  The event is hosted by Northwest Florida Water Management District. A public discussion will follow presentations by Archaeologist Gregory A. Mikell, Florida State University History Professor...

Welcome first day of fall

The autumnal equinox, the official first day of fall, is Friday, Sept. 23, 2011 On the autumnal equinox, the sun is directly over the earth’s equator, and there are equal hours of day and night. Since the summer solstice, days have been getting shorter, and from now until the vernal equinox, the days will remain shorter than nights....

Railroad vines bloom along South Walton beaches

Beautiful plant strengthens sand dunes Always a pleasant sight along our beaches, the beautiful blooming railroad vine is also an important protector of our sand dunes. As with the sea oats, the plant helps to stabilize the dunes by rooting at nodes all along its length, and is often planted for that purpose. Each flower opens only once, in the morning, but keep blooming almost all year long, peaking from May through November. The railroad vine (Ipomoea pes-caprae) is native...

Does the ivory-bill woodpecker still exist?

No recent evidence of bird existing in Florida From the Desk of FWC –  By Stan Kirkland, FWC In the spring of 2005, news swept the United States and much of the world that the ivory-billed woodpecker, long thought to be extinct, had been found in the Cache River National Wildlife Refuge (NWR) in Arkansas. The news was electrifying to birders and conservation groups. Gene Sparling, an amateur ornithologist from Hot Springs, Ark., reported seeing a single adult male ivory-bill...

Choctawhatchee Audubon events and programs for October

Learn and explore with Choctawhatchee Audubon OCTOBER 6: MONTHLY MEETING: Birder fanciers and aspiring citizen scientists will find much to digest at the next meeting of the Choctawhatchee Audubon Society on  Thursday, October 6. Rick West, Coordinator of the Florida Ornithological Society’s “Breeding Bird Atlas of Florida II” project, will present an overview of this important work. This effort attempts to record the breeding distribution of all bird species in the state, and helps to detect changes in the distribution...