Nature

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Nature lovers celebrate 25 years of South Walton conservation land

As our community  grows, many residents and visitors continue to be in awe of the extraordinary amount of recreation land we have in South Walton county. However, some newcomers have no idea how we acquired such a vast and beautiful landscape enjoyed by many. Topsail Hill Preserve State Park and Point Washington State Forest almost didn’t happen. Thanks to the support from organizations such as The Nature Conservancy, an energetic group of advocates from 4-Mile Village, local conservation group Beach...

Guided kayak tour of Rocky Bayou May 19

Date/time: Friday May 19, 9 – 11 a.m. Join a Park Ranger for a unique opportunity to paddle Rocky Bayou. The paddle will go along the shoreline of Rocky Bayou to Rocky Creek and back to the park. The event will be held at Fred Gannon Rocky Bayou State Park. Rocky Bayou is a fresh to brackish water system supporting a large variety of fish and shellfish, including the federally endangered Okaloosa darter. Osprey and bald eagles are known to...

Family Estuary Festival in Niceville April 8

Date/time: Saturday, April 8th from 11 a.m. – 4 p.m. The 10th Annual Family Estuary Festival, a free family and community event for all ages, will be held Saturday, April 8th from 11 a.m. – 4 p.m. at Fred Gannon Rocky Bayou State Park, located at 4281 Highway 20 East in Niceville. There is no park entrance fee for the festival which offers fun activities, hand-on displays and environmental awareness. The event is hosted by the Mattie M. Kelly Cultural...

Camp Helen State Park 20th anniversary celebration March 25

Date/time: Saturday, March 25, 8:30 a.m. – 2 p.m. The month of March marks the 20th anniversary of Camp Helen as a State Park. From 1945 to 1987 Camp Helen was the summer resort for employees of Avondale Mills, an Alabama-based textile company. In response to a Panama City News Herald letter to the editor from Mrs. Helen Schroeder, popular support, and hard work by the local community, the Camp Helen property was acquired by the State in 1996. Join...