Nature

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Leatherback sea turtle nests at Topsail Hill Preserve State Park

This past Sunday,  South Walton received a very special visitor. Along the beach of Topsail Hill Preserve State Park, a leatherback sea turtle came ashore to nest.  Leatherbacks are the largest of all sea turtles in Florida, and are endangered. The track from the beach to the nest was 7 feet across. The nest’s body pit was 18 feet across, Assistant Park Manager, George Royal informed us. Nesting leatherbacks are a rarity in the Florida Panhandle, with less than a...

Explore the sights and sounds of nature at night July 29

Dates/times:  July 29 – 7:30 – 9 p.m. The Choctawhatchee Basin Alliance (CBA), in partnership with Northwest Florida State College, announces the summer season of its popular eco-tourism initiative, Eco Adventures of Walton County. Discover the sights and sounds of nature at night. Nonie’s Ark Animal Encounters will guide evening Eco-Adventures for the Choctawhatchee Basin Alliance this summer on Wednesdays. A minimum of five Eventurer’s are needed and a maximum of 25. We will meet at some of Walton County’s...

Public invited to participate in Florida fox squirrel population study

Have you seen any fox squirrels? In Florida, the fox squirrel can be found in almost every county, but the distribution is patchy and not well understood. To better understand fox squirrel distribution, a new research project conducted by the University of Florida Department of Wildlife Ecology and Conservation and the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission is asking people across the state to report their fox squirrel sightings. The fox squirrel, named for its fox–like tail, is a charismatic...

Learn about animals and tracks at Grayton Beach State Park July 22

Date/time: Wednesday July 22nd at 2 p.m. Join Park Ranger Chad for “Whose been walking in the forest.” Learn about the different animal tracks found in the park and the animals that they belong to. Participants will be able to make a plaster mold of some of the animal tracks. This is a fun program for the entire family. Sunscreen, drinking water, appropriate clothing, and hat are suggested. This program will take approximately 1 hour. Directions: Grayton Beach State Park...

Guided coastal dune lake tour July 24

CANCELLED Time: 9:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. This educational tour will introduce participants to the Jewels of 30A – the coastal dune lakes of Walton County, Florida. Coastal dune lakes are extremely rare ecosystems, which exist in just a few places around the world. They are primarily freshwater systems that sit along the coastline. But here in South Walton, the lakes periodically break through the beach and connect to the Gulf of Mexico. A saltwater exchange occurs, which supports an...