Nature

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Artists gather to paint for a good cause

Amanda Usrey, artist and proprietor of Studio by the Sea, hosted a painting class for a good cause on May 18. The plein air class was held along Campbell Lake at Topsail Hill Preserve State Park. The fundraiser for Choctawhatchee Basin Alliance, brought in more than $500. It was a great turnout with 17 participants replicating a painting previously painted by Usrey. Warm breezes and a view of the lake made for a perfect day for art. Topsail Hill Preserve...

New book released about South Walton’s coastal dune lakes

Part-time South Walton resident and nature lover, Ginger Sinton has penned a colorful book on Walton County’s beautiful coastal dune lakes. The area’s rare coastal dune lakes are 15 dynamic, geological treasures. The full-color, 112-page, softbound photo book reveals the beauty and rarity of the lakes and surrounding communities along the Scenic Highway 30A area. Author and photographer Ginger Jackson Sinton explores the beauty of the lakes and the diversity of their ecosystems. With an eye for nature and the...

FWC scientists discover new bass species in Northwest Florida Panhandle

Scientists with the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC) have uncovered a new species of black bass in the southeastern United States. Scientists have proposed naming the new species the Choctaw bass and recommended the scientific name of Micropterus haiaka. They revealed their discovery at a meeting of the Southern Division of the American Fisheries Society earlier this year. FWC scientists first noted a DNA profile that did not belong to any recognized species while testing a bass specimen...

Walton and Okaloosa County students restore critical habitat along the Choctawhatchee Bay

Local third and fifth graders complete the Grasses in Classes program by planting shoreline grasses to restore our environment As the school year draws to an end, students across Okaloosa and Walton Counties are wrapping up a year-long restoration project to protect our environment. Throughout the 2012-2013 school year, approximately 1,300 students participated in Choctawhatchee Basin Alliance’s Grasses in Classes Program. The program encourages students to develop an interest in the local environment by growing shoreline grasses near their school....

Learn about sea turtles at Topsail May 3

Time: 2:30 p.m. The majestic Sea Turtles are getting ready to begin another reproductive season. Last year was one of the best on record at the park. Learn the facts about common Sea Turtles at Topsail.  Be a part of an enlightening program and see what you can do to help preserve these awe inspiring creatures of the sea. Park at the Day-Use area on Hwy 30A and take a short walk with park staff to the clubhouse $6.00 entry...

Happy Earth Day from Walton Outdoors

                  /           / / / / / The love of wilderness is more than a hunger for what is always beyond reach; it is also an expression of loyalty to the earth, the earth which bore us and sustains us, the only paradise we shall ever know, the only paradise we shall ever need – if only we had eyes to see… No, wilderness is not a...

South Walton Turtle Watch takes care of our area’s nesting sea turtles

Sea turtle nesting season runs May 1 – October 31 According to Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission, sea turtles are among the oldest creatures on earth, and have remained essentially unchanged for 110 million years. However, they face an uncertain future. Illegal harvesting, habitat encroachment, and pollution (physical and light) are only some of the issues sea turtles face as the beautiful creatures struggle to stay alive. Each year from May – October, there are four species of Florida...