Beaches

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Beach mouse research volunteers needed Mar. 26 and 27

Learn about the beach mouse as you assist in research Margo Stoddard a University of Florida researcher needs lots of volunteers to help out this Mar. 26 and 27 with her beach mouse project.  The project will consist of planting vegetation (broomsedge) in different spatial configurations.  The objective of this study is to examine the influence of vegetation patch size on beach mouse activity (movement and foraging), and/or installing foraging trays in the field; foraging trays for this study are clear plastic...

South Walton Fire District lifeguards take to the beach Mar. 12

South Walton Fire District lifeguards will report to eight beach accesses The Beach Safety and Education Program, a partnership between the SWFD and the South Walton Tourist Development Council (TDC), has begun its 6th season. The annual training academy lasts 80 hours and consists of medical, surf rescue techniques, beach and water surveillance techniques, strength and stamina conditioning, Fire District policies/procedures and communications. “Training at this time of year in the Gulf is particularly challenging due to the cold water...

A closer look at Topsail Hill Preserve State Park

The crown jewel of the Florida Panhandle offers miles of beautiful beaches Topsail Hill State Preserve must be seen to be appreciated. It is one of the most diverse natural eco-systems in the state, featuring wet prairies, scrub, pine flatwoods, marshes and cypress domes. The park has more than three miles of pristine beaches and five dune lakes which encompass more than 170 acres on more than 1,637 acres of park. Now known as the “Crown jewel of the Panhandle,”...

Take a hike along a coastal dune lake Feb. 12

Learn about our rare lakes as you hike along Campbell Lake Time 10 a.m. – 11 a.m. Location: Topsail Hill Preserve State Park on Scenic Hwy. 30A. ::MAP:: The Department of Environmental Protection’s Topsail Hill Preserve State Park invites you to come and join them for a hike. Visitors will be guided down the paved bike path for a 3.5 mile hike leading to the rare, pristine Campbell Lake where park rangers will discuss coastal dune lakes. Park at the...

A hidden coastal beauty awaits – Deer Lake State Park

A beautiful walk awaits you in South Walton at Deer Lake State Park Tucked away along Scenic Highway 30A, just west of WaterSound, this spectacular gem of a State Park offers park goers a look at intact ancient sand dune ecosystems. An elevated walkway guides you through a small wooded area, to the rolling dunes, then down to the Gulf of Mexico. Once on the beach, you can take a walk to the west, and discover the park’s namesake, a...

Fishing on Grayton Beach casts a vibrant history

Old friends reminisce about the early days of Grayton Beach fishing Editors note: This story was originally written in February 2009. Gene Wesley passed on Jan. 13, 2011, and Van Ness Butler, Jr. on February 14, 2014. Both men were great outdoors men. Locals in Walton County have enjoyed fishing from Grayton Beach for generations. With a panoramic view of the Gulf, gentle breezes, it doesn’t get any better. Two long-time friends Van Ness Butler, Jr. and Gene Wesley remember...