Nature

Tag

Mountain Film tour coming to WaterColor Nov. 1 and 2, 2013

Adventure, life lessons and environmental messages brand this tour as an international quest to encourage change and education through striking imagery and stories of perseverance. WaterColor Resort offers an outdoor setting for these moving films with a starry backdrop to enhance the unfolding clips of thought provoking films. Festival gates open at 6:00 p.m. Films begin at 7:00 p.m. Selections of festival fare, wine and beer available for purchase. Please bring a blanket or chairs for seating. Please note: *...

Gopher tortoises find refuge at Nokuse Plantation

More than 3,400 tortoises thrive at preserve in Walton County In its natural habitat many years ago, the gopher tortoise was a thriving species in Northwest Florida. This medium-sized tortoise with a gray or amber to dark brown shell is as old as the sandhills it loves. It is one of the oldest species on Earth, dating back to the Pleistocene Epoch – the Ice Age. Gopher tortoises are long-lived reptiles that occupy upland habitat throughout Florida including forests, pastures,...

FWC asks public to share bear sightings, stash trash

Black bears bulking up for season In fall, the world is an all-you-can-eat buffet for Florida black bears. Programmed to pack in extra calories before winter, bears can smell food a mile away and will eat almost anything. Bears may decide an overflowing trash can is easier pickings than searching for acorns and berries. The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC) reminds the public this is a critical time of year to properly store garbage, pet food and birdseed...

Former Red Bay resident shares family history, photos of Lost Lake

Area along the Choctawhatchee River boasts long history of outdoor recreation, logging Former Walton County resident DeWayne Ray has fond memories of fishing and hunting around the Red Bay area of Walton County. According to Ray, his ancestors the Chamberlains, Tiners and McDonalds spent time fishing and hunting at Lost Lake (now named Lost Lake at Tilley Landing) as far back as the 1830s. The family owned property where the old road began to the lake from Red Bay. “My...

Star Gazing by the shore at Henderson Beach State Park Oct. 12

Time: 4 – 10 p.m. The Department of Environmental Protection’s Henderson Beach State Park will host a star gazing program.  Volunteers from the Northwest Florida Astronomy Association will set up several telescopes for public viewing of star clusters, planets, and galaxies, and answer questions about the night sky. Also, prior to sunset, their telescopes will be equipped for safe viewing of the sun.  All ages are invited to enjoy an evening of star gazing.  The park will close at sunset. ...