Nature

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Learn about alligators at Topsail June 15

Time: 1:30 p.m. Once they were hunted, then they were protected, now they are farmed.  Come and learn the facts and history of the American Alligator.  Park at the Day-Use area off Hwy 30A. Take a short hike to the club house. Fees: Program included in the park admission fee of $6.00 per vehicle. Topsail Hill Preserve State Park is located at 7525 W. Scenic Highway 30A, Santa Rosa Beach, Florida 32459. For more information, call (850) 267-8330 ::MAP::...

North Florida nightfall brings out diversity of bats, biologists

13 different species of bats exist in Florida As night falls over north Florida, a band of 66 men and women split into small groups to find bats in damp, mosquito-rich places in the Panhandle, like Apalachicola National Forest, Joe Budd Wildlife Management Area and St. Marks National Wildlife Refuge. To ensnare the bats, biologists hoist nearly invisible “mist nets” as tall as trees. They wait for hours in the dark. They have equipment out on portable tables, so they...

Enjoy a quick, cool water paddle down Seven Runs creek in Bruce

Small scenic creek in Walton County a quiet journey of natural beauty Quick moving Seven Runs creek, just north of Bruce, is a scenic paddling experience in Northern Walton County. This short, 2-mile paddle provides a few twists and turns before it flows into the swampy Dead River area near the Choctawhatchee River. Magnificent twisted cypress trees tower out of the forest floor, mingling with varieties of hardwoods, providing a beautiful overhead canopy. The perfect habitat for the songbirds you...

Gopher Tortoise Management Plan draft ready for public input

Did you know a gopher tortoise burrow provides a home for hundreds of other species? A new draft of the five-year update to the Gopher Tortoise Management Plan for the state is available for review. The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC) is asking for public input. The threatened gopher tortoise is classified as a keystone species, because its extensive burrows offer shelter to more than 350 other species such as the federally threatened eastern indigo snake. Gopher tortoises...

Transit of Venus and evening star gaze at Henderson Beach State Park June 5

Join in on an evening of planet and stargazing Time: 5 – 10 p.m. Henderson Beach State Park will host a once-in-a-lifetime event, the transit of Venus. The Venus transit begins at approximately 5 p.m. and will be seen as a small dot gliding across the face of the sun.  This rare event will not happen again until the year 2117. Volunteers from the Northwest Florida Astronomy Association will set up several telescopes for public viewing of the Venus transit....

Learn about spiders at Topsail May 26

Become arachnid savvy Date/Time: Sat., May 26, 2 p.m. Location: Topsail Hill Preserve State Park Did you know spiders are arachnids, but not all arachnids are spiders? In fact, there are over 35,000 named species of spiders worldwide and Florida has the honor of having the most diverse group in the eastern US. Come out and join the folks at Topsail and learn more about some of the most famous members of the arachnid family. Park at the Day-Use area...

Local captures Destin’s natural landscape in photographs

Daily stress therapy has its rewards Destin resident Scotty Lisenbe has a sure cure for dealing with his day-to-day stress of working long hours. He stops, explores the natural surroundings around him, and then documents his daily journey in photographs. On his daily work commute from Destin to Fort Walton Beach, Lisenbe gets up early each morning and visits a special area along his way. A location chock full of nesting herons and a variety of other shorebirds makes for...