Nature festival a weekend of outdoor fun

Join the South Walton Community Council for a fun weekend of nature based activities Oct. 15-17. The Back to Nature Festival offers visitors and locals an opportunity to explore the natural beauty of Walton County.

Kayak the dune lakes, take a river safari, go on an ecology walk, or bring the family to Seaside for a day of family fun.

Most events are about two hours long and cost $10 unless otherwise noted. Events will be closed after maximum participant limits are reached so register early! Registration will begin in mid-September. To register, Click here

Friday, Oct. 15

6 p.m. – Welcome Night at Bud and Alley’s - Come to the welcome night for the 9th Annual Back to Nature Festival at Bud and Alley’s Restaurant in Seaside!  Enjoy a strolling dinner with complimentary house selected wine or beer and cash bar.  You will have the opportunity to meet event leaders and fellow nature enthusiasts, register for events, and preview selected items for our silent auction to be held on Saturday.  All proceeds from the silent auction and a percentage of proceeds from the strolling dinner go to benefit the mission of the SWCC, to preserve and protect our natural environment.  $25 per person. ::MAP:: Read More…

Posted under Biking, Birding, Eco tourism adventure, Kayak/Canoe, Nature, Outdoor Family Fun, paddle/surf/boat

Rib-bit!

Location/time: Topsail Hill Preserve State Park  – 7:30 p.m.

Come and join the folks at Topsail  for a program on native frogs and toads of northwest Florida. Learn all about these noisy yet elusive creatures. Discover where they might be found, how to distinguish species by their unique calls, and their adaptations for survival in this fun and informative outdoor slideshow presentation.  Park at the Day-Use area off Hwy 30A and take a short hike to the outdoor amphitheater.

All programs require a $6.00 entry admission per vehicle into the park.

::MAP::

Posted under Nature, Outdoor Family Fun

Bring your snorkeling gear and explore Cypress Spring. Lori Ceier/Walton Outdoors

Take a short paddle to a cool spring

Don’t have all day but interested in finding a great place to cool off? Head up to Vernon and take a short paddle up to Cypress Spring from Culpepper Landing for a refreshing dip in a magnitude 2 spring.

The paddle upstream is approximately .75 mile and moderate as the Holmes Creek has a fairly slow current in this area. You will see the spring run’s clear water on the left. Paddle a short distance and you will have arrived at Cypress Spring. The spring run is full of native water plants including spatterdock and pickerelweed. Turtles and fish are abundant as well.

The spring is located on private property so paddling or boating is the only access to this clear spring.

Culpepper Creek boat ramp has adequate parking and picnic facilities.

Directions:
Take Hwy. 79 to Vernon. Take CR277 (blinking light) for 2 miles to the Washington County Boat Ramp (Culpepper Landing).

Holmes Creek Boat Ramp
(Culpepper Landing)
3081 Culpepper Ln
Vernon, Fl 32462
Picnic Facilities Boat Ramp

::MAP::

Posted under Eco tourism adventure, Kayak/Canoe, Nature

Florida Trail Association – Choctawhatchee and Western Gate Chapters

Activities August/September 2010

Courtesy http://choctaw.floridatrail.org

Activity Participants Please note: Contact the activity leader well in advance for more information and/or to reserve your place (Space is limited.) Unless instructed otherwise by the activity leader, each participant should bring: day pack, plenty of water (recommended minimum, 2 quarts), sun protection (hat, glasses, screen), insect repellent, lunch and or snacks, adequate clothing for the forecast, and comfortable, sturdy close toed shoes with socks. Long pants, work gloves, and extra water are recommended for work hikes. Activity leaders may deny participation to anyone who is inadequately prepared.

The Western Gate Chapter (western area) and Choctawhatchee Chapter (eastern area) span a longitude difference greater than 80 miles. All activities are open to the public unless noted otherwise. Read More…

Posted under Kayak/Canoe, Nature, Outdoor Family Fun, Trails/Hiking

Jarhead and a sibling elude biologists trying to capture it. Photo courtesy FWC

Black bear cub in Marion County recovers from sticky situation

It took 10 days for Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC) biologists to catch a black bear cub in Marion County that was days away from death. They were ultimately successful, but it took extraordinary efforts from both FWC employees and local residents working together.

The 6-month-old cub, its two siblings and mother were regular visitors to unsecured trash containers in a small community near Weirsdale, in the Ocala National Forest. One day in late July, FWC dispatch got a call from one of the residents concerned about a cub running around with a clear, industrial-size plastic jar stuck on its head. The jar made it almost impossible for the cub to eat or drink.

The FWC’s Mike Orlando, Brian Scheick and Cathy Connolly, and Mike Connolly, a bear-response agent for the agency, knew that if they didn’t catch the cub, affectionately dubbed “Jarhead,” it would die, so they developed a plan to trap it.
“It was a lot easier said than done,” Orlando said. “The residents were really great about calling us when they saw the bears, but it seemed like we were always about 20 minutes behind.”
Read More…

Posted under Nature

What better way to spend the day than exploring the outdoors!

Walton Outdoors and the Walton County 4-H Program announce Explore The Outdoors Festival at Camp Timopoochee 4-H Center on Sat. Oct. 9, 2010 from 10 a.m. – 3 p.m.

Join us for a day of fun filled activities for youth and adults. Discover the wonders of the outdoors right here in Northwest Florida. Activities will include kayaking, fishing, YOLO boarding, nature walks, archery, wildlife and sea life presentations, forest ecology, geo caching, nature based games and more.

Hot dogs, hamburgers, chips and drinks will be available. This fun event is free and open to the public. Donations will be accepted at the door. Registration is required. Click here to download registration form

Camp Timpoochee 4-H Center is a camping retreat owned by the University of Florida 4-H Foundation with acres of live oaks and nature trails along the Choctawhatchee Bay on the Walton/Okaloosa County line. ::MAP::

For more information, contact Lori Ceier, event organizer via email at: info@waltonoutdoors.com or at (850) 267-2064 or Suzanne Wilson 4-H Youth Development Agent at (850) 892-8172.

Posted under Eco tourism adventure, Nature, Outdoor Family Fun, Parks, Trails/Hiking

This young fawn rests comfortably and protected under branches along the Florida Trail near Alaqua. Photo courtesy Nonie Maines, http://www.noniesark.com/

Rescues may do more harm than good

This time of year, the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC) begins getting calls about “abandoned” baby wild animals that well-meaning people believe are in need of rescue. These rescues are unnecessary, and they actually may do more harm than good.

After giving birth, adult wildlife must forage to provide food for themselves and their young. That requires the adult animals to leave their newborns for short periods. The little one may look like it’s been abandoned, but that seldom is the case.
Common targets of unnecessary rescues are baby deer, temporarily left in a safe place while their mothers feed nearby.
“In most cases, it is absolutely not in the fawn’s best interest to try and rescue it,” said Allan Hallman, wildlife biologist at the FWC’s Camp Blanding field office.

Hallman says what typically happens is someone discovers a young deer waiting for its mother. Often, people stumble onto fawns in palmetto patches or in recently burned areas, where a doe has placed her new offspring for protection. These settings tend to help mask the fawn’s scent, thus providing good protection from the keen nose of a predator.
Read More…

Posted under Nature

Indigo bunting towers over the entrance to the exhibition hall at the E.O. Wilson Biophilia Center.

Enjoy hiking, films and activities for all ages

The E.O. Wilson Biophilia Center at Nokuse Plantation will host its first “Annual Open House” Event on Saturday, September 11, from 9 a.m. – 3 p.m.  The exhibit hall will be open, guided hikes will be available, scheduled films will be featured, and activities for all ages will be scheduled.  Drop in anytime from 9 a.m. – 3 p.m. or pack a lunch and stay a while.  Public is welcome.

For more information, please visit the E. O. Wilson Biophilia Center website at www.eowilsoncenter.org or call 850-835-1824.
Open House Schedule

Posted under Eco tourism adventure, Environment, Nature, Outdoor Family Fun, Trails/Hiking

Lisa Miller and Phoenix, a red shouldered hawk.

A look at the dedicated volunteers that nurse injured wildlife back to health

Ever wonder what to do if you found an injured bird, turtle or squirrel? As we edge closer to spring, this could be the case, as sometimes young are found abandoned, or a baby bird has fallen from a nest.

It is comforting to know that there is help available, and there are two groups in the Walton area that are able to nurse the animal back to health.

Wildlife Rehabilitators Partnership of Northwest Florida is a full-time volunteer organization that has been rehabilitating injured wildlife in the Niceville area since 2005.

Founding members Lisa Miller and Kim Henderson operate an all-volunteer network of animal rehabilitators, and are certified by State of Florida and U.S. Fish and Wildlife to handle rehabilitation of animals.

Miller harbors many of the injured or abandoned wildlife at her home, which a large portion of, been converted into a sanctuary.

“We have the ability to watch over the animals 24/7,” Miller explained.

“Our mission to rehabilitate and release. The animals that are not able to be released, we incorporate into our educational program.” Miller continued.

The group gives interactive presentations about wildlife to groups as a service to the community.

Wildlife Rehabilitators can be reached at 850.678.6584 or 850.974.6584, or 850.729.0197.
For more information about Wildlife Rehabilitators, go to: http://wildliferehabilitatorspartnership.com/

I visited with the Lisa Miller and her partners at a recent event. Below is a portion of one of their demonstrations:

Emerald Coast Wildlife Refuge (ECWR) is another facility to call if you are in need of assistance. For more than 14 years, the ECWR has cared for a variety of wildlife – from stranded dolphins to injured eagles, to orphaned foxes.

Patrick Gault with a barred owl.

Supported mostly through the donations of local residents and businesses, the ECWR is also involved in education, conservation and rehabilitation of natural fauna.

The ECWR is located on Okaloosa Island at 105 Santa Rosa Blvd
Fort Walton Beach, FL 32548. To contact ECWR, call 850.650.1880, or visit their website at www.ecwildliferefuge.com

I took a visit over to the refuge and met with Patrick Gault, the assistant director of the refuge. Gault and two volunteers, Lisa Werenskjold and Paul Brachcolmb showed me some of the residents and guests at the refuge.

Here is a video of some of the residents at ECWR:

Posted under Nature

Diamond back rattle snake is venomous. Photo courtesy FWC.

Native snakes of Florida program offers fascinating facts

Thursday, Aug. 19 – 1:30 p.m.

Come and join the park for a presentation of native snakes. Learn the differences between venomous and non-venomous snakes and how they help the environment. Park at the Day-Use area off Hwy 30A and take a short hike to the clubhouse. All programs require a $6.00 entry admission per vehicle into the park.

Location: Topsail Hill Preserve State Park on Scenic Road 30A in Santa Rosa Beach – Click here for map

Contact: 850-267-8330

Posted under Environment, Nature, Parks