Plant seedlings, tour exhibit hall, take a guided hike and view a film

The E.O. Wilson Biophilia Center at Nokuse Plantation will be hosting a “Creating a Garden with Children” open house event on Sat. Mar. 27, from 9:00 a.m. – 3:00 p.m.  The exhibit hall will be open, guided hikes will be available, scheduled films will be featured and Master Gardeners will be on hand to assist children in planting seedlings in the center’s new vegetable garden.  Public is welcome.

Come see first hand the facility and staff in action and get a glimpse of what the center offers the students in your county.

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

Posted under Nature, Outdoor Family Fun, Trails/Hiking

Ever dream of becoming a rock star?

The Merchants of Seaside and the Seaside Repertory Theatre presents Seaside Rocks tournaments March 19 and April 9 at the Seaside Amphitheater.  The two separate tournaments give amateurs and experts alike the chance to show off their skill and originality as they compete to win a grand prize of a gift certificate at Best Buy. The tournament is open to players over the age of 13, and there is a $10 registration fee to enter. The final rounds of the tournament will be open to the public in the Seaside Amphitheater at 7:00 p.m., and will conclude with an audience vote to decide the winner. A maximum of 100 contestants may enter for each week. Anyone interested in signing up for the event can visit www.seasiderep.org or call 850-231-0733.
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Posted under Outdoor Family Fun

This outdoor interpretive will focus on tracking animals and finding out how many are in an area any what type with avid tracker Mike Townsend. Meet at the Day-Use parking lot off Hwy 30A and be sure to wear sunscreen and boots.  Be ready to hike at least 2 miles. $6.00 entry admission into the park

Park at the Day-Use area off Hwy 30A.

Call (850) 267-8330 for more details. Located in Santa Rosa Beach, the park is located 1/4 mi. south of U.S. Hwy 98 on western end of Scenic Hwy. 30A.  ::MAP::

Posted under Nature, Outdoor Family Fun, Trails/Hiking

Learn about park wildlife at Topsail Hill Preserve State Park

Location: Topsail Hill Preserve State Park on Scenic Road 30A, Santa Rosa Beach

Saturday, March 13 – 9 a.m. – 10:30 a.m.

Come and join the Rangers of Topsail Hill and ask them all the questions you can think of about park wildlife.  To cover the cost of food please bring $4, which goes to Friends of Topsail Hill Preserve State Park to enhance the park or bring your own breakfast. Park at the Day-Use area off Hwy 30A and take a short hike to the clubhouse.
Contact: (850) 267-0299. ::MAP::

Posted under Outdoor Family Fun

Irish dancers in Seaside. Photo courtesy brandanbabineax.com

Dance an Irish jig at the St. Patrick’s Day celebration in Seaside

The Merchants of Seaside invite everyone to all things Irish during their 2nd annual St. Patrick’s Day celebration. Enjoy the sounds of Irish/Celtic music, and to accompany the live music will be The Drake Irish Dancers of Fort Walton Beach who will be performing a variety of jigs and reels. The school has produced 2 Open Champions and one qualifier for the World Championship Competition. The dancers range in age from as young as 5 to adult. The dancers will take to the stage in the Amphitheater at 6:00 p.m.

If Celtic music is your pleasure, you will not want to miss Mithril taking the stage at 7:00 p.m. Mithril is fast becoming one of the most sought after Celtic/World music groups on the concert series scene. The band’s unique progressive style has its roots in traditional Celtic music but moves far beyond that, weaving such diverse influences as American folk, classical, and Middle Eastern melodies into their full tapestry of sound. Mithril continues to push at the boundaries, taking audiences of all ages on an exotic musical journey to Ireland, Scotland, and beyond.

And keep your eye out for our celebrated, special guest. The Seaside resident Leprechaun will make an appearance throughout the evening with her pot o’ gold.

Posted under Outdoor Family Fun

Waterfall at the base of the steephead at Shoal Sanctuary. Lori Ceier/Walton Outdoors

Trails, sculptures and serenity await the nature lover in Mossy Head

Tucked away off the beaten path in north Walton County there is a unique outdoor experience for nature lovers called the Shoal Sanctuary.

Located on 50 acres of trails, sculptures and serene vistas, proprietors Robert and Chris Larson welcome visitors to their retreat dedicated to sharing the beauty of the outdoor experience and appreciation of Mother Nature’s gifts.

Recorded history dates back to the 1830s. The property is believed to of been along the path of the “Trail Of Tears.” After the U.S. government’s “Indian Removal Act,” Cherokee, Seminole, Creek, Timuquan, Muskhogean, and Apalachee were forced migrate west,  and lore sites a leg of that journey along the old Indian footpath now called Crowder Chapel Road near the retreat. Local Native Americans have said that Shoal Sanctuary was once a ceremonial gathering place.

In 2000, the Larson’s acquired 35 acres of land adjacent to their existing 16-acre property, and began a reforestation project blazing trails and developed the retreat along their Shoal river property. Long-leaf pine, ash magnolia, Torreya pine and other native trees have been planted to restore the land as the Larson’s participate in Florida’s Forest Stewardship program.

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Posted under Nature, Outdoor Family Fun, Trails/Hiking

Sand dunes along the outfall on Camp Creek Lake. Lori Ceier/Walton Outdoors

Recreational activities abound on these rare coastal dune lakes

Walton County Florida is well known for its beautiful beaches and great fishing. Less known to those that have never visited the area, are the unique and scenic coastal dune lakes that dot the coastline along the area’s beach dune systems.

Nestled along Scenic Highway 30A, Walton county’s coastal dune lakes are rare geological features that only occur in the Florida Panhandle, Madagascar, Australia, New Zealand and the northern Pacific coast of the United States.

Streams, groundwater seepage and rain are the sources that feed the coastal dune lakes. Storm surge creates intermittent connections to the Gulf of Mexico, called outfalls. This periodic connection empties lake water into the Gulf, and, depending on tides and weather, salt water and organisms from the Gulf flow back into the lakes. Read More…

Posted under Fishing, Nature, Outdoor Family Fun, Parks, paddle/surf/boat

Fun for everyone in store as New Heights Wrestling entertains in the ring

Red Bay Grocery in Bruce is hosting a wrestling match with New Heights Wrestling on Mar. 27. Show starts at 3 p.m.

“Last years event was so much fun they are going to do it again,” says Katie Barrineau, general manager of Red Bay Grocery.

Admission is free, bring your own lawn chair. Red Bay Grocery has everything else you need: BBQ, beer, snacks, and more

Red Bay Grocery
8704 Highway 81 S
Red Bay, Florida 32455
Phone: 850.836.2220
For more information, go to www.redbaygrocery.com

Posted under Outdoor Family Fun

Photo courtesy West Florida Canoe and Kayak Club.

The West Florida Canoe and Kayak Club offers a variety of paddles in the Northwest Florida Panhandle. If you are interesting in becoming a member, you can go to their website at www.clubkayak.com/wfckc or contact Wes Mosteller at wesjane@earthlink.net

Guests are welcome on trips as long as they have the skills to safely navigate the waters being paddled.  Guests must sign a waiver form and have an Eglin Recreational Pass if the trip is on the Base.  Paddlers must supply their own boat.

Friday, March 5:  Econfina Creek from Walsingham Bridge down to SR 20

We will meet at the parking area on the NE corner of Econfina Creek, drive on dirt roads to Walsingham Bridge, unload, and take vehicles back down to the parking area at SR 20.  This area of the creek is very beautiful, but because it isn’t paddled as much, expect pull-overs (how many depends on water levels).
We will see springs along the creek and paddle up a spring run to Washington Blue Springs and a camping area. Bring a lunch, appropriate clothing for the weather, a change of clothing in a dry sack, water, PFD, and anything else you need for your comfort. The distance of the paddle is about 7.5 miles and it is rated medium in difficulty due to the pull-overs and need to maneuver one’s boat on a small, twisty stream with underwater and overhanging obstructions in a moving current. Contact trip leader Frances Stone at 850-480-4480 or ffstone@hotmail.com to sign up, for directions, or answers to questions.

Saturday, March 6 Lower Chipola from SR 20 to Scotts Ferry

This is a beautiful stretch of the Chipola River with 7 miles of wide, open water, and 7 miles of interesting paddling when the Chipola splits into several different branches, and eventually one is paddling down what appears to be a small creek.  Expect to see remains of the historical steamboat dock, and a logging railroad. It is an easy paddle for people capable of paddling 14 miles. May be pullovers.  Bring water, PDF, wear clothing appropriate for the weather, bring a change of clothes and anything else needed for a good paddle.  Shuttle will leave Marianna at 8:00 a.m.from McDonalds on SR 71 south of I-10.  Other people who wish to go directly to the put-in can meet at the Chipola River Boat Ramp on SR 20 at 9:00 a.m. Contact trip leader Chris Matthews, a very experienced Marianna paddler, trip leader, and all around nice guy, (who has recently joined the WFCKC) at 850-209-8166 for more information.

Sunday, March 7 Holmes Creek

Meet at the Vernon Boat Ramp and Wayside park at 9:00 a.m.  We will put in at Culpepper Landing, paddle upstream to Cypress Springs, then back down to the Vernon Boat Ramp for lunch using the picnic pavilions.  After lunch we will continue downstream to Hightower Springs Landing.  Very little build-up along this creek.  It is about an 8-mile paddle with the upstream part being approximately a half-mile.  Holmes Creek is a slow moving stream with the current usually about a mile an hour. Bring PFD, water, lunch, appropriate clothing for the weather, a change of clothes in a dry sack.  Contact trip leader Frances Stone at 850-482-4480 or ffstone@hotmail.com to sign up, for directions, or more information about this paddle.

Wet and Wild Festival, May 1, 2010

Kelley Thompson, Coordinator for the West and Wild Festival at Big Lagoon State Park has announced that this year the Festival will be held on May 1. She has inquired if the club would participate again this year, and I have already sent her an affirmative answer. Our event was very popular last year, and we had lots of fun.  Mark your calendars and bring your boats, paddles, PFDs especially children’s sizes, and help the club offer paddling exploration to the participants in the Wet and Wild Festival.
Frances Stone

Florida Paddlers’ Rendezvous 2010, October 22-24

Mark your Calendars now — 
for the 2010 Florida Paddlers’ Rendezvous, October 21-24.

FL Sport Paddling Club (FSPC) proudly continues the Rendezvous tradition of bringing together Florida paddling clubs and paddling enthusiasts for a weekend of fun, friends and paddles.
This year’s base camp will be the Silver River State Park campground from which we will launch four days of trips that canoeists and kayakers of all skill levels will enjoy. Also join the potluck supper, program, nightly campfires, paddlers’ swap meet, and the wonderful exchange of friendship and paddling skills that evolves when so many with like interests come together.

The main event will take place Friday-Sunday, October 22-24, 2010. Make your reservations at Silver River SP now!! Pre-Rendezvous paddles will be held Thursday, October 21, for those who can come early. Trip details and a list of additional accommodations will follow when we have a website set up.
Please help us reach all who may be interested.   Send us any additional contacts you may have.  Please email Kathy, publicity chair, at KathrynVaughn@ATT.net with your questions, suggestions or information

Posted under Kayak/Canoe, Nature, Outdoor Family Fun, Parks, paddle/surf/boat

Campbell Lake at Topsail Hill Preserve State Park. Lori Ceier/Walton Outdoors

Take a hike along a coastal dune lake at Topsail Hill Preserve State Park

Come and join the park folks for a hike. Visitors will be guided down the paved bike path leads you to a rare, pristine coastal dune lake for a 3.5 mile hike where park rangers will discuss coastal dune lakes.  Park at the Day-Use Area off Hwy 30A. $6.00 entry admission into the park.

Park at the Day-Use area off Hwy 30A.

Call (850) 267-8330 for more details. Located in Santa Rosa Beach, the park is located 1/4 mi. south of U.S. Hwy 98 on western end of Scenic Hwy. 30A.  ::MAP::

Posted under Nature, Outdoor Family Fun, Trails/Hiking