September 30, 2009

Archive

Living with Florida black bears

Yes, we have bears in the Florida Panhandle! The presence of bears is not necessarily a problem or a threat to your safety. For many people seeing a black bear is a thrilling, rewarding experience. Problems arise when bears have access to food sources unintentionally made available by people such as pet foods, garbage, barbecue grills, bird seed or livestock feed.  Bears are adaptable and learn very quickly to associate people with food. Black bears are normally too shy to...

Large python seized from Crestview Florida home

Investigators estimated the snake weighs more than 100 pounds Acting on a tip that a Crestview resident had a “large snake” that had escaped before, Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC) investigators went to the man’s home Wednesday and were amazed to find an uncaged, 11-foot-long, albino Burmese python crawling in the man’s home....

Alligator killed at popular viewing site at St. Andrews State Park

  • September 17, 2009
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  • Parks

An investigation is under way to determine who killed an alligator earlier this week inside St. Andrews State Park at Panama City Beach. A visitor walking in the park Wednesday morning found the gator’s remains next to Gator Lake, a popular place to view alligators.  The head and tail had been severed, but an investigator with the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC) estimated the gator was at least 6 feet long....

It’s scuppernong time!

Called a scuppernong or muscandine, the wild grape (Vitis rotundifolia) is valued for its edible, tasty fruit. Wild grape grows from Texas to south Florida, north to Delaware, and west to Missouri. Currently bearing fruit along the Panhandle, the grapes are a favorite food source for white-tailed deer and other wildlife also eat the fruit, including black bear, white-tailed deer, wild turkey, ruffed grouse, raccoon, skunk, squirrel, and opossum. Songbirds such as cardinals, mockingbirds, robins, cedar waxwings, consume the fruit...

Baby turtles make it to the Gulf of Mexico despite odds

Thanks to two turtle watch volunteers, last hatchlings in nest survive Early in the morning on Sept. 15, South Walton Turtle Watch volunteers Anthony and Sherry Head headed to check a loggerhead nest near Stallworth Preserve in South Walton County in anticipation of seeing activity as the nest was ready to hatch. With the recent rains, they knew if could be any time, so with great anticipation headed to see if there was any activity. Here is Anthony’s story Tuesday...

Nature lovers flock to E. O. Wilson Biophilia Center’s grand opening and dedication ceremony

Center to provide extraordinary nature-based education Nature lovers from across the Florida Panhandle enjoyed the grand opening of the E.O. Wilson Biophilia Center in Freeport Florida Sept. 12. Developed by local conservationist, M.C. Davis on his 48,000-acre conservation land named Nokuse Plantation, the 27,500 sq. ft. Center will cater to students with curriculums that offer a better understanding of the environment. The Center will educate on the importance of biodiversity, ecosystems, and encourage conservation, preservation and restoration of our natural...