Environment

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Flood warning issued for Choctawhatchee River

UPDATE: As of Feb. 15 at 4 p.m.: River expected to reach close to major flood stage by Feb. 16, then crest Sunday. Click here for updates. Flood Warning continues from Friday Morning until at least Tuesday or until cancelled. Moderate flooding is forecast.  The river is expected to rise above flood stage Friday morning, February 15, and continue to rise to near 16.3 feet by early Sunday morning. At 13 feet: Low areas along BH Reddick…Rooks Bluff…Smokehouse Lake and...

DEP, FWC accepting public comment on Gulf Coast Ecosystem Restoration Plan

Voice your thoughts on how RESTORE Act funding should be used on Feb. 28 The Florida Department of Environmental Protection will host a public meeting at 6 p.m. Feb. 28 in Panama City Beach to gather input on the Gulf Coast Ecosystem Restoration Council’s Path Forward document and Florida’s projects to be submitted to the Council for its consideration. The meeting will be co-hosted by the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission and will be held in the Student Union...

Raccoon in Miramar Beach tests positive for rabies

Rabies is preventable, not curable — make sure your pets are vaccinated A raccoon that died following a fight with a family dog in the area of Miramar Beach has tested positive for rabies. The family pet did not have a current rabies vaccination. Walton County Health Department officials recommend that unvaccinated ‘victim’ animals be euthanized to stop the spread of the virus if the other animal tests positive for rabies or cannot be tested. Two additional cases of wild...

Cormorants make use of Choctawhathcee Bay Air Force pilings

Folks often ask about the pilings in the Choctawhatchee Bay – why are they there and what purpose the pilings served. There are many a theory, however, truth is the pilings were installed many years ago by the Air Force. Here is what Eglin Air Force representatives have to say: Test Area D-55 is an air-to-ground radar resolution test facility installed in May 1959 and is currently inactive.  It is located in Choctawhatchee Bay and originally consisted of 25 arrays...

The ferocious ant lion is an ant bully

Doodlebug has a huge appetite By Jessica Therriault, FWC 
 Ever wonder what digs those cone-shaped indentations in sandy areas of your yard? It is an insect called an ant lion. The ant lion is neither an ant nor a lion. It is a harmless (to people) insect that looks more like a sci-fi movie monster than a real-life backyard critter. It has an appetite to match its ferocious appearance, and its name has everything to do with its favorite...

Learn about hummingbird banding at the Coastal Branch Library Feb. 6

Hummingbird lecture at Coastal Branch Library Feb. 6 On February 6, Fred Bassett will present “Alabama and Florida Hummingbirds – A lot more than you might think.” The program will discuss ruby-throated hummingbirds in depth and introduce several western hummingbird species wintering in the Southeast and show how they are banded. Fred Bassett is a certified master bird bander who is president of Hummingbird Research, Inc., a non-profit organization dedicated to the study and preservation of hummingbirds. He is a...