Author: Debbie Roney Smith

Caffe Del Mundo

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Caffé del Mundo is located in the Cove at 101 S. Bonita Ave., Panama City Beach. It was opened in November 2021 by Marta and Jimy Thorpe. The location includes a coffee and Sangria bar. It is a cozy space with plenty of table space, seating, and outlets for computer work. They welcome local groups to hang out in the space, even offering a bookcase of board games.

They are open Monday through Saturday from 6:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. The cafe offers espressos, teas, nitro-infused cold brews, gourmet smoothies, snacks, and baked goods. In the afternoon they offer sangrias, wine, and beer alongside their standard menu. The sangria flavors include Ethiopian Coffee, Processco Peach, and Classic Spanish. Their coffee beans are imported and freshly roasted every day at the Mill City Roaster. 

Monarch Butterflies Now Endangered

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On Thursday, the International Union for the Conservation of Nature added the migratory monarch butterfly to the “red list” of threatened species.(1) One of the most recognizable butterflies in the world, the monarch butterfly (Danaus plexippus) is famous for its seasonal migration.  Millions of monarchs migrate south from the United States and Canada to California and Mexico for the winter.(2)

It has distinctive orange wings with black lines and white dots. Monarchs live an average of 6-8 months, weigh under 0.001 ounces, and have a medium wingspan of 3.9 inches. Their move to the endangered list means they are just two distinctions from extinction. The primary causes of their move to the red list are loss of habitat and climate change. Want to help the monarch population during this critical time?

The number one thing you can do is plant native milkweed and supplementary plants. There is a number of native milkweeds to choose from – visit UF|IFAS’s Milkweed Species Native to Florida for the complete list. However, there are milkweeds that are essential for monarch butterflies to be able to complete their life cycle within your garden. Female monarchs prefer to lay on swamp milkweed (Asclepias incarnata) and common milkweed (A. syriaca).(3)

butterfly weed

Milkweed is crucial to the diet of monarchs; their distinctive coloring is not an invitation to be eaten but a warning to predators that they are poisonous. They have evolved to not only tolerate but use the toxicity naturally occurring in milkweed to protect themselves by storing it in the veins. Monarchs will feast on all milkweed varieties however, butterfly weed (A. tuberosa) is native to Florida, widely available, and has beautiful flowers. 

Supplementary plants are plants of other species that should be planted around milkweed to assist in a healthy ecosystem. These are plants that should be chosen based on each individual location’s soil, sun, and water retention rates as well as hardiness zone. Please remember to always choose native plants to increase the health of your soil and the natural benefits of your garden. 

 

Make Your Yard Florida Friendly

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Next Saturday, July 30th, Native Nursery of Tallahassee is hosting a Florida-Friendly Landscaping class. From 10-11 am, learn how to help protect Florida’s environment and make your yard a wildlife habitat. Rachel Mathes will teach the class how to use the Nine Principles of Florida-Friendly Landscaping, her goals for the program, and then guide the class through the steps to creating a more sustainable yard.

Please note that registration is required via phone order. The fee is $5 and holds your spot in the class as it is limited to 15 participants. Please call (850) 386-8882 to pre-register. PARKING: Please use driveway next door to the nursery with ‘Workshop Parking’ sign seen from Centerville Road.

Wildlife Removal

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Coastal Wildlife Removal is a local, fully licensed, and insured animal removal company operating in the Florida panhandle. They travel throughout Tallahassee to Pensacola, Destin, Niceville, and Panama City. They specialize in safe, humane animal removal of local Florida wildlife. Additionally, they offer exclusions to prevent future infestations and attic restoration. 

Perhaps the best part of Coastal Wildlife Removal is that they care for the animals they remove; if there are vulnerable young animals rescued from your home, they will rehabilitate and release them into a suitable habitat. Visit their website to learn more about their services or request your free inspection today!

Cascades Trail Skate Park

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It took 8 years of hard work, funding, meetings, planning, and construction to bring the Cascades Trail Skateable Art Park & Coal Chute Pond to the public. It was a $2.8 million investment that officially opened in June 2022. The park is located at 810 FAMU Way.

At 225-feet long, the park has Florida’s longest snake run. The snake was designed to honor FAMU and features the school’s colors. Additionally, the trail offers a paved walking trail around the pond, lighting, shaded seating, water fountains, interactive musical instruments, and cell phone charging stations.

Marianna Market: Christmas in July

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This Saturday from 7:00 am-noon is the special Christmas in July at Marianna City Farmers’ Market. There will be a number of local crafters set up with goodies to purchase – get ahead on your holiday shopping on July 23rd. Vendors include: Crafts by Moni, Memere’s Crafts, Walk by Faith Artisan Soap, LLC, LonnieAnd Vicki’s Pens N Crafts, 5 Needle Ninja, Gloria Frazier, @stinkin’ cute hand-crafted decor, Panhandle Arts and Crafters, and Friends of the Market. Additionally, Santa Claus will be on-site for photos. Marianna City Farmers’ Market is held at 2898 Madison Street Corner of Madison Street and Clinton Street, Marianna. 

First Woman to Hike All 11 National Scenic Trails

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Arlette Lann has become the first woman to hike all 11 National Scenic Trails on July 11th! Lann moved from Holland to Massachusetts, and has hiked around 19,000 miles to complete all the National Trails. She finished her record-setting hike at the Ice Age trail in Potawatomi State Park in Wisconsin. The other 10 Scenic Trails are as follows:

    • Appalachian Trail: a 2,180-plus mile-long public footpath in the Appalachian Mountains.
    • Arizona Trail: stretches more than 800 miles across the entire length of the state, from the U.S.-Mexico border to Utah.
    • Continental Divide: stretches across the United States approximately 3,100 miles between the borders of Mexico and Canada.
    • Florida: a federally-designated recreation trail of about approximately 1,500 miles.
    • Natchez Trace: five sections of hiking trail that runs roughly parallel to the 444-mile long Natchez Trace Parkway scenic motor road in Alabama, Mississippi, and Tennessee.
    • New England: covers 215 miles from Long Island Sound, across long ridges, to scenic mountain summits in Connecticut and Massachusetts.
    • North Country Pacific Crest: spans eight states, including Michigan, Minnesota, North Dakota, New York, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Vermont, and Wyoming.
    • Pacific Crest: covers a distance of 2,650 miles through California, Oregon, and Washington, all the way to the Canadian border.
    • Pacific Northwest: travels more than 1,200 miles through Montana, Idaho, and Washington, before reaching the Pacific Ocean near Cape Alava.
    • Potomac Heritage: travels through D.C., Maryland, Pennsylvania, and Virginia.

 

Jackson County Chick-Fil-A

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Chick-Fil-A is on its way to Jackson County. It will be located on Highway 71 South on the right just past the interstate. The Jackson County Economic Development Committee is hopeful that contractors will break ground on the standalone location at the former Malloy Glad Farms by early Fall. The doors are tentatively planned to open by late 2022 to early 2023 depending on factors such as supply procurement and weather delays. This project has been in development since February 2020. 

Navarre Beach Sea Turtle Conservation Center

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The Navarre Beach Sea Turtle Conservation Center (NBSTCC) is “Giving sea turtles more tomorrows through conservation, education, and research.” A nonprofit organization founded in 2013, the NBSTCC is a working conservation and education center. They currently welcome walk-in guests at a reduced capacity Tuesday through Saturday, 10 am – 4 pm. Please note that, due to the reduced capacity, there may be a waitlist; check their Facebook page here for current information.

NBSTCC is a predominately volunteer-run organization that operates in a 2,010-square-foot conservation and education center. Learn more about volunteering with the organization HERE. Alongside walk-in visits and scheduled private tours, NBSTCC also offers paid experiences: Painting Tortoise Tracks, Honorary Animal Care Team Member, Shark School, and Shark Tooth Treasure Hunt. Visit the NBSTCC website here for more information on experiences, the organization, and turtle conservation. 

Wetlands Nature Hike in Jacksonville

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Clay County Parks and Recreation is hosting a wetland tour Saturday, July 16th. The tour will be guided by one of the Camp Chowenwaw Park naturalists. They will give information on Clay County’s wetlands ecosystem. The wetland tour will take place at Camp Chowenwaw Park at 1517 Ball Road, Green Cove Springs. Everyone will meet at 9:30 am by the picnic area to the left of Big Cabin. Bug spray, water, and closed-toe shoes are highly recommended. Registration is REQUIRED and free! Space is limited to 20 people. Click here to register.