Category: Environment

Worm Moon

Debbie Roney Smith on

March’s full moon reaches peak illumination at 3:20 A.M. EDT on Friday, March 18th. Known as the Worm Moon, is the last full moon before the spring equinox. In Christianity, this means that the Worm Moon is known as the Lenten Moon as it is the last full moon of winter. There are a number of possible reasons for the moniker ‘Worm Moon.’ One possible explanation is that the moon is named after the appearance of earthworms as the soil warms in the spring. Alternatively, 18th-century explorer Captain Jonathan Carver wrote that the moon name refers to beetle larvae that emerge from thawing tree bark.

West Florida Electric Cooperative Requests Proposals

Debbie Roney Smith on

West Florida Electric Cooperative is seeking requests for the upcoming storm season. The potential proposals include Disaster Debris Clearance and Removal Services, Disaster Debris Monitoring Services, Base Camp and Logistics Services, and Emergency Power Restoration Services. Most proposals are due in March, so be sure to research and complete the relevant proposal(s) as soon as possible. Visit the Requests for Proposals: Emergency Services webpage for detailed information on each proposal. 

State of Florida Speciality Plate

Debbie Roney Smith on

The State of Florida is giving car owners a special opportunity to help save the bees by pre-ordering a license plate! The annual use fees from the sale of the Florida State Beekeepers license plate will be distributed to the Florida State Beekeepers Association. The money will be put towards funding outreach and education to raise awareness of the importance of beekeeping to Florida agriculture. Additionally, the funds will help honeybee research and husbandry. The State has until October 2022 to get 3,000 pre-orders for the license plate to become a reality. Please pre-order yours today at the following link for $40: https://myfloridaspecialtyplate.com/beesvoucherorder.html 

News about Torreya State Park

Debbie Roney Smith on

The Florida Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) recently announced that Torreya State Park has been designated a State Geological Site. The agency describes State Geological Sites as “areas the Florida Geological Survey has determined to be significant to scientific study and the public’s understanding of Florida’s geological history.” source This is especially important for Torreya as the park is still in recovery from Hurricane Michael, and State Geological Sites receive more support and interest. 

Torreya State Park Trail by @nonsensicalnoah

The agency explained that “Torreya State Park was chosen for this designation in part because of the park’s Rock Bluff, a steep, tall, limestone bluff that has been exposed by erosion from the Apalachicola River. Rock Bluff is part of the Torreya Formation and is about 18 million years old. Marine fossils (…) are found in the limestone formations exposed along the Apalachicola River and in the streambeds within the park.”

Leave the Leaves to the Bees!

Debbie Roney Smith on

Did you know that Florida is home to more than 300 species of bees?! In Florida, bees are active most of the year and rely on a variety of nesting materials to stay alive and reproduce. They may nest in well-drained soil that is sparsely vegetated, in trees or other wood, plants with hollow stems, or under fallen leaves. It is important to leave fallen leaves where they land in order to protect bee habitats, as well as help renourish the soil with nutrients from the decaying leaves. 

It is incredibly important to help bees – and other insects – because they pollinate over 80% of flowering plants and food crops. The impact of bees’ hard work is seen very clearly here in the Panhandle, a notoriously agriculture-heavy area. If you would like to further assist the hard-working pollinators in your area, consider planting native wildflowers to help feed them and shelter them. Not only will you be helping the natural world but you will also get some beautiful flowers to enjoy! Click on the image below to view a list of wildflowers.

Bay County Audobon Society: Local Field Trip

Debbie Roney Smith on

Today at 7:30am, there will be a local field trip held at Majette Park by the Bay County Audobon Society. Interested in birding? Native plants? Photography? Just getting out and stretching your legs? This field trip has something for everything!

Please note that trips are subject to weather and last-minute changes. Additionally, due to COVID, facemasks are recommended while in close contact but may be removed once members spread out more than 6 feet during the walk. See their Facebook page, electronic newsletter, or Meetup page for up-to-date information; alternatively, call Ron Houser at 850-774-9733.

PCB Conservation Park Birding

Debbie Roney Smith on

Interested in birding, photography, or learning about the natural world? Consider taking part in one of the upcoming Birding Walks at the Panama City Beach Conservation Park. The walk will be held twice this month on February 12th and again on February 19th from 7:30-9:30 am. The early morning walk will be led by a member of Bay County’s Audubon Society. Participants are not required to have their own binoculars but are encouraged to bring water. For more information, please contact the PCB Parks Department at (850)233-5045. 

Hickory Gall and Anthracnose: Tree Health

Debbie Roney Smith on
hickory anthrocnose

Homeowners in Florida know the value of shade trees; hickory trees offer great shade but have increasingly been afflicted by hickory anthrocnose. Hickory anthrocnose, otherwise known as leaf spot, is caused by a fungal infection during the upcoming wet summer months in Florida. The disease is often accompanied by large reddish brown spots on upper leaf surfaces and brownish spots on the bottom of the leaves. To help prevent leaf spot, be sure to rake and remove leaves close to the trunk of the tree. 

If the infection persists, remember to Google your local UF:IFAS Extension agent to set up a site visit; they firmly believe that saving a tree is time well spent. Additionally, they would like to state that “When in doubt give our trees the benefit and keep them in place.”1

National Groundhog Day

Debbie Roney Smith on

Today is National Groundhog Day, a popular North American tradition derived from a Pensalvanyia-Dutch superstition about groundhog shadows. Over the years, the tradition has grown into a cultural monolith in the United States and Canada. Groundhog Day was concieved in the 1880s with the infamous Punxsutawney Phil, who’s modern successor goes by the same name. Phil’s predicitions are reported with mock seriousness but the cultural signficance and genuine childhood enjoyment of the occasion brings it back year after year. Looking to view Phil’s emergence from his burrow? Tune in online HERE on Wednesday, February 2nd at 7:15am to find out live or rewatch at a more reasonable hour. 

Jackson County: Recycling Resources

Debbie Roney Smith on

Listed below is a collection of Jackson County recycling locations and what they accept: 

  • Jackson County Recycling located at 3630 Wiley Drive. Items accepted at this location include paper, aluminum, hazardous waste, cardboard, and white goods.
  • Sunland Recycling located at 3700 Williams Drive. This location accepts glass and aluminum only.
  • A Plus Recycling located at 1928 Edenfield Drive. Drop off your metal, glass, and aluminum here.
  • Advanced Auto Parts, Autozone, and O’Reilly Auto Parts locations take oil and batteries. 

Download a comprehensive list below, complete with items accepted/not accepted at the Jackson County website here.