Chipola Fitness

Looking to try a new, fun type of fitness? A local gym, the Chipola Fitness Center, offers a variety of courses weekly.

Barefoot Basics is a low-impact class designed to help increase balance via stretching and toning. Dance Fit 2 is a high-intensity music fitness course. Mash-up follows Variable-intensity Interval Training (VIIT), a program including mind/body, agility and strength, and high-intensity intervals to make the most of your time. If you’re looking to strengthen and tone, take part in the Muscle Up class. Power Up is designed for early risers; Power Up your day with this 5am course! Total Body fitness is just as it sounds – a class designed to work the body head to toe.

The Fitness Center also offers a variety of Spin Classes but they are often very limited, so membership is required for early online booking. The offered classes are Fun FriYa Spin, Pedal & Crunch, Spin Scultp, Spinergy, and Total Body Spin. For more detailed information on spin courses, more details on gym membership, and more, visit the official Chipola Fitness website

Bear Paws Adventures

Located at 2100 Bear Paw Lane in Marianna, Bear Paws Adventures offers a natural river float trip in kayaks, canoes, or tubes. They offer equipment rentals and shuttles. Pricing is as follows:

  • Kayak $35 per person; includes a parking pass and shuttle pass
  • Canoe $50 for two people; includes a parking pass and shuttle pass
  • Bring Your Own Kayak/Canoe $25 per vessel; includes a parking pass and shuttle pass
  • Tubing $15-60 
  • Bring Your Own Tubes $10 per person; includes inflating the tubes, shuttle pass, and parking pass

Visit their official website for more detailed information on pricing and to familiarize yourself with the service rules on parking. 

 

Tupelo Honey

The center of tupelo honey production is the Apalachicola River in the Florida Panhandle which makes tupelo honey a local honey star! Tupelo honey is a very special form of honey that has a lower glucose content with a very small harvesting window which makes it a more expensive alternative to the general store-bought honey. It is also known as Ogeechee tupelo due to the popular growing region; there are thousands of hectares of Ogeechee tupelo have been planted in bee farms along the lower Apalachicola River and around swamps where it grows naturally.

Tupelo has an incredible amber color alongside a sweet taste and aroma. It is high-grade honey that is good for the digestive and immune system, as well as working for those dressing wounds. Tupelo honey gets its name from the tupelo tree species, a nod to the fact it is harvested from the specific tupelo tree species Nyssa ogeche. Tupelos are popular ornamental trees because they offer form, flowers from March to May, shade, and autumn leaf colors. Honey is only harvestable for a short period of 2-3 weeks and is heavily subjected to poor weather. 

Heat Exhaustion vs. Heat Stroke

Dangerously high temperatures increase the risk of heat-related illnesses, and temperatures are set to rise steadily throughout the weekend. Be on the lookout for signs of heat exhaustion and/or heat stroke!

To treat heat exhaustion, first get to a cooler, air-conditioned location. Then, slowly drink water if you are fully conscious. Be sure to take a cool shower or use cold compresses to cool down without being sick. For heat stroke, call 911 IMMEDIATELY! Then, move them to a cooler location and apply cooling cloths/compresses or use a cold bath. DO NOT give them anything to drink. 

Stay safe by taking breaks, avoiding outside work during periods of high sun, and drinking plenty of water for hydration. 

 

Ackurit Labs: Water Testing & Treatment

Looking to get your water tested or treated? Consider Ackurit Labs located in Tallahassee. They offer analysis packages for water testing and a plethora of water treatment systems and products. They offer Aqua Systems, Vulcan electronic descalers, Chlorination systems for killing bacteria, cartridge filters, and more. Visit their website here for more detailed information or to get in touch, or call them at 850-562-7751. 

World Environment Day

Today is the annual U.N. World Environment Day! 2021’s focus is on ecosystem restoration and its theme is “Reimagine. Recreate.Restore.” Ecosystem restoration is the act of preventing, halting, and reversing the damage done to the planet. Ecosystem restoration is incredibly important to the health of the planet and of humanity. Take for instance the emergence of COVID-19; the loss of natural habitats for animals has helped create the ideal conditions for pathogens – like the coronaviruses – to spread. For more detailed information as well as ways you can take action this World Environment Day, visit the U.N. website or the World Environment Day 2021 website

REIMAGINE. RECREATE. RESTORE.

Tomorrow is World Environment Day 2021! An annual event started in 1974 by the United Nations, it is a global event designed to raise awareness and take action on urgent issues such as marine pollution, wildlife crime, and the climate crisis. It was created to mark the beginning of the Stockholm Conference on the Human Environment. The first official slogan was “Only One Earth” in 1974; 2021’s slogan is “Reimagine. Recreate. Restore.” For more detailed information as well as ways you can take action this World Environment Day, visit the U.N. website or the World Environment Day 2021 website

Insect Repellant Day

Today is National Insect Repellant Awareness Day! in the Florida Panhandle and surrounding areas, insect repellant is especially important given the humidity and water levels – breeding grounds for mosquitoes. The most effective ‘bug spray’ is DEET! Be sure to stock up on it for the summer season. DEET is so efficient because mosquitoes have receptors in their feet which leads to them wanting to escape the poor ‘taste’ they are experiencing (source).  

June COVID Vaccination Sites

Are you looking to get vaccinated in order to protect yourself, your family, and your community? There is a COVID-19 vaccination bus traveling to public areas in the Panhandle area; view the image to the right for times, dates, and locations. You can also call for an appointment at the Calhoun (850-674-5645) or Liberty (850-643-2415) Health Department.

Guided Nature Hike at Camp Helen

Today in Panama City Beach, a ranger will be offering a Guided Nature Hike at Camp Helen. Camp Helen boasts nine distinct natural communities throughout the park with varied flora and fauna. Learn about our rare coastal dune lake, Lake Powell, as well as the park wildlife. The hike is suitable for all ages; be sure everyone in your party is dressed for the weather; water and bug spray are recommended. The hike will start at 10 a.m. and will last an hour. Contact scarlett.a.dunn@FloridaDEP.go for more information and/or with questions. 

Can’t make it out today but want to catch the next hike? Be sure to mark your calendars for Thursday, June 03, 2021 from 10-11 a.m.!