Category: Wildlife

World Turtle Day

Debbie Roney Smith on

Today is World Turtle Day! This annual event was created to celebrate, raise awareness, and advocate for the conservation of turtles and tortoises worldwide. Turtles and tortoises are associated with wisdom and perseverance in human fables, tales, and stories. In nature, they act as keystone species and indicators of an ecosystem’s health.

Gopher Tortoises, for instance, dig extensive burrows that save over 350 different species during forest fires. Sea turtles help keep sea kelp heathy and act as key prey and/or predator during their lifecycle. To celebrate, learn more by visiting the official World Turtle Day website OR support local turtle conservation efforts like the Navarre Conservation Center by browsing their website, donating to their organization, or visiting their Center.

Arbor Day Tree Giveaway Event

Debbie Roney Smith on

Next weekend is Arbor Day! First celebrated in Nebraska in 1874, Arbor Day is dedicated to planting trees and celebrating their various roles in the world. Trees do a lot including but not limited to boosting our mental health, eating greenhouse gases, cooling the areas around them, supporting wildlife, and cleaning the air!

To celebrate, Panama City Quality of Life is working with IFAS to give FREE trees to Bay County citizens. This offer is only good while supplies last, so come out early to secure your River Birch or Red Maple! The tree giveaway will be held from 9am-1pm at McKenzie Park. There will also be a free kid craft and tree planting kit at Oaks by the Bay Park from 10-11am while supplies last. Learn more by visiting the Facebook event page here. 

New Year Hikes

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Looking to stick to your new year goal of being more active? Want to spend more time outdoors? Come out to explore the Gulf Coast’s coastal beauty this January! There will be four different hikes guided by a ranger this month. The hikes will be on the beach at the Rish Recreation Area in Port St. Joe, so come prepared for sun, sand, and fun. The hikes will be held on January 4th, 11th, 18th, and 25th. Visit the Florida State Parks website here to learn more or contact the organizers with questions. 

Right Whale Festival

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Today is the last day of the Right Whale Festival in Fernandina Beach. Come down to Main Beach Park (32 N. Fletcher Ave) from 10am to 3pm to participate in this annual festival. Right Whale is part of a regional effort to educate the public on the endangered North Atlantic right whales. They give birth and nurse their young in the warmer waters offered by the coast of northeast Florida and southeast Georgia. Sadly, there are fewer than 350 right whales remaining. The festival advocates for and educates on the protection of the species from extinction. There will be whale-themed activities, marine exhibits, live music, arts and craft vendors, kids’ activities, a beach clean-up, food, and more! The event is FREE for all ages. Learn more by visiting the official festival website here. 

Guided Three Rivers State Park Hike

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The Jackson County Extension Office is hosting a guided walk at Three Rivers State Park this September 30th. The hike will begin at 8am and take participants along the Dry Creek Loop Trail. The trail is a distance of .60 miles and should be completed by 11am at the latest. The hike is rated as a beginner to moderate hike. The guide will talk about the terrain, habitat, flora, fauna, and more. 

The guided hike will cost $5 per person. The cost includes entry to the park itself, the guided tour, water, and snacks! It is recommended that participants bring reusable water bottles, bug spray, sunscreen, and anything else they’d need to remain comfortable in the Florida heat. 

Visit the Jackson County Extension Office at 2741 Penn Avenue, Suite 3, Marianna, FL or visit http://JacksonCountyFCS.eventbrite.com to register. If you have any questions, call the extension office at 850-482-9620.

Benefits of Backyard Bats

Debbie Roney Smith on

Sandhills Native Nursery is opening for Fall hours on September 22nd. To celebrate, they are hosting a Benefits of Backyard Bats class with Cre8ive by N8ure. The class will run from 9:30am – 10:30am on September 23rd and 24th. Led by Nate, creator of Cre8ive by N8ure and bat educator, the class will focus on how the bats provide insect management, their reproductive cycle, their habitat and diet, and flora and fauna that is beneficial for bats. Due to parking limitations, the class has only 10 spots and you must register to secure your parking spot; the cost is $10 per car. However, these spots are counted by the vehicle not individual, so the nursery encourages carpooling with friends or family. 

Additionally, there will be a second class opportunity on both days. If you are interested in building your own bat house to take home, hang out at the nursery for roughly 30 minutes after the Benefits of Backyard Bats. The delay is designed to give participants time to grab a drink, walk around the nursery, or have a quick lunch. Please note that the Build Your Own Bathouse class costs $45 per person. All required materials and instruction from bat house building expert Nate will be included in the cost. 

Proceeds from both classes will be donated to a local organization that assists bats (organization TBA). Visit SNN’s event website HERE to sign up for the class and/or Bat House creation event.

Wausau Funday & Possum Festival

Debbie Roney Smith on
Click the image for a detailed itinerary.

The Wausau Funday and Possum Festival is coming to Wausau this Friday and Saturday, August 5-6th! The event will be held at 3116 Possum Palace Dr Wausau, Florida 32463. The Festival will feature a pageant, four different concerts, a parade, a 5k run/walk, pancake breakfast, and more. There will also be kid-friendly activities such as inflatables and pony rides. Call (850) 638 – 1781 with questions or visit the Wausau Possum Festival website here.

Wausau Possum Festival

Debbie Roney Smith on

The Wausau Possum Festival is coming to Washington County on August 6th! This unique festival was founded by Dalton Carter over 50 years ago to celebrate the possum. Friday night will kick things off with Cory Keefe & the Hwy 20 Band performing beginning at 6 pm. Following their opening, the Possum King & Queen Contest will begin at 7 pm. Interested in being part of the Possum King & Queen Contest? Register by calling (850) 768-4578. There will be a $200 prize for First Place and $100 for Second Place. There will be a gate fee of $5 for the evening (children 16 and younger enter for free).

Saturday will begin with a pancake breakfast provided by the Masonic Lodge from 6-9 am. The breakfast will be followed by the Possum Trot 5K Run/Walk at 7 am. A parade through downtown will begin at 10 am. After the conclusion of the parade, there will be a variety of things to do at the Possum Palace including pony rides, inflatables, arts and craft vendors, great food, games, and live entertainment. To view a detailed itinerary and stay up-to-date with event announcements, visit the festival website here. 

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.