Category: Wildlife

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!

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.

 

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. 

 

Greater Jacksonville Kingfish Tournament

Debbie Roney Smith on
Click on the image to enlarge.

The Greater Jacksonville Kingfish Tournament is coming soon! From July 14-23, the 42nd annual tournament will be held at Jim King Park & Boat Ramp. The event benefits the community as proceeds are donated to the Jacksonville Marine Charities, Inc. The Greater Jacksonville Kingfish Tournament is one of the largest kingfish tournament in the Southeast. The event includes the General Tournament, a Junior Angler Offshore Tournament, and a Redfish category. The event is presented by Summit Contracting Group and is sponsored by a plethora of great local businesses. The Tournament will host a Food Festival, live entertainment, a liar’s tent, exhibitions, and more!

Visit the official tournament website HERE to sign up, view the 2022 program, and more! 

Native Grasses

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Native grasses are an essential topic that many don’t consider. Many of the green pasture grasses you see today are actually from other countries and contain 10x the amount of chemicals as farmland.(1) 

Native grasses are more cost-efficient as they require far less maintenance and promote beneficial wildlife. Natives have existed in the ecological landscape for so long that they have adapted to the soil, terrain, sunlight, and moisture conditions. This means homeowners won’t waste as much time and money watering, cutting, or reseeding. Reseeding is a natural aspect of native grasses because they are perennial which means they self-seed each year. They are more prepared to deal with natural droughts because their roots reach far, far down into the ground (see photo). This also means native grasses are beneficial for soil erosion; plant native grasses near pond edges and more. Their far-reaching roots also assist in maintaining healthy soil. Furthermore, native grasses are naturally resistant to many of the local pests and diseases that many homeowners would usually treat with pesticides. Not only does using fewer pesticides save you money but it also means a healthier ecosystem – less poison means more pollinators, healthier soil, and less chemical runoff that can affect human and animal lives. 

Learn more about native grasses, groundcover, and lawngrasses HERE at the UF|IFAS extension website. 

Real Florida Reader

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Florida State Parks is partnering with the Florida Department of State, Florida’s Bureau of Library Development, and local libraries throughout the state to offer Real Florida Reader day passes so families and individuals can continue their learning adventure while exploring new places. Head to your nearest public library and check out a book to get started on your #RealFloridaReader day pass. Both the library card and day pass are free! Each pass covers one vehicle entrance fee (with up to eight people inside).

The pass is for day-use only and does not include camping registration, equipment rentals, or any other fees. Please note that Ellie Schiller Homosassa Springs Wildlife, Skyway Fishing Pier, and Weeki Wachee Springs state parks are excluded from this promotion. Hurry to your local library now, pick up a new read, and head to your favorite state park! The promotion ends on September 12th, 2022. Find out more at FloridaStateParks.org/RealFloridaReader.

Pollinator Class in Fountain

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Photo was taken at Sandhills Native Nursery

June 20-26th is National Pollinator Week! The week is dedicated to bringing awareness and support to all types of pollinators from bees to wasps and more. Sandhills Native Nursery is hosting a special two-day Pollinator Class this weekend to celebrate.

Visit the nursery amongst the beautiful sandhills of Fountain this Friday or Saturday to learn more about pollinators, see the array of glorious summer native flowers blooming in the heat, and receive a special 20% off your total purchase order (valid day of class only). The nursery encourages you to come prepared for the heat: bring sunscreen, a hat, neck fans, fluids, or anything else you may need to help keep you cool! There will be cold water and Gatorade on hand to refill empty bottles and a few standing fans. The class will be held in the shady areas available at the nursery to help prevent anyone from overheating. 

Visit the official Sandhills Native Nursery Facebook page to stay up-to-date with events, hours, and more!

Green Anole Lizards

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Green anoles (Anolis carolinensis) are the only native anole species in Florida. They are growing rarer as they are forced to compete with similar species that were introduced to the state. These include non-native brown anoles, bark anoles, crested anoles, green iguanas, spiny-tailed iguanas, basilisks, and more. Brown anoles are particularly prolific and hardy, giving them a better chance at surviving and therefore allowing them to take excess resources.

Anolis porcatus is another fierce competitor; this non-native green lizard is a lookalike to the green anoles. Some experts argue that DNA analysis is the only way to factually tell the two species apart. This makes identifying them in the wild nigh impossible. 

CalCo Crape Myrtle Project

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The CalCo Crape Myrtle Project is working to enhance the beauty of Calhoun County by highlighting the premier flowering plant of the South throughout the communities. The idea began with the 2019 founding of the Calhoun County Community Foundation. Their first act was to plan and execute the planting of flowering crape myrtles on Mainstreet in Altha which is where the project got its name. The project’s completion is possible thanks to the application of a community grant and aims to be completed by the end of 2022. The CalCo Crape Myrtle Project is the perfect green space beautification initiative for all of our communities. The project hopes to expand into Kinard, Clarksville, and Blountstown in the following years. Visit the CalCo Crape Myrtle website here to learn more and stay up-to-date on the project’s progress.