The Dolphin Tour
I recent took my granddaughter on a dolphin tour out of Pensacola Beach. It was amazing. It was a cool October morning, not a cloud in the sky, the winds were calm, the water crystal clear due to the lack of rain over the past few weeks, and the dolphins...
#NationalSeafoodMonth
October is National Seafood Month and we are celebrating all month long! There’s no better time than now to #CelebrateSeafood. Adding seafood to your meals (at least twice a week for the amazing health benefits, according to the experts) can be exciting and fun! There...
October is Coastal Dune Lake Appreciation Month
October has been designated as Coastal Dune Lake Appreciation month by Walton County government. Walton County is home to 15 named coastal dune lakes along 26 miles of coastline. These lakes are a unique geographical feature and are only found in a few places in the...
The Cuban Treefrogs are Coming
In the invasive species world, we talk of “Early Detection Rapid Response” (EDRR). These are invasive species that are currently not in our area, or are in very low numbers, but pose a potential threat. One of these is the Cuban treefrog. As the name...
Weekly “What is it?”: Coastal Plain Honeycombhead & Gulf Coast solitary bee
Coastal plain honeycombhead blooms through the summer on local beaches. Photo credit, Bob Pitts, National Park Service Over my years of leading people on interpretive trail hikes, I have learned it is particularly important to know the names of whatever happens to be...
Warm Season Wildlife Plots Serve Many Purposes
Many Panhandle hunters and outdoor enthusiasts invest a good bit of time, money, and sweat into growing cool season food plots to feed and attract various wildlife. I count myself among you. However, if you want to maximize your property’s wildlife and...
Fall Snake Encounters
As many of you know, I do programs with snakes and receive a lot of calls about them. But in recent weeks I have seen an increase in the number of calls and the number of encounters inside of homes. Though most of the home invasions have been in the garage, one...
Discovering Dissolved Oxygen
We all know how important oxygen is to all life. It is an element with the atomic number of 8, meaning it has eight protons and eight electrons. It has an atomic mass of 16 indicating that it also has eight neutrons. Oxygen is a gas at room...
Mountains of Jellyfish
In recent weeks there have been reports of large masses of jellyfish along the Gulf Coast. I have actually heard people state “I would rather be in the water with 100 sharks than 100 jellyfish”. Maybe that is true from some. Honestly, it seems...
Our Native Saturniid Moths
It certainly appears that I am on an insect kick of late based on the content of my last three newsletter articles. Honestly though, when I think about it, bugs definitely rank near the top of my list for mystery and intrigue in the natural world. When we begin to dig...