The World is Your Oyster
There are a lot of good oyster quotes. One I remember from childhood is the saying to only eat oysters in months with the letter “r,” basically September to April. I believe this originated when all oysters came from the wild. This was a way to avoid the hot months...
The Changing Climate: Part 5 (Solutions)
In this series we have looked at where the concept of climate change came from and how climate has changed over the centuries. We looked closer at the changes over the last decade and what the most recent IPCC report is telling us. We also looked at how changes have...
Toadfish of the Florida Panhandle
This is a group of fish that few have heard of and many have not seen – or if they saw them, had NO idea what they were – but they a very common in our local waters… the toadfish. Once you see one, you will know why they call it this. Recently we had a...
“They Call Me… Karenia brevis”: the story of red tide
At the time of this writing, red tide is still lingering off the Pensacola coast. By the time this is posted it may or may not be. I have had a few questions about red tide while this has been occurring here, and some misconceptions about it – so, now is a good time...
Dirty Dozen Invasive Species of the Month – Feral Hogs
Six Rivers “Dirty Dozen” Invasive Species Feral Hog (Sus scrofa) Define Invasive Species: must have all of the following – Is non-native to the area, in our case northwest Florida Introduced by humans, whether intentional or accidental Causing either an environmental...
Battling Bat Myths
As we enter Halloween season, one of the most popular images of this spooky time of year is that of a bat. The creepy tales of vampire bats and Dracula are enduring and certainly exciting. Unfortunately, many negative connotations exist around this fascinating...
Catfish of the Florida Panhandle
Catfish… There are a lot of fish found along the Florida panhandle that many are not aware of, but catfish are not one of them. Whether a saltwater angler who captures one of those slimy hardhead catfish to a lover of freshwater fried catfish – this is a creature...
The Changing Climate; Part 4 (the Florida Panhandle)
In Part 2 and 3 of The Changing Climate we discussed some of the climate impacts of the last decade and some possible future ones. But this was on a global scale, what about the Florida and the panhandle? How will all of this affect us near home? We will take each...
False Foxglove: A Unique Fall Wildflower
Fall is the absolute best season for wildflower watching in the Panhandle! When mid-September rolls around and the long dog days of summer finally shorten, giving way to drier air and cooler nights, northwest Florida experiences a wildflower color explosion. From...
Golden Fall in the Panhandle
Each fall, nature puts on a brilliant show of color throughout the United States. As the temperatures drop, autumn encourages the “leaf peepers” to hit the road in search of the red-, yellow- and orange-colored leaves of the northern deciduous trees. Here in the...