Preparing for Hurricane Season—Ten Tips to protect your home and family
Hurricane Season in the Gulf and Atlantic begins June 1. For those of us who have lived in hurricane territory for some time, we all have our war stories of days without electricity and water, of being stuck in evacuation traffic, and of neighborhood camaraderie in...
Another Mystery in the Marsh – The Gulf Salt Marsh Snake
I am writing about this animal because, though it is rare to see them, our terrapin volunteers saw two this past week; and maybe you will too. The Gulf salt marsh snake is one of those, like the eastern coral snake, that is actually common – just rare to see. It is...
Sea Turtle Nesting Season Begins
There are five species of sea turtles that nest from May through August on Florida beaches, with hatching stretching out until October. The loggerhead, the green turtle, and the leatherback all nest regularly in the Panhandle, with the loggerhead being the...
Do you live in an area with a Basin Management Action Plan? If so, what does this mean?
A Basin Management Action Plan, or BMAP, is a management plan developed for a waterbody (like a spring, river, lake, or estuary) that does not meet the water quality standards set by the state. One or more pollutants can impair a waterbody. In Florida, the most common...
Summer Fun at Summer Camp
BY: ARIEL BLANTON, RESIDENT DIRECTOR 4-H CAMP TIMPOOCHEE Have a love for exploring the mysteries beneath the ocean’s surface? Join us this summer for one of 4-H Camp Timpoochee’s Marine Camps! These weeks are full of aquatic learning and other fun activities such as...
Exploring with Oyster Cultivation
Oysters are like snakes… you either like them or you hate them. You rarely hear someone say – “yea, their okay”. It’s either I can’t get enough of them, or they are the most disgusting thing in the sea. That said, they are part of our culture. Growing up here in...
Grow Native Milkweed to Support the Monarchs
With spring upon us, the mighty monarch butterflies have begun their long trek to the north from Mexico, looking to time their migration with growth of the milkweed plants in the southeastern United States. Mated monarch females lay hundreds of eggs along their...
Pines of Florida
All of Florida’s ecosystems contain pine trees. There are seven native species in the state; Sand, Slash, Spruce, Shortleaf, Loblolly, Longleaf, and Pond. Each species grows best in its particular environment. Pines are highly important to wildlife habitats as food...
Diamondback Terrapin & Mangrove Surveys Kicking Off in Gulf County
Soon, two important ecological surveys will begin in Gulf County, concerning both diamondback terrapins and mangroves. Florida is home to five subspecies of diamondback terrapin, three of which occur exclusively in Florida. Diamondback terrapins live in coastal...
Mystery in the Marsh – The Diamondback Terrapin
We have a lot of really cool and interesting creatures that live in our bay, but one many may not know about is a small turtle known as a diamondback terrapin. Terrapins are usually associated with the Chesapeake Bay area, but actually they are found along the entire...