Nature

The Seaside Repertory Theater is featuring "Florida Wildlife Corridor Expedition: Everglades to Okefenokee" on Thursday January 23 at 7:30 p.m.  The film documents four explorers who travel 1,000 miles from the Everglades to Okefenokee Swamp in 100 days. Tickets: $10 donation suggested. To find out more email info@escape2create.org .

As a local diver and environmentalist, Andy McAlexander was more than a little concerned following the 2010 Deepwater Horizon disaster. He observed the aftermath of the BP Oil Spill as Walton County business owners struggled to stay afloat. His thoughts turned to better days and solutions to help get the local economy back on track. What could be done to enhance the county’s natural resources?

Walking on the beach can change your perspective. There's nothing better than being at the beach on the first day of a new year. First Day Hikes offered by Florida State Parks are a great way to get outside, exercise, enjoy nature and welcome the New Year with friends and family - or a solitary sojourn.

There are hundreds of First Day Hikes sponsored at state parks across the country on New Year's Day - but you'll find no better place than our state parks right here in and around South Walton!  
 

Topsail Hill Preserve State Park is a wonderful place to explore any day of the year. Mark your calendar and make plans to attend some of the weekly music events and park rangers programs coming up in December at this Florida State Park located on the west end of Scenic 30A in South Walton.

This year’s excessive rain opens our eyes to the impact Mother Nature has on living creatures, both human and non-human. Human behavior is directly affected by the amount of sunshine we receive daily, not to mention the fresh air and exercise, all critical to our health and happiness.

We wait for the sun to pop through the clouds so we can grab a boat or a board and head for the water. Our bodies in motion don’t know what to do with too much indoor time, especially here in paradise.

Celebrate the 13th Annual Film Festival at WaterColor under the stars with your friends and family at the Marina Park Amphitheater for two evenings of extraordinary films on Nov. 1 and 2.

The Walton County Hurricane & Storm Damage Reduction Project, also known as the federal beach nourishment project, is in the third phase- the Preliminary, Engineering, and Design Phase (PED). The PED phase includes the all of the steps necessary to prepare the project for the next phase- Construction. Currently, surveyors hired by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers are surveying all five of the project reaches. Almost half of the surveying is complete and we anticipate the final survey work to be completed in October.

Under the Florida Wildlife Commission’s Florida Black Bear Management Plan , approved in 2012, seven bear management units (BMUs) will be established throughout the state. The West Panhandle BMU, encompassing the counties of Escambia, Holmes, Okaloosa, Santa Rosa and Walton, will be the first to be created.