Attention SoWal Beach and animal Lovers: Mark your calendars and help get the word out. 30A Games has announced a one-week long fundraiser to benefit the Alaqua Animal Refuge. Beginning Monday, April 8 and extending through Sunday, April 14, $10 from every MONOPOLY®: Visit South Walton Edition game sold at the 30A Games website or at any of the local retailers will benefit Alaqua Animal Refuge.
The Art of the Egg fundraiser for Alaqua Animal Refuge will be held on Saturday, March 30, 2013 at Donna Burgess Gallery in Grand Boulevard. Local artists will transform eggs, laid by Alaqua's resident Emu sisters, Zsa Zsa and Eva, into works of art. The egg creations will be available for purchase through a silent auction along with original paintings.
Here's a grayt story and photos of a recent Pelican rescue by our friend Edmond Alexander of Grayton Beach. When Edmond isn't rescuing local wildlife, he's painting it, or photographing it. Or he's down on the beach helping our local charter fishing Captains in the Grayton mosquito fleet launch their boats.
Looking for a great volunteer opportunity that will help a most worthy organization and warm your heart at the same time? Alaqua Animal Refuge needs the support of our community, and you can help. As an independent, non-profit organization that advocates the general welfare and humane treatment of animals in need, the refuge provides shelter, a full service adoption center, educational outreach, and community programs.
Dogs and owners rendezvous on Dec. 9 from 1-4pm for the 2nd Annual Rosemary Beach Unleashed Community Festival, sponsored by SoWal.com. Attendance is FREE, so come join in a fun-filled afternoon on St. Augustine Green at an event that will keep the entire family entertained.
We get quite a few snowbirds in South Walton, but a pair of eagles swimming and frolicking on the beach recently take the cake. Actually, these two are likely permanent SoWal residents, probably a mating pair with a nest nearby.
This time of year our local eagles venture out for a good meal and to gather material (seaweed?) to build their nests for chicks coming soon. We've never heard of any on the beach though.
Sally Edwards and her husband Larry from Birmingham got quite the show from their Seagrove condo, and sent us the photos to share.
South Walton was once home to a large black bear population. Hunting and development nearly eliminated Florida's largest land mammal. But lately we've seen bears return to the area in large numbers.
Just like it is for SoWal vistors and locals, Fall is an active time of year for Florida black bears as they stock up on calories for the coming winter. Though black bears don’t really need to put on pounds to survive the state’s usually mild winters, they behave as if they do need to – eating about three times as much as usual.
A new project is underway by Shelter House to help pets and their families - it's a first of its kind for Northwest Florida.
Did you know that 68% of battered women report violence toward their pets? Some studies show that close to 50% of abused women stayed in relationships because they could not take their pet with them to a shelter.
Before Hurricane Isaac passed by SoWal on his way to New Orleans, South Walton’s sea turtle nests (not including nests in the State Parks) numbered 96, which was a record for our area. Since the start of this year’s turtle nesting season, there were 59 nests that had either hatched or been dug for evaluation before Isaac. Tropical Storm Debbie had previously washed away 3 nests.
John Scanlan picked 1/11/11 to open his new venture, Bow Wow Meow Pet Company, hoping the unique date would be good for business. Now in his second year, he notes he’s had at least one sale every day. For someone open seven days a week and closed only for Thanksgiving, Christmas Eve, Christmas Day and New year's Day, that’s quite an accomplishment.
