January was a busy month for nearly 450 middle school schoolers in Okaloosa and Walton Counties. After a fall field trip learning about dunes and beaches, followed by a real restoration project, the students planted their very own sea oats within on-campus nurseries. Over the next few months, they will care for the plants as…
Month: February 2018
10000 Birds – Brown-headed Nuthatches Attack Car Windows
When I arrived at the Choctawhatchee Basin Alliance office in Santa Rosa Beach, Florida, a high-tempo, tap-tap-tapping immediately arrested my attention. Surrounded by pine forest in general, the pavement is bordered by a handful of shorter, swaying palm trees. Echoing squeaks sounded from beneath their shade, and as I watched, a diminutive bird launched himself from the safety of…
Hook and Trigger – Keeping Balance in the Bay
On an early fall morning, Choctawhatchee Basin Alliance (CBA) Director Alison McDowell and her CBA colleagues waded into a Choctawhatchee Bay bayou with seine nets. Moving slowly through the cool water, they scooped up minnows in small dip nets before depositing them into waiting tanks. Crouching at the edge of the shoreline, they peered through…