Last week, I wrote about how riprap consists of a cluster of medium-sized rocks placed at the base of a seawall to prevent erosion. The same concept is put to work when creating a living shoreline, but the rock gets moved offshore. As I’ve ... READ MORE
Category: Coasts & Marine, Natural Resources, Water
Every season living on the Gulf Coast reveals its surprises and interesting natural phenomena. Recently, my social media feed was ‘flooded” with photos of extreme low tides in local bays, bayous, and even the Gulf. The water was so low ... READ MORE
Category: Coasts & Marine, Natural Resources, Water
I got my foot in the door for my first environmental job by volunteering at the Florida Department of Environmental Protection (FDEP) while still in college. The Submerged Lands and Environmental Resource Program (aka “SLERP”, now ERP) ... READ MORE
Category: Coasts & Marine, Natural Resources
Like many of you, my head and heart have been wrapped up in the news of the devastating Texas floods along the Guadalupe River. A close friend’s son was evacuated from a boys’ camp on the river in the middle of the night. And my daughter ... READ MORE
Category: Natural Resources, Water
In Japanese, “Satori” means “awakening,” “understanding,” or “comprehension.” It is the perfect term for a program started just 10 years ago here in Pensacola. A nonprofit housed at the Pensacola Yacht Club, the mission of ... READ MORE
Category: Coasts & Marine, Natural Resources, Water
Gulf toadfish (Opsanus beta) are among those species that only a mother could love. Squat and bumpy, big-headed, scaleless, slow, and unwieldy, they truly resemble land-based amphibians more than the sleek, fast fish to which we are accustomed. ... READ MORE
Category: Natural Resources, Wildlife
For a very long time, direct access to Pensacola Bay has been difficult for anyone not living right on the water. With busy Bayfront Parkway/Main Street and the Port blocking foot traffic from Palafox to the Bay Bridge along with industrial ... READ MORE
Category: Natural Resources
In 1950, two brothers were out harvesting peat in the marshes near their homes in Denmark. The water was low, and they saw what looked like the outline of a human body whose skin was perfectly intact. Alarmed, they quickly notified the authorities ... READ MORE
Category: Conservation, Natural Resources, Water, Wildlife
I’ve only dedicated one of these blogs to an individual before, after the passing of Navarre’s beloved Kayak Dave. But after losing a friend and mentor earlier this week, I knew it was time for another personal tribute. Sheila Dunning ... READ MORE
Category: Home Landscapes, Natural Resources
According to Conservation International, there are 36 biodiversity hotspots worldwide. These are defined as areas with “at least 1,500 vascular plants as endemics — which is to say, it must have a high percentage of plant life found ... READ MORE
Category: Coasts & Marine, Conservation, Forests, Natural Resources, Water, Wildlife