My son and his girlfriend were visiting last week and wanted to go fishing. Since she had never been deep sea fishing before, we decided that the best course of action would be to take the short four-hour trip on one of Destin’s party boats. Party ... READ MORE
Category: Coasts & Marine, Natural Resources, Recreation, UF/IFAS Extension
October is Dune Lake Awareness month and as part of the celebration, Walton and Okaloosa County UF/IFAS Extension Agents are joining together to host a Coastal Dune Lake Tour at Western Lake in Grayton Beach State Park. This free event will ... READ MORE
Category: Coasts & Marine, Natural Resources, Recreation, UF/IFAS Research
We are fortunate to have several whale species that have been spotted in the Gulf of Mexico including humpback whales, Rice whales, fin whales, sperm whales, sei whales, and orca whales. Recently, however, we have seen multiple reports of whale ... READ MORE
Category: Coasts & Marine, Conservation, UF/IFAS, UF/IFAS Extension, Wildlife
The University of Florida Extension Office in Okaloosa County is taking applications for the 2022 Master Gardener Volunteer training course. We are looking for people who will provide volunteer time at the Extension Office in Crestview ... READ MORE
Category: Coasts & Marine, Community Volunteers, Events, Florida-Friendly Landscaping, Fruits & Vegetables, HOME LANDSCAPES, Horticulture, Invasive Species, Lawn, Pests & Disease, Water, Wildlife
February is American Heart Month and when I think of heart, my thoughts turn to seafood. Perhaps that is unusual, but I love seafood and the fact that the American Heart Association recommends 1 to 2 seafood meals a week fits right into my gastronomic ... READ MORE
Category: Coasts & Marine, Natural Resources
There are a lot of good oyster quotes. One I remember from childhood is the saying to only eat oysters in months with the letter “r,” basically September to April. I believe this originated when all oysters came from the wild. This was a ... READ MORE
Category: Coasts & Marine
The northwest Florida area has been identified as having the highest concentration of invasive lionfish in the world. Lionfish pose a significant threat to our native wildlife and habitat with spearfishing the primary means of control. Lionfish ... READ MORE
Category: Coasts & Marine, Invasive Species, Natural Resources
June is National Ocean Month. Close your eyes and think about just how many oceans there are. Surprise, there is only one! The ocean is huge, covering over 70 percent of the earth’s surface. Traditionally, the ocean was divided into four named ... READ MORE
Category: Coasts & Marine, Natural Resources, UF/IFAS Extension
We’re highlighting all things Florida Master Naturalist Program (FMNP) in 2021 as the program marks its 20th anniversary. To learn more about FMNP, view the first blog post here. Click the image to download and enjoy the May ... READ MORE
Category: Coasts & Marine, Natural ResourcesI am a curious person by nature. When I first moved to the Emerald Coast, I had many questions about the area. For example, why do they call this the Emerald Coast? To help answer my questions, I turned to the Destin History and Fishing ... READ MORE
Category: Coasts & Marine, Natural Resources, UF/IFAS Extension, Water