WILDfest is the Wildlife Sanctuary of Northwest Florida’s annual open house. The community will be able to tour the sanctuary and view the animals. There will also be games for kids.

Where: The sanctuary is at 105 North S. St., Pensacola, just off of N. Pace Boulevard.

When: September 10th, 2011, 12:00 to 3:30

What: The event will help support the sanctuary’s mission of caring for injured and orphaned wildlife.

Collecting the following donations:

• Tissues
• Laundry soap
• Fresh fruits and vegetables
• Science Diet kitten or puppy growth food and Purina puppy chow
• Cheerios
• Peanut butter
• Suet
• Shelled or unshelled pecans or peanuts
• Chicken or red meat
• Sunflower seeds
• Baby blankets
• Gift cards from Walmart and Renfroe Pecan Co.
• Cash or checks

Photo by: Wildlife Sanctuary of NWFL

Over 500 hearty souls braved the stormy weather to attend the first Bald Eagle Bash and were rewarded with one of the best events to be held in 2010. This year’s Taste of Weeks Bay will again feature Alabama Wild Shrimp prepared by the area’s best restaurants. The delicious food will be accompanied by classic dry sangrias, wine, and beer, all included in the price of admission. Live music and appearances by Shelby Mitchell of 95KSJ and Darwin Singleton of NBC15 will complete the scene.

The Bald Eagle Bash is the premier Party for Preservation. The money raised will help fund the Weeks Bay Foundation, the only nationally accredited land trust in coastal Alabama. In just the last year, the efforts of the Foundation have preserved over a mile and a half of waterfront wetlands on Fish River and almost a thousand acres of freshwater wetlands on Mobile Bay. These lands will now be preserved in a natural state for wildlife and for future generations of
coastal Alabama citizens to use and enjoy.

Your support of the Bald Eagle Bash comes at a time when our ecosystem is under great stress from the 2010 oil spill, a time when we need to provide a sanctuary for the great diversity of wildlife that lives here year round or depends on our wetlands during migration. Mammals, birds, and fish depend on the citizens of our area to preserve their wetland homes and you can help and have a great time at the Bald Eagle Bash on the banks of Weeks Bay.

Tickets are $30 in advance or $35 at the gate and can be purchased online at www.BaldEagleBash.com or at any BBVA Compass location in Baldwin or Mobile counties, the Foundation office, and the Reserve. This is the event of the summer so get your tickets now and call or e-mail your friends and ask them to attend. And remember what the Party for Preservation is for: the future of one of the most beautiful and diverse environments on planet earth, right here
in Baldwin County.

The Expo begins Thursday and Friday, April 28 and 29, with field trips for area students with Saturday, April 30, as the FREE Family Day which is open to the public from  9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Some of the events include a Black Bear of the Delta demonstration, live marine animals and nature activities for children.

The expo features presentations and displays by experienced outdoorsmen, professionals and educators and will include many hands-on opportunities to help festival attendees learn skills to increase their knowledge and enjoyment of the Delta while promoting responsible outdoor recreation.

The featured presenter, Dr. John C. Hall, author and expert on naturalist and Delta explorer William Bartram, will be mesmerizing young and old alike as he depicts William Bartram in full costume with many artifacts to share.

A new part of this expo is The Great Bartram Canoe Classic which is held on Saturday. It’s a canoe race and kayak fun run for the whole family. You must preregister at 5rds.com

For driving directions, click here. It should only take a little over an hour to get there from Pensacola and will be an exciting time for the whole family.

Saturday, April 23rd, 2011
10:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.

For more information: Earth Day Pensacola

Supporting Florida’s Gulf Coast!

Join the Northwest Florida Wildlife Sanctuary for fun, food, and games. Listen to Sweet Prospect Celtic band and see area turtles on display. Feed the pelicans & enjoy the children’s area.  Bring your camera and shop for plants and gift shop items!  Bring the family and enjoy the day while supporting our wildlife facility!

www.pensacolawildlife.com

Enjoy a beautiful day among the longleaf pine trees and pitcher plants to celebrate the launch of Remote Footprints! The Kickoff will take place at Coastal Plains Institute’s Rowlett’s Creek Preserve, Sumatra, FL.

We will provide lunch as well as lots of unique entertainment:

Pitcher plant bog tour and species identification
Property tour – discover the longleaf pine ecosystem and learn about forest restoration while walking this unique property
Camping equipment demonstration

April 16 9 a.m.- ?

http://remotefootprints.org/go-remote/kickoff-celebration

It’s not seaweed, it’s SEAGRASS and it’s ALIVE. Seagrass is one of the main building blocks for the extensive marine life we have here in the panhandle and around the world.

What: 11th Annual Seagrass Awareness Celebration

When: March 26, 2011
10:00 am until 2:00 pm

Where: Shoreline Park South, Gulf Breeze (Across from the Recreation center on Shoreline Drive)

Contact: Chris Verlinde 623-3868

chrismv@ufl.edu

Deborah Holland, 983-5359

Debbie.Holland@dep.state.fl.us

****Agencies, organizations, artists and vendors are invited to provide a display or activity for the 11th annual Seagrass Awareness Celebration. Enjoy this event by letting the community know about your group or organization! Please contact Debbie or Chris if you are interested in participating in this event!!!

Seagrass Awareness is an annual family orientated event held at Shoreline Park South in Gulf Breeze, Florida. This year activities will include live marine life in the touch tanks, “eat a seagrass bed,” seining, games, fishing, arts and crafts, boating safety, fishing, kayaking and more!

Bring a friend, lunch, water, sunscreen, hat, water shoes, lawn chairs and join us for a fun filled day!

Participating organizations include: The Environmental Education Coordination Team, University of Florida IFAS Extension: Florida Sea Grant Extension, Florida Master Naturalists, Florida Department of Environmental Protection: Office of Coastal and Aquatic Managed Areas, Ecosystem Restoration; Resource Rangers, and more!

March is Seagrass Awareness Month in Florida!

Seagrasses are a valuable part of the marine environment and support a thriving million-dollar fishery. Most commercial and recreationally important fish, crabs, and shrimp spend some time of their lives in seagrass beds. These grass beds help to filter toxins from the water, contribute to water clarity by trapping suspended sediments, provide food and shelter for juvenile fish, shrimp and crabs, provide food for manatees, green sea turtles, and migratory birds depend on seagrass beds for foraging needs! Threats to these important resources include: degraded water quality, dredge and fill projects, and physical impacts from boat propellers.

In our area, the “true” marine seagrass species include: shoal grass (Halodule wrightii), turtle grass (Thalassia testudinum), widgeon grass (Ruppia maritima), manatee grass (Syringodium filiforme), and some species of Halophia. In the upper parts of the bays, another ecologically important submerged aquatic plant is tape grass, (Vallisneria americana).

The term submerged aquatic vegetation (SAV) is a general term that includes grasses found submerged in salt, brackish and fresh water environments.

“Seagrass . . .it’s alive” is the motto for this initiative. Get involved, and help spread the word about seagrasses this month! Be creative and provide educational opportunities for your friends, neighbors, fisher-people, boaters and those concerned about water quality.

Extension Service programs are open to all people without regard to race, color, sex, age, handicap or national origin.

Blueberry photo by Jeff Kubina