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Finding oysters. Click for full size.

Posted on July 10, 2018October 16, 2018 by Erika Zambello

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choctawhatcheebasinalliance

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Scenes from the Eatern Lake watershed in Point Washington State Forest.
These little streams will eventually make their way to Eastern Lake, one of our rare coastal dune lakes. The forested area that surrounds the streams is part of the Eastern Lake watershed. A watershed is an area where all water flows to a common point. Everything that happens on land in the watershed has the potential to effect water quality, so it is important to appropriately manage land around water bodies.
@freshfromflorida
#dunelakes #pointwashington #seagrovebeach

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Salinity is key!
The origins of Camp Creek Lake, one of our rare coastal dune lakes, are characterized by freshwater vegetation like this sawgrass marsh. In contrast, the open lake and outfall exhibit salt tolerant plants like salt grass and sea oats. The range of salinity from fresh to salt is what makes the dune lake plant and animal communities so diverse. To learn more about the work that CBA and partners do on the coastal dune lakes, go to the link in the bio.
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#coastaldunelakes #dunelakes #visitsouthwalton #hey30a #sowal #salinity #sawgrass #dune
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Partners include:
@nfwf @usfws @mattiekellyenvironmental @stjoecommunityfoundation @30a10k

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Oyster reef monitoring!
After we build living shorelines, we monitor them to see if they are protecting the shoreline from erosion, if oysters are settling and thriving, and if other critters are using the shorelines for habitat. Here Ecology Techs Ali and Brennan are collecting and recording data at Lincoln Park and Shipyard Point in Valparaiso, FL. Check out the new oysters at Lincoln Park!
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#oysters #livingshorelines #science #waterquality .
Some project partners:
@myfwc @usfws @nfwf

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Doing science!
This month our 3rd graders in Grasses in Classes are dissecting smooth cordgrass! They make observations that help them better understand different plant structures. Smooth cordgrass is a salt marsh grass that we use in our living shorelines. Can you name 3 reasons why this grass is so important to the Choctawhatchee Bay?
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You can support us continuing to create future water stewards by becoming at the link in the bio.
#science #inquiry #environmentaleducation #smoothcordgrass
#classroomlife #nwfdailynews

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Thanks for supporting the bay during #givingtuesday!
#nonprofit #heroes #plover #wildlife

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What can we learn here?
Amongst the tiny bits of wave-tossed driftwood and shells on Grayton Beach are small, colorful bits of plastic and other trash. These bits of trash are everyday items that have been discarded unintentionally, but they are still harmful to wildlife. Do you recognize any of them? How can we do better?
#plasticocean #nature #sowal #hey30a #oceanconservation #embracethegulf
@oceanconservancy
#gulfcoast

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CBA could not fulfill our mission to support swimmable, fishable waterways without the donations and sponsorships provided by people who care! Please consider donating to CBA this Giving Tuesday and help us help the bay. Here's how your gift could help:
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💪$25 could purchase one restoration volunteer kit of gloves and boots.
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👩‍🔬$50 would cover the cost of a citizen scientist water quality monitoring kit.
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🌾$100 would cover the cost to build and stock one plant nursery for Grasses in Classes.
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🌊$500 would fund the completion of one oyster reef breakwater.
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💧$1,750 would cover the cost of a full year of one water quality monitoring station.
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🧒$3,000 would fund one year for a school in our education program.
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To donate, please visit the link in the bio and click on the "donate now" button.
#givingtuesday #giveback #nonprofit

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It is not too late to glimpse fall color here in the Choctawhatchee watershed.
A stand of cypress trees provides a russet backdrop to the turkey oaks and woody goldenrod that dot the landscape. Cypress grow in wet areas, so when you see them in the forest, it is a good indicator of the presence of a creek or pond.

#cypresstree #forest #goldenrod #wildflowers #nature #fallcolor @freshfromflorida

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Thanksgiving is over, but we are still thankful!
We are so fortunate to live among the natural wonders our local environment has to offer. Let's show gratitude by being good stewards of our waterways.
Raise awareness, get involved, join CBA at basinalliance.org.

#stewardship #beach #sowal #hey30a #nwfdailynews #destinlife #baylife

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November on the beach! We hope you get outside to enjoy some of our watershed's natural beauty.
#optoutside #nature #novemberinflorida #visitsouthwalton #beach

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What does it take to spark wonder with the natural world?
CBA brings the bay to schools all around the Choctawhatchee watershed, so that young hearts and minds will connect with the wonders of our local waterways.
This little video shows what it takes to set up one lesson where CBA and @nwf_environmental_stewards gather critters from the bay and combine classroom instruction with hands-on encounters with fish, shellfish and plant life.
To learn more about our education program and how you can support it, go to the link in the bio.

Photos: @murphyphoto
#environmentaleducation #oysters #crab #cbaforthebay #llbean #seining

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A watershed is connected! A clear, shallow stream meanders its way toward the river, which will eventually flow into the bay, which then opens to the Gulf of Mexico.
#nature #connections #river #creek #novemberinflorida #pureflorida

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Behind the scenes with @wjhgtv for the @30a10k promotions! CBA is so thankful to the generous organizers of this community-minded race. Profits from registrations go to local charities.
@girlsinc @culturalartsalliance @foyebellefoundation
#10k #30a0k #race #nonprofit #local #hey30 #sowal

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Behind the scenes at the CBA barn! The mundane becomes interesting when seen through our photographer's lens.
It takes a lot of materials, supplies and equipment to keep our nature-based restoration program going. Here our ordinary waders and buckets take on a magical glow as if to remind us how important they are to getting the job done.Thanks for the photos @murphyphoto and thanks for the buckets @loweshomeimprovement!
You too can help CBA care for our watershed by becoming a member at basinalliance.org.

@llbean
#llbean #lowes #work #naturebased
#waders #habitat #restoration #beanoutsider

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Working for our watershed!
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Ecology Technician Chad is loading up the kayaks and gheenoes and hitching up the truck for a water quality monitoring trip. Every morning, you can see a scene like this as we load the vehicles and vessels that we depend on to access our 5000 square mile watershed. CBA and our partners AmeriCorps NWF Environmental Stewards are boots-on-the-ground for education, restoration, monitoring and research.
Find out how you can be a part of this effort at basinalliance.org.
Photos: @murphyphoto
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@nwf_environmental_stewards
@nwfstatecollege
@gheenoelife
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#workweek #worktruck #gheenoe #waterqualitymonitoring #cbaforthebay #sowal #destinlife

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Yesterday our education team joined Fort Walton Beach High School for a SHOALS lesson all about oysters! A huge thank you goes out to AJ's Grayton Beach for donating the oysters that made this lesson possible. The students were able to look up close at this seemingly simple critter to see how complex they really are. Did you know one adult oyster can filter up to 50 gallons of water in one day?! To learn more about how we are trying to improve our oyster population in the bay visit basinalliance.org.
#oysters #biology #cbaforthebay

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The more you know...
One adult oyster can filter up to fifty gallons of water a day!
During our most recent reef monitoring visit to Post’l Point we saw that the oyster populations have exploded there, with oysters as large as 8cm. That's a lot of clean water!
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CBA’s reefs, provide a hard, stable surface for oysters to settle on and grow. Oysters are the base of a healthy bay ecosystem, and provide many ecosystem services such as water filtration, erosion control, and habitat creation. With global oyster populations down by 85% of their historic levels, CBA is working hard alongside other organizations in a national living shorelines working group to restore oyster populations.

#oysters #reef #habitat #cbaforthebay
@nfwf @usfws @raestuaries @nwf_environmental_stewards @myfwc @shunkgulley30a @surfhutfl @ajsgrayton @acmeoyster @johnnyoquigleys @backporchdestin @thehendersonfl @goatfeathersrestaurant

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More fall color! This gorgeous stand of goldenaster blooms along the path in Point Washington State Forest.
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We are fortunate here in our watershed that some of our uplands are already in conservation. State forests, state parks, Eglin AFB, and Nokuse Plantation are a few of the larger landholders. Since everything that happens in a watershed affects water quality, these conservation lands are important to the health of Choctawhatchee Bay, Choctawhatchee River, the rare coastal dune lakes, our abundant springs, and all the tributaries.
#forest #goldenaster #wildflower #conservation #fallcolor #freshfromflorida #hey30a #sowal #flstateparks @sowal.life
@fl.stateparks @freshfromflorida @eglinlife

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#snakesunday ! 🐍🐍 This pygmy rattlesnake is warming in the sun, cleverly camouflaged against the pavement of this trail at @topsailhillpreservestatepark.
Pygmy rattlesnakes are abundant and important members of our watershed's ecology. The small, thick-bodied snakes feed mostly on mice, frogs and lizards. Pygmy rattlesnakes lure prey by wriggling their tails from a coiled hunting position, which they have been known to hold for 2-3 weeks! Their small fangs and small amounts of venom make their bites painful, but not fatal to humans.
#snakes #ecology #flstateparks

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This little stream flows through Point Washington State Forest on it's way to Western Lake, our most iconic coastal dune lake. Learn more about the rare coastal dune lakes and how CBA protects them through monitoring, education, and restoration at basinalliance.org.

#creek #nature #pureflorida #dunelakes #realflorida #pointwashingtonstateforest #graytonbeach

Our partners include @usfws @stjoecommunityfoundation @30acoastalduneswine @nfwf

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Grasses in Classes: 2018-2019 Year Recap
30A 10K Benefits Local Nonprofit Organizations
Shoreline Church Hosts Flyfishing Film Tour with Proceeds Benefiting CBA
April Coastal Clean-Ups with the Choctawhatchee Basin Alliance
Shoreline Grasses Growing at Post’l Point Site

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