2021 Earth Day Beach Cleanup – Joe’s Bayou and Mattie Kelly Park

Apr 24, 2021 8:00 am - 10:00 am
Joe’s Bayou and Mattie Kelly Park
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Choctawhatchee Basin Alliance

Sustaining swimmable, fishable waterways through monitoring, education, restoration and research.

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growing saltmarsh plants with Grasses in Classes

Posted on March 30, 2021 by Shantelle Dedicke

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Move Your Mollusk!🦪 Today our oyster gardeners Move Your Mollusk!🦪 Today our oyster gardeners concluded their oyster growing season by moving their mollusks to Shipyard Point in Valparaiso. This past year our gardeners piloted different grow-out materials so we could weigh the pros and cons of each method.These proud oyster-parents are showing off some fine looking oysters grown on concrete-covered jute donuts provided by @growoysters. The oyster clusters will help populate the newly constructed reefs at Shipyard Point on Boggy Bayou. To learn more about this and other programs that help sustain local waterways go to the link in the bio. #everydayheroes #doghelpers #oysters #oystergardening #moveyourmollusk2021 #cbaforthebay #proud #water #community #earthmonth #boggy #bayoulife
Sun's up guns up! 🦀 🌞 This crab is using a Sun's up guns up! 🦀 🌞 This crab is using a threat posture to keep us at a safe distance. We found this blue crab as we were collecting critters at Hogtown Bayou for a marine science lesson at Freeport High School. This is a male blue crab--we know that because his apron (on the crab's underside) is shaped like the Washington Monument or a necktie. The female blue crab's apron is wider and more rounded. Find out more about CBA and our efforts to sustain swimmable, fishable waterways at the link in the bio #themoreyouknow #crab #cbaforthebay #estuary #bluecrab #marinescience
Adaptation, y'all! If you have been keeping up wit Adaptation, y'all! If you have been keeping up with CBA this year, you know that CBA Education Coordinator Amanda and our AmeriCorps members have gone above and beyond to transform our in-person, hands-on Grasses in Classes science lessons to engaging virtual lessons that get kids excited about our local environment. With Covid restrictions still in place, this incredible team created a virtual Grasses in Classes field trip for our students. Here's Miss Marissa and Miss Deaven leading students through the virtual field trip from our office. We look forward to getting outside with all our students soon, but the virtual field trip is a fun substitute! Go to the link in the bio to learn more about how we teach kids to sustain swimmable, fishable, liveable waterways. #environmentaleducation #environment #everydayheroes #engageNWFSC #virtual
That face you make when you needed help, but didn' That face you make when you needed help, but didn't want to admit it. We spotted this Florida softshell turtle trying to cross a busy Hwy. 30A, and stopped to lend a neighborly hand, lifting the turtle gently and carrying it accross the road in the direction it was already traveling. Florida softshell turtles are omnivores that get most of their nutrition from fish, frogs, crustaceans and insects. This places them high in the local aquatic food web, falling prey only to alligators, cars, or nest predators. We share our watershed with some truly awesome neighbors! Join CBA at the link in the bio and help us sustain swimmable, fishable, liveable waterways, now and into the future. #watershed #turtle #softshellturtle #floridalife #everydayheroes #hey30a #wildlife #herpnerd #sowalbeaches #sowal
All hands on deck! CBA is issuing a call for all h All hands on deck! CBA is issuing a call for all hands to join us in restoring critical habitat in Walton County, Florida. Check out the Events calendar at the link in the bio to find volunteer opportunities or email us at cba@nwfsc.edu to reserve your spot. Our community and our environment needs you! This project is possible thanks to funding through a partnership with Walton County and Florida Department of Environmental Protection’s Florida Coastal Management Program, who funded All Hands on Deck with a grant from the NOAA Office for Coastal Management, awarded under the Coastal Zone Management Act. Additional support generously provided by @stjoecommunityfoundation. @fl.dep @noaadigitalcoast @nwf_environmental_stewards #habitat #allhandsondeck #everydayheroes #notallheroeswearcapes #volunteer #nature #environment #community
Ahhh, Spring! Our Native Plant Demonstration Garde Ahhh, Spring! Our Native Plant Demonstration Garden at the South Walton Center of @nwfstatecollege looks super-cute right now 🌿🌻🌱! Native plants are adapted to thrive in our environment; they use available water, provide habitat for native critters, and are resistant to local pests. Special thanks to CBA Education Technician Ali and our @nwf_environmental_stewards members for keeping the garden beautiful! #natives #plants #everydayheroes #engageNWFSC#sowal
What's the rush? Welp, we rushed to pot these need What's the rush? Welp, we rushed to pot these needlerush last week when we received a surprise donation of plants from Kelly at Icarus Ecological Services. We were alerted to this opportunity when our pals at Lake Powell Community Alliance reached out to see if we could use the plants in our saltmarsh restoration program. So exciting! These plants joined smooth cordgrass and marsh cordgrass in our saltmarsh nurseries. They will find a home on the shores of Choctawhatchee Bay this summer. Special thanks to CBA staff Jenna and Chad for picking up the plants, and to our @nwf_environmental_stewards for staying late to help pot them. We have the best community of stewardship! Learn more about our programs at the link in the bio. #saltmarsh #cordgrass #needlerush #everydayheroes #cbaforthebay #livingshorelines #plantlife
So chonky! One of our oyster gardeners sent this p So chonky! One of our oyster gardeners sent this photo of a stone crab looking to snack on her oyster crop. Stone crab eat oysters, and cobia eat stone crab, making for one of the tastiest local food chains! If you are interested in being an oyster gardener, and seeing sights such as this, check out the link in the bio. #stonecrab #oystergardening #handforscale #science #citizenscience #crab #cbaforthebay #destin
A li'l bouquet of snails! These marsh periwinkles A li'l bouquet of snails! These marsh periwinkles are enjoying the smooth cordgrass our Grasses in Classes kids planted at Horseshoe Bayou. Marsh periwinkles are small gastropods that feed on algae and detritus from the leaves of the smooth cordgrass. When threatened by predators like the blue crab, these little snails retreat up the leaves of the plants. Marsh periwinkles are just one of the saltmarsh critters that benefit from our Grasses in Classes program. Join us now at the link in the bio and help support Grasses in Classes and our other initiatives for swimmable, fishable, livable waterways. #saltmarsh #grassesinclasses #horseshoebayou #bayoulife #marshperiwinkle #estuaries
Fun for the whole family! This April, bring the ki Fun for the whole family! This April, bring the kids out to one of our @nwfstatecollege Family Learning Hubs. You and the family can plant smooth cordgrass from our Grasses in Classes program and enjoy our observation tanks full of critters that depend on smooth cordgrass to provide them a healthy home. The Family Learning Hubs are another of our adaptations to being unable to present Grasses in Classes in the schools this year. The Hubs are outdoors at NWF State College campuses, with social distancing and other CDC recommendations in place so kids and their families can still benefit from the hands-on portion of our education programs. Dates and times in the flyer, or go to the link in the bio and check out our Events tab! For more info contact Amanda at brianta@nwfsc.edu. 📷@murphyphoto Partners: @nwf_environmental_stewards @nwfstatecollege #handsonlearning #grassesinclasses #environmentaleducation #smoothcordgrass #nature #learningoutside
All Hands on Deck! CBA and @nwf_environmental_ste All Hands on Deck! CBA and @nwf_environmental_stewards are enhancing and improving 6.71 acres of oyster saltmarsh, dune and coastal dune lake wetland habitat through our new All Hands on Deck program. All hands are needed, so come volunteer with us and be a part of our community of watershed stewards! This project is possible thanks to funding through a partnership with Walton County and Florida Department of Environmental Protection’s Florida Coastal Management Program, who funded All Hands on Deck with a grant from the NOAA Office for Coastal Management, awarded under the Coastal Zone Management Act. Additional support generously provided by @stjoecommunityfoundation. Go to the link in the bio to find out how you can volunteer. #habitat #allhandsondeck #nature #everydayheroes #engageNWFSC
So jelly! Exploring nature sometimes means observi So jelly! Exploring nature sometimes means observing species at the end of their life cycle.This cannonball jellyfish washed up on our beaches near Okaloosa Island, giving us a chance to marvel at their unique beauty. This specimen shows the milky or clear bell with brown edges that is characteristic of cannonball jellyfish in the Gulf of Mexico and the Atlantic. In the Pacific, the same species would have a blue bell! Also, we can see that cannonballs do not have long tentacles, instead they have sixteen forked mouth arms that draw food into the jellyfish. They consume mostly zooplankton, including oyster larvae, since they are found in estuarine and nearshore waters, just like the oyster. Cannonball jellyfish are also a primary food source for endangered sea turtles. You can see from observing this jellyfish how turtles might confuse plastic bags and other trash for their food. #cleanon #trashfreeseas #explore #fwbdestin #okaloosaisland #jellyfish #beach #beachfinds #cannonballjellyfish
Happy #worldwaterday! On this day, we are celebrat Happy #worldwaterday! On this day, we are celebrating saltmarsh and all the heavy lifting this habitat type does for our local waterways. CBA, @nwf_environmental_stewards, and our volunteers and partners spend a lot of time and sweat on restoring saltmarsh in Choctawhatchee Bay because saltmarsh controls erosion, filters and stores water, and provides habitat for all sorts of critters. Check out the Events tab at the link in the bio to find out how you can help restore saltmarsh! 📷 @seanmurphyphoto #saltmarsh #smoothcordgrass #volunteer #everydayheroes #notallheroeswearcapes @usfws @nwfwmd @nwf_environmental_stewards
Feeling grateful! Our hearts are full at CBA, thin Feeling grateful! Our hearts are full at CBA, thinking of the generosity of @jonahallenstudio in raising funds for local waterways. This amazing artist's donation will help fund our Dunes in Schools program where students learn about and restore coastal dune lake habitat. Thanks for stepping up, @jonahallenstudio 💙💚! 📷@murphyphoto #everydayheroes #hometownheroes #nature #environmentaleducation #dunelakes #basinalliance #nonprofit #dunes #seaoats #sowal #hey30a #grateful
Dunes lakes doing like they do! 💚💙 Looks lik Dunes lakes doing like they do! 💚💙 Looks like Morris Lake is outfalling to the Gulf right now. Morris Lake is one of the 15 named coastal dune lakes nestled between the pine trees and the sand dunes right here in Walton County. Globally, dune lakes are a rare habitat type. Our lakes are freshwater in origin, but they periodically fill up and outfall into the Gulf of Mexico, exchanging freshwater and saltwater, creating a dynamic brackish water system. Learn more about dune lakes at the link in the bio. #dunelakes #flstateparks #topsailhillstatepark #dontpanicitstannic #beach #realflorida #water #dunes #gulfofmexico #basinalliance @fl.stateparks
Woo-hoo! Stallworth Lake, one of our rare coastal Woo-hoo! Stallworth Lake, one of our rare coastal dune lakes, is open to the Gulf today. Humans and wildlife alike enjoy the dune lake outfalls. Learn more at the link in the bio. #dunelakes #beach #dontpanicitstannic #lake #weekend
Beginning to see the light! Here's a little ray of Beginning to see the light! Here's a little ray of 🌞 from the Smith Branch, a tributary of Rocky Creek on Eglin Reservation near the #navyeod school. Rocky Creek flows into Rocky Bayou, an Outstanding Florida Water, before opening into Choctawhatchee Bay, which exchanges water with the Gulf of Mexico. We are all connected by our waterways let's take care of them together! Join CBA at the link in the bio. #connected #creek #creeklife #cbaforthebay #choctawhatcheebay #stream #light #moss #peaceful #forest #pinepollen #nonprofit #trails
Birdtastic day at work! At yesterday's living shor Birdtastic day at work! At yesterday's living shoreline building event in Freeport, CBA and @nwf_environmental_stewards shared our space with lots of birds. We saw flocks of pelicans, cormorants and coots enjoying the shallow shoals of this corner of #choctawhatcheebay, while kingfishers and ospreys fished from above and cardinals serenaded us from the trees. Our waterways are important to humans and wildlife alike. Join us now at the link in the bio and help us sustain swimmable, fishable, livable waterways now and into the future. #livingshorelines #birds #workoutside #environment #everydayheroes #freeportfl
#mondaymotivation Time to get to step out on that #mondaymotivation Time to get to step out on that path and find out what's on the other side. This week CBA and @nwf_environmental_stewards will be educating students on adaptations of bay critters with virtual observation tanks; editing and filming additional lessons; building oyster habitat at Cessna Park and homeowner sites; settling logistics for upcoming Eglin AFB Reservation #livingshorelines; meeting with regional partners in habitat restoration and education; refining water quality reporting; monitoring water quality; recycling oyster shell; developing new programming; reaching out to funding partners; and so much more! If you care about local waterways, join us now at the link in the bio and let's get to work! #workhard #workinwaders #nature #water #nonprofitlife #cbaforthebay #choctawhatcheebay #dunelakes #waterquality #waterislife #waterfolk
CBA is so excited to take part in the Grand Openin CBA is so excited to take part in the Grand Opening of @jonahallenstudio! This exciting artist focuses on our local waterways, and we are proud that Jonah has chosen CBA as one of the recipients of proceeds from this event. See details below to find out how you can participate in this event. 💙💚 #sowal #sowalbeaches #hey30a #coastaldunelakes #Repost @jonahallenstudio • • • • • • Jonah Allen Studio I am excited to announce that I am opening my first gallery and studio, located at 416 S Co Hwy 393 in Santa Rosa Beach, on Wednesday, March 10 from 5 p.m - 8pm!!!!! PLEASE RSVP LINK IN BIO The community is invited to the grand opening celebration at the new 1,500 square foot space on south 393. @beachyblooms30a and @showtimeeventsweddings will transform the gallery into a stunning event space where community members are invited to mingle, and enjoy light bites by @cleanjuicemarketshops and @bluemountainbakery, refreshments by @distillery98, @heymamawines, @idyllhounds, and @noli_south, music by @daddjfromflorida , and to view the various works. @steponeautomotivegroup will also be in attendance showcasing their luxury cars from Maserati. Guests are also encouraged to wear facial coverings and maintain proper social distance from one another in order to maintain a safe and healthy environment for everyone in attendance. https://blog.jonahallen.com/event-rsvp/ Two pieces of artwork will be auctioned off that evening with 100 percent of proceeds benefiting the @choctawhatcheebasinalliance and a friend of mine that has been in the hospital after suffering an unexpected surfing accident. A percentage of artwork sold that evening will also benefit both of these beneficiaries. Everyone who attends will be entered to win a helicopter experience with me and the winner will be chosen that evening in person only! My goal is for this studio and gallery to be an intimate experience for everyone. I want to share these incredible moments I have experienced out in the Gulf of Mexico. My artwork will allow some people to experience the water in ways that they will never experience in their lifetimes, even natives of Walton County. I cannot wait to see you at the event!!!!!!!
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