Bears in Our Backyard Presentation at Coastal Branch Library

Friends of South Walton Sea Turtles group invites the community to the We Share the Beaches Educational Series held at the South Walton Coastal Branch Library. Presentations held monthly on specified Wednesday nights as announced from 6:30 til 7:30pm.  Coming up in the series:

Wednesday, January 17: Bears in Our Backyard
Jordan Green, Bear Biologist from the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission, will speak about Bears in Our Backyard.  His discussion will include the Florida Black Bear native to our forests, their behaviors, and what to do if we encounter a bear.  There have been many sightings of black bears in South Walton with Grayton Beach having an active population. This will be a great opportunity to sort the facts from the myths. 

Wednesday, February 21: Walton County Waterways and Beach Activities Ordinance

Brian Kellenberger, Director of Beach Operations for Walton County, will be speaking on the Walton County Code of Ordinances, Chapter 22: Walton County Waterways and Beach Activities Ordinance.  The Board of County Commissioners are currently considering changes to the ordinance for 2018 and it is anticipated that those changes could be completed and voted on at the upcoming Board meeting on January 8th.  With the completion of the updates, Brian will be able to give you an overview of what is new for 2018, clarify rules that are confusing, and answer your questions or concerns regarding specific rules within the code.  For Friends of South Walton Beach Ambassadors, the 2017 season brought concerns such as deep holes, tents, double red flags, etc. This is a chance to achieve a more in-depth understanding of the nuances of the code so that we are better prepared when we visit with our guests out on the beaches.

Presentations will be held at 6:30pm in the Coastal Branch Library located at 637 Greenway Trail in Santa Rosa Beach, so mark your calendars. Free and open to the public and also as training for Friends of South Walton Sea Turtle Volunteer Beach Ambassadors.

The Friends of South Walton Sea Turtles is a nonprofit, all-volunteer organization formed in 2015. Through education, volunteers are dedicated to promoting sea turtle conservation through awareness and education for the residents and the 3 million+ visitors to Walton County, Florida.

The Friends of South Walton Sea Turtles is a volunteer group that was created to work alongside South Walton Turtle Watch. The original Turtle Watch group has been around for more than 20 years. The original group’s primary mission is to locate turtles and their nests and protect them. You may have seen the early-morning “turtle walkers” who are up with the sun in order to find crawl markings that indicate a new nest has been laid.

Follow Friends of South Walton Sea Turtles on Facebook for more news and events and find out how you can get involved.

South Walton Coastal Branch Library hosts year round events, lectures, children's story time, chess, tai chi, meditation and other classes open to the community. Stop in to see works of a local artist on display each month. The library is located at 437 Greenway Trail off Hwy. 331 South. Follow South Walton Coastal Branch Library on Facebook for updates and events.