From Walton Sun
The Walton County Tourist Development Council is looking for partnerships with county departments and individuals to provide expertise and educational experiences for the Choctawhatchee Bay and Nature Center.
The 10 acres of land the center is proposed to be on was donated by Patricia Kellogg in 2003 and is located off Nellie Drive.
?We are looking for partnerships with the Walton County Parks and Recreation, Choctawhatchee Bay Alliance and the (Florida Division of Forestry),? TDC Director Kriss Titus said.
The TDC has already found several partnerships with individuals.
?People have donated old books and photos,? said Wade Berry, TDC publication editor/designer. ?Someone even donated an old shrimp boat. We?re looking for anything with historical significance.?
The idea behind the center is to provide the children of Walton County with the chance to explore the natural wonders of the area.
?Patricia Kellogg didn?t want to see the land develop,? said George Russell a member of the Audubon Society. Russell is also a former member of the Nature Based Tourism Committee at the Tourist Development Council.
Kellogg thought kids weren?t getting enough opportunities to get outside and experience the world around them, Russell said.
Hiking, boating and bird watching are some of the activities planned for the center.
Cutting trails through the property, labeling trees along the way and adding a kiosk that would tell children what kind of birds to look for are some of the ideas for the center, Russell said.
Titus said there still is some work to be done for the center.
?The first step was getting the land donated,? Titus said. ?The second step was getting a good idea of what is on the property. We had a prescribed burn and had surveying done. There was a house on the property and we did cost estimates on how much it would cost to use it. Someone also offered to donate a house to be used on the property.?
Anything done to the property has to get approval from the Walton Board of County Commissioners.
?Our next step is to get conceptual plans drawn up and get some community feed back on them. (The community) might have thoughts, concerns and opinions on what will be done,? Titus said.
Once plans are drawn up and the community has their say the TDC will start looking for grants to fund the center.
The Walton County Tourist Development Council is looking for partnerships with county departments and individuals to provide expertise and educational experiences for the Choctawhatchee Bay and Nature Center.
The 10 acres of land the center is proposed to be on was donated by Patricia Kellogg in 2003 and is located off Nellie Drive.
?We are looking for partnerships with the Walton County Parks and Recreation, Choctawhatchee Bay Alliance and the (Florida Division of Forestry),? TDC Director Kriss Titus said.
The TDC has already found several partnerships with individuals.
?People have donated old books and photos,? said Wade Berry, TDC publication editor/designer. ?Someone even donated an old shrimp boat. We?re looking for anything with historical significance.?
The idea behind the center is to provide the children of Walton County with the chance to explore the natural wonders of the area.
?Patricia Kellogg didn?t want to see the land develop,? said George Russell a member of the Audubon Society. Russell is also a former member of the Nature Based Tourism Committee at the Tourist Development Council.
Kellogg thought kids weren?t getting enough opportunities to get outside and experience the world around them, Russell said.
Hiking, boating and bird watching are some of the activities planned for the center.
Cutting trails through the property, labeling trees along the way and adding a kiosk that would tell children what kind of birds to look for are some of the ideas for the center, Russell said.
Titus said there still is some work to be done for the center.
?The first step was getting the land donated,? Titus said. ?The second step was getting a good idea of what is on the property. We had a prescribed burn and had surveying done. There was a house on the property and we did cost estimates on how much it would cost to use it. Someone also offered to donate a house to be used on the property.?
Anything done to the property has to get approval from the Walton Board of County Commissioners.
?Our next step is to get conceptual plans drawn up and get some community feed back on them. (The community) might have thoughts, concerns and opinions on what will be done,? Titus said.
Once plans are drawn up and the community has their say the TDC will start looking for grants to fund the center.
