Winter Community Programs: Wildlife Photographer Walt Spence

Walton County Coastal Library will once again host Winter Community Programs on Wednesdays, Jan 3 – Feb 28, 2018 at 10:00am. Winter Community Programs are designed for our adult community and families having educational and entertaining value while learning about our community and neighbors. The series provides many subjects from photography to documentaries, art, song, mystery and history.

January 3, 2018
Wildlife Photographer - Walt Spence
Walt’s earlier photos have appeared in publications such as Southern Living and Florida Living, and mostly involved human subjects and situations. But Walt had always harbored a latent desire to pursue nature photography. The stimulus to do it seriously came in 2006 when he and his friend Doug Buck realized that no one had ever produced a truly comprehensive photo survey of the wildlife of the local bayou country. They embarked on a prolific multi-year effort to record the amazing diversity of species that lives there. The Boggy Bayou Birds project has since captured thousands of images, many from a canoe, and its focus has been on educating and entertaining the local public. Walt’s nature photos have received multiple awards in the Mattie Kelly Environmental Institute’s nature photo contest and are featured in the Institute’s annual calendar. He is Past President of the Choctawhatchee Audubon Society, and is a founding member of the Choctawhatchee Basin Alliance.

January 10, 2018
Film Screening - Great Florida Cattle Drive: Unbroken Circles - Nic Stoltzfus and Elam Stoltzfus
Florida: the land of beaches, theme parks…and cowboys. Father/son filmmakers Elam and Nic Stoltzfus share their stories and adventures from the Great Florida Cattle Drive 2016, while also showcasing clips from their PBS documentary film, The Great Florida Cattle Drive: Unbroken Circles. For over 30 years, Elam Stoltzfus has been documenting the wilds of Florida. He has produced seven feature-length films. Collectively, these films have won 16 Tellys, three Davies and one Emmy and all of them have been featured on public television. He is the founder of Live Oak Production Group. Nic Stoltzfus is a writer and photographer at Live Oak Production Group. His first script, Coastal Dune Lakes: Jewels of Florida’s Emerald Coast was nominated for a Suncoast Emmy in the writing category and won People’s Choice for the 2014 Telly Awards. Along with the script, Nic also wrote a companion coffee table book which won the Gold Medal (Visual Arts) in the 2015 Florida Book Awards. He has recently written the script and coffee table book for The Great Florida Cattle Drive: Unbroken Circles Project.

January 17, 2018
History Mystery - Miramar Beach Was Once Shoals, Florida- Hank C. Klein
Destin historian Hank Klein tells the story of a town that was once where Miramar Beach, Florida, is located today. The area that we know as Miramar Beach was once known as Shoals. Today nobody seems to remember Shoals, not even the history buffs. Learn about the long-lost cemetery, as well as who actually named the area we know today as Miramar Beach. Hank Klein has long been interested in the history of Destin, Florida. Hank also has a monthly “History Mystery” column in the Destin Log newspaper.

January 24, 2018
Gratitude and Regret: They Work Hand in Hand - Tolliny Rankins
Tolliny Rankins is a certified Life Coach, consultant and adjunct Professor at Northwest Florida State College in the Florida Panhandle where she has taught life enrichment courses for greater personal development. She has also taught courses at the Center for Lifelong Learning at the University of West Florida, Ft. Walton Beach. She is the founder of “Visits with Rodney” a nonprofit organization that strengthens and uplifts spouses and children who have incarcerated loved ones. Her motto is “Don’t forget to be yourself” and specializes in authenticity and self-awareness. Tolliny is passionate about empowering others towards their destiny. She provides a great mixture of practicality, wisdom and humor in her presentations.

January 31, 2018
Fine Art and Instruction - Joan Vienot
Ever the elusive goal of Plein Air Painters, the capture of light on a subject is the thrill of painting en plein air for Joan Vienot. She moved to sunny Florida in 1980, after attaining a Bachelor of Arts in Fine Art and teaching art in a public high school in Colorado. She says, “Plein Air painting requires intense focus and present moment awareness in order to execute a scene before the light changes radically. I am compelled to share the beauty I see.” Joan served on the Board of Directors of the Cultural Arts Alliance of Walton County from 2011 to 2017, in particular working with the A+Art Committee to show-case member artists’ works in the Alliance’s Art in Public Places. She also is the volunteer Coordinator for the Emerald Coast Plein Air Painters notifying members of weekly Wednesday Plein Air painting locations.

February 7, 2018 
ACT4Murder – The Mystery of Entertainment! - Paula Hilton
Act4Murder has been presenting original murder mysteries since 2003. These comedies keep people laughing and guessing! But sitting through a dinner and show for several hours seems daunting to many - how does Act4Murder keep their guests engaged throughout the entire evening? Join us to find out! Paula Hilton, founder and author of all 33 shows performed by Act4Murder is ready to reveal those secrets. So join us to find out more about Act4Murder - they are to DIE for!

February 14, 2018 
Walton County History with Story and Song - Historian Ronnie McBrayer
Ronnie McBrayer is author of Wild, Wild, Walton and Down by the Riverside. He will be speaking of local Walton County history with story and song. The beautiful sugar-white beaches of the Florida Panhandle are the result of erosion scientists say. A Florida sand dune we’re told, was once a mountaintop in Georgia but over time that mountain washed all the way down to the sea. Before making his home in Walton County, Florida, Ronnie was a Georgian born and raised in the foothills of the Appalachian Mountains. Today having washed down to the sea, he is the author of multiple books and publications, a local pastor, a musician, playwright and a nationally syndicated columnist.

February 21, 2018 
Building Off-Grid - Doug Liles 
So you are thinking about building off-grid. Where do you start? What about regulations and permitting? Should you use lead acid or lithium ion batteries for your backup energy? Which type of solar panels offer the best value? What about tax rebates and your return on investment? How do you calculate your energy load needs? Should you include a backup generator in your system? What are the advantages and disadvantages of building off grid? What does the future hold in the rapidly evolving realm of building off-grid? A native of Memphis, Tennessee, Doug received his Bachelor of Science degree from the University of Tennessee and his Master of Combined Sciences from the University of Mississippi Medical Center. After a successful entrepreneurial career in real estate and business development, Doug moved to the Florida Panhandle and established GSI (Good Samaritan Institute) in 2002. Doug is a member of the Translational Research Working Group and the American Association for the Advancement of Science. Doug will speak on Building Off-Grid.

February 28, 2018 
Vermeer, the Nazis’ and the Greatest Forger in History - Helen Balance 
There are only 36 known paintings by artist Joannes Vermeer. The last was discovered in 1921. But what if there were more? Helen Balance, Founder of Beach Art Group will speak on Joannes Vermeer. She has worked as a professional artist producing murals, faux finishes and fine art for over 15 years. Helen provides custom art using traditional to contemporary styles for commercial clients and private sector. Beach Art Group offers Paint Parties Your Way, Work-shops by International Stars, Art Classes for All Levels, Exhibitions, Plein Air Opportunities and more. Helen became so passionate about creating fine art she wanted to explore, share and learn thus, she became part of a vibrant homeschool group teaching drama and art.

Winter Community Programs sponsored by Friends of Coastal Library. For more information please call Linda Thompson (850) 267-2809, Coastal Library, 437 Greenway Trail, Santa Rosa Beach. We are located behind the South Walton Government/Education Complex on HWY 331 South. Free for the public with limited seating. 

Program brochures will be available at the Coastal library and the schedule will be posted on the Walton County Coastal Calendar website at www.youseemore.com/walton/coastal. 

South Walton Coastal Branch Library hosts year round events, lectures, children's story time, chess, tai chi, meditation, art, book club and other programs 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.