Education

Seaside Institute will host a new series of programs this spring, “Rediscovering Your Inner Artist”, with four five-day workshops in the new Academic Village on Smolian Circle in Seaside, Florida. For two weeks in May and two weeks in June, the programs will be devoted to courses on photography, design, plein air painting and drawing. Each course will run from 9:00am to 12:00pm, Monday through Friday, although other optional work time may be scheduled.

The Seaside REP has started its 13th year with a bang! It's a fantastic lineup already underway here in South Walton. The season includes main stage productions and children’s theater performances taking place on stages in Seaside and around SoWal all the way through Summer.
 

Main Stage Theater Productions

Alys Beach is truly one of the most beautiful coastal towns in Florida but did you know about the nature preserve situated on the northern portion of the community? What a perfect time of year to get outdoors and explore one of South Walton's hidden gems.

Mark your calendar and plan to join eco-tour guide Snookie Parrish for a nature hike through a wetland preserve and trail at Alys Beach! Tour dates are set for March 12, March 19, March 26, and April 2 from 1-2pm. Wear comfortable shoes and meet at Fonville Press to begin your adventure. 

Grab your opportunity to explore nature with experienced guides and see the real Florida through an exclusive series offered by the University of Florida. Panhandle Outdoors Live offers exciting adventures to entertain and educate.

There are so many talented and creative students in the Walton County area, and through the various schools and educational foundations, there are extensive opportunities to encourage those talents. One of those creative opportunities was recently offered through the Rosemary Beach Foundation.

It's called Expedition Florida 500 and Justin Riney and his crew launch from Pensacola on New Year's Day 2013 for 365 straight days spent on the water covering the whole of Florida.

They will paddle a majority of Florida's interior and coastal waterways - from the Gulf Coast south to Key West, visiting the Dry Tortugas (by powerboat), and then paddling north up the Atlantic coast to arrive in Jacksonville by July fourth. The remainder of the year will be spent exploring the state's major springs, lakes and rivers.

Kent Mundy delights in showing people the part of South Walton most can’t even imagine. Mundy is owner and operator of Wetland Wilderness Tours, a one-man, one-boat tour company that explores the outbacks, sloughs and bayous of the Choctawhatchee River, IntraCoastal and other four waterways that spill into the Choctawhatchee Bay.

Topsail Hill Preserve State Park is an amazing place to experience any day of the year. But one of our favorite things to do is hang out with the rangers and get educated. Check out these programs coming up at Topsail Hill Preserve State Park on the west end of Scenic 30A in South Walton!

South Walton was once home to a large black bear population. Hunting and development nearly eliminated Florida's largest land mammal. But lately we've seen bears return to the area in large numbers.

Just like it is for SoWal vistors and locals, Fall is an active time of year for Florida black bears as they stock up on calories for the coming winter. Though black bears don’t really need to put on pounds to survive the state’s usually mild winters, they behave as if they do need to – eating about three times as much as usual.