Headed to the beach during the winter? We highly recommend it. After all, temperatures average 55 to 60 degrees even in January and February, making it a great time to enjoy our beautiful coast. Many people would rather relax in an area with sand than shovel snow in the cold weather. Here, our golf courses are good to go all year long. Greens stay green, and short sleeves are often the wardrobe of the day. The beach, as well as [...]
One way to protect the coast is to implement environmentally friendly practices all year long, including over the Christmas holidays. Some ways to go green this Christmas include using LED lights, which emit 80 percent less energy than traditional Christmas lights and last 10 times longer according to Today’s Homeowner. Limit your use of lights by turning them off when you go to bed at night. Another tip from Today’s Homeowner is to go old-fashioned when it comes to choosing [...]
If you’re planning a beach getaway this month, there are plenty of holiday activities to keep you busy. Take the kids Dec. 9 to see Santa drop from an airplane onto the beautiful beaches at the Flora-Bama. The event includes delicious treats, pictures with the jolly old elf and family-friendly activities. Also on Dec. 9 is a special visit from Billy Claus (Santa’s younger brother) and the LuLuBelles at LuLu’s in Gulf Shores. Another festive Dec. 9 event is the [...]
How much do you know about those sea oats you see growing on the dunes of the Alabama coast? We’re sharing six facts below to help you brush up your knowledge. 1 – Sea oats are a widespread grass that is drought resistant and immune to fungus infections. That makes them a hardy species for the tough coastal environment, even using the sand that collects around it to stimulate the plant’s growth. 2 – The scientific name for sea oats [...]
Sea turtle nesting season may be coming to a close, but there are plenty of other wild creatures on the Alabama coast that need our protection. The most basic thing you can do to help is be sure to remove trash and gear from the beach. Birds can mistake wrappers or plastic containers for food. While we’re talking about those seagulls, herons and other birds on the beach, please don’t feed them. It’s dangerous for them and for other visitors. [...]
We’re coming to the end of an eventful hurricane season. Fortunately, the Alabama coast has been spared this year, but the same can’t be said of our neighbors in the Caribbean, Florida and Texas. The 2017 Atlantic Hurricane Season rivaled any on record. The season included more than 13 named storms, five of which were major hurricanes that were Category 3 or stronger. Of course, you know the worst of those: Harvey that flooded the Texas coast; Irma that destroyed [...]
We want to give a big shout-out to the thousands of volunteers who converged at check-in sites across South Alabama on Sept. 16 for the 30th year of the Alabama Coastal Cleanup. It’s an incredible effort by the Alabama Department of Conservation and Natural Resources, municipalities, business sponsors and volunteers to keep our coastal areas and waterways clean. Organizers partnered with TerraCycle and Thompson Engineering to include recycling in this year’s cleanup. Volunteers received two bags - one for trash, [...]
The Alabama sea turtle nesting season is coming to an end. By the end of October, thousands of hatchlings will have made their way to the warm waters of the Gulf of Mexico. We appreciate all the volunteers and visitors who kept an eye out for nests and tracks during visits to the beach. Let’s be honest: there are not many things that match the feeling of watching dozens of the little guys waddling their way through the sand to [...]
You love visiting the beautiful Alabama beaches for a vacation, so why not help protect it even when you’re back home? You can do that when you use environmentally-friendly practices all year long. Check out these small choices that can make a difference by reducing your carbon footprint. First, use canvas bags instead of plastic ones when you shop at a grocery store or dollar store. Shoppers use 500 billion (that’s billion with a “b”) plastic bags each year. It’s [...]
Don’t you just love oysters? Baked, grilled, steamed or raw, you can’t beat the flavor of a dozen fresh Gulf oysters. It’s crucial for the industry that we keep our local waters clean. You help in that effort when you pick up your trash and use environmentally-friendly boating practices. The warm, brackish waters of Mobile Bay, Navy Cove, Portersville Bay and other places make a perfect growing spot for oyster farms. When cultivated well, our waters produce plump and briny [...]
