Leave Only Footprints

17 01, 2019

Keeping our beaches clean through winter

By |2019-01-17T22:36:14+00:00January 17th, 2019|Blog|0 Comments

We love having folks visit our beaches all year, including during the winter. It’s a wonderful time on the coast, with moderate temperatures and beaches that are just as beautiful as they are the rest of the year. We ask all visitors to follow Leave Only Footprints regulations to keep the natural beauty for many years to come. Regulations prohibit leaving anything on the beach overnight. That includes any gear you tote down to the shoreline, such as chairs, umbrellas [...]

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28 03, 2018

Know before you go when you plan a spring getaway

By |2018-03-28T13:42:54+00:00March 28th, 2018|Blog|0 Comments

In just 10 or 15 minutes, you can go online and book an amazing spring visit to Gulf Shores and Orange Beach. Whether it’s a long weekend or a full week, you and your family get to enjoy all the sun, sand and surf our area provides. It takes about that same amount of time to pack up your chairs, cooler, beach toys and umbrella after your day on the sand. And it’s important you do that. If you’ve visited [...]

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31 01, 2018

Help us spread the word about Leave Only Footprints campaign

By |2018-01-31T18:03:52+00:00January 31st, 2018|Blog|0 Comments

Our Leave Only Footprints campaign is fairly new, launched in 2016. We’ve put up signs, and rental properties have helped us spread the word about the program, which requires all gear to be removed from the beach each day. The Leave Only Footprints (LOF) mission also includes educating beachgoers on the principles and practices that protect wildlife as well. But as 2018 gets rolling, we’d like to ask for your help. If you’re on social media, get the word out [...]

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19 07, 2017

What is the Leave Only Footprints policy?

By |2017-07-19T14:27:42+00:00July 19th, 2017|Blog|0 Comments

Do you know the regulations in the Leave Only Footprints program in Gulf Shores and Orange Beach? It’s pretty basic: Any structures or equipment left on the beach an hour after sunset will be removed and disposed of by beach patrols. That includes chairs, tents and toys. Regulations also prohibit tents larger than 10 feet by 10 feet, as well as fireworks, pets and glass bottles. You can’t go wrong if you just leave the beach a little better than [...]

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12 07, 2017

Why you shouldn’t feed the birds at the beach

By |2017-07-12T15:30:38+00:00July 12th, 2017|Blog|0 Comments

We’ve probably all done it: throw a torn-off piece of bread into the air for sea gulls to swoop down and catch in their beaks. In fact, it’s kinda fun. Cheetos and crackers, too. But the next time you are tempted to feed the birds, don’t. Just don’t. There are reasons for this. First, it’s dangerous to someone holding out their hand to the sharp peck of a gull’s beak. Second, it makes these beautiful creatures become a nuisance. They [...]

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7 07, 2017

Hold off on shooting those fireworks at the beach

By |2017-12-20T04:33:14+00:00July 7th, 2017|Blog|0 Comments

Even though Independence Day is now past, we know shooting off bottle rockets and Roman candles during summer vacation is fun. We get it. But shooting fireworks on the beach can be dangerous. Fireworks are involved in about 10,000 injuries treated in U.S. hospitals each year, and about 7,000 of those occur in the four weeks surrounding the Fourth of July. Fireworks also leave behind a mess. Those little pieces of paper litter the beach after a night of exploding, [...]

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22 02, 2017

There’s no such thing as a seagull

By |2017-02-22T02:03:34+00:00February 22nd, 2017|Blog|0 Comments

Did you know there is really no such thing as a seagull? Sounds crazy, right? We have all seen them at the beach. And even the Merriam-Webster dictionary defines a seagull as a “gull frequenting the sea.” But technically, those birds you see can encompass a range of species - at least 28 types in North America. In birding circles, they are just referred to as “gulls,” part of the species family Laridae. The ones we often catch sight of [...]

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23 11, 2016

Meeting the Clean Coast challenge as a community

By |2016-11-23T14:39:50+00:00November 23rd, 2016|Blog|0 Comments

When the business community, local residents and visitors all get on the same page to keep a clean island, good things happen! So, what can the community do? Glad you asked! First is to ensure your business and home are “green.” That means using recycled paper and glass products, recycling your waste and reducing energy consumption. In addition, take public transit when you can, carpool, or even walk or bike when it’s safe to do so. Does every member of [...]

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28 09, 2016

Safely picking up beach trash

By |2017-12-20T04:33:15+00:00September 28th, 2016|Blog|0 Comments

Comfortable shoes and sunscreen. Those are two of the items volunteers used to create a trash-free Alabama Gulf Coast. Hats, gloves, water and trash bags are also items that came in handy when cleaning the beach. The Alabama Coastal Cleanup, held in conjunction with the International Coastal Cleanup, was Sept. 17, 2016. In Baldwin County that day, volunteers were asked to help collect trash and debris toward the goal of creating a healthy coastline and ocean. In its 28-year history, the [...]

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9 09, 2016

How to Protect the Habitat of Sea Turtles

By |2016-09-09T16:02:03+00:00September 9th, 2016|Blog|0 Comments

Five months out of each year, the Alabama Gulf Coast plays host to nesting sea turtles and their hatchlings. Three species nest on our shores: green, Kemp’s ridley and loggerhead. All are protected by the Endangered Species Act. When mama sea turtles are ready to seek a safe place for their eggs, they return to the area where they took their own first crawl to the Gulf of Mexico. The hatchlings hope to make it to the water without being [...]

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