Category Archives: Nature

Pat’s Wildways: Mink in our Midst

By Pat Foster-TurleyThere’s a small otter-like critter roaming our saltmarshes and beach shores, but few [...]

Pat’s Wildways: Armadillos

By Pat Foster-TurleyThese days it seems like armadillos are everywhere, in all-natural areas on this [...]

Disc Golf Proposal Soundly Defeated

By Mike Lednovich The proposal for a disc golf course at Simmons Road Park was [...]

Pat’s Wildways: The ARK

By Pat Foster-TurleyI was so wrapped up with Lake the otter last week I didn’t [...]

Those Big, Munching Bugs are Native Lubbers

By Lauri deGaris A few days ago, I was asked to hop on over to [...]

Pat’s Wildways: Lake the Otter

By Pat Foster-Turley“I smell like otter!” It was like 30 years ago—the memories flooded in [...]

The Ancient Mayhaw Is Making a Comeback Here

By Lauri deGaris Mayhaw is a variety of hawthorn tree noted for slender branches with [...]

Pat’s Wildways: Wild Amelia

By Pat Foster-TurleyI knew that if I stopped by the exhibition hall for the Wild [...]

Pat’s Wildways: Clams!

By Pat Foster-Turley It was Bucko’s birthday yet again, and yet again he didn’t want [...]

Pat’s Wildways: Belizean Food

By Pat Foster-Turley It’s no surprise to my readers that whenever I travel, food is [...]

Disc Golf at Simmons Road Park Will Get a Look

By Mike Lednovich A disc golf group pitching Simmons Road Park property as the site [...]

Pat’s Wildways: Monkey River Village School

By Pat Foster-Turley I’ve been to Monkey River Village three times now, each time better [...]

Pat’s Wildways: Hunting Dosinias

By Pat Foster-Turley Lots of people collect seashells, and if you are from the inland [...]

A Whale Baby Shower Bids The Calves Godspeed

By Lauri deGaris April 19 marked the end of the 2022-2023 right whale calving season. [...]

Here’s a Special Way to Love the Beach

By Shari Roan Along with the maritime forest, Amelia Island is best known among nature [...]

Pat’s Wildways: Is That a Turkey?

By Pat Foster-Turley I must confess that sometimes I respond too quickly to emails without [...]

It’s Blueberry Season — and a Season for Ancient Stories

By Lauri deGaris Blueberries are native to North America and can be found in every [...]

Pat’s Wildways: Reap What You Sow

By Pat Foster-Turley April 14, 2023 It started out as a simple visit to the [...]

The Uses, and The Magic, of Our Sands

By Lauri deGaris North Florida’s beaches are made up of three common types of sand [...]

Pat’s Wildways: Bald Eagle Nests

By Pat Foster-Turley April 6, 2023 Bald eagles are everywhere these days, or so it [...]

Okefenokee: The Swamp Next Door That Is a National Treasure

By Lauri deGaris The Okefenokee Swamp is a unique freshwater ecosystem providing nearly a half-million [...]

Pat’s Wildways: A Rare Bird

By Pat Foster-Turley March 31, 2023 When I enter the pool for my deep-water aerobics [...]

Pat’s Wildways: Water!

By Pat Foster-Turley March 24, 2023 I often wonder where all the wildlife in our [...]

Why a Mine in Georgia is Our Problem, Too

EDITOR’S NOTE: Many Nassau County residents don’t know that St. Marys Riverkeeper, as part of [...]

Pat’s Wildways: New Gardening Mishaps

By Pat Foster-Turley March 17, 2023 I’ve been gardening in my backyard for 20-some years [...]

Pat’s Wildways: Local Shopping Rounds

By Pat Foster-Turley March 10, 2023 Most Saturday mornings when I am home I make [...]

Pat’s Wildways: Okefenokee Day Trip

By Pat Foster-Turley March 3, 2023 Sometimes when Bucko and I are bored with Amelia [...]

Pat’s Wildways: Backyard Birding

By Pat Foster-Turley February 24, 2023 Like most of my friends, I try to attract [...]

Commentary: Cement Dust and Nassau’s Waterways

  Editor’s note: St Marys Riverkeeper — one of 15 Riverkeeper units in Florida — [...]

Pat’s Wildways: Dogs in Paris

By Pat Foster-Turley February 17, 2023 It didn’t take long on this trip to Paris [...]

Pat’s Wildways: A Zoologist in Paris

By Pat Foster-Turley February 10, 2023 It was a whirlwind weeklong visit to Paris with [...]

The Bartram Garden Club Talks Roses

The Bartram Garden Club, Inc. Submitted by Linda Broadrick Secretary and Publicity Chairman Feb. 5, [...]

Pat’s Wildways: Bone Yard Beach

By Pat Foster-Turley February 3, 2023 Most times when I am in search of a [...]

Pat’s Wildways: Little Talbot Pond

By Pat Foster-Turley January 27, 2023 I’m sure most of you zoom on State Road [...]

Pat’s Wildways – Big Dogs

By Pat Foster-Turley January 20, 2023 It is no surprise to anyone who regularly reads [...]

Pat’s Wildways: Effects of the Freeze

By Pat Foster-Turley January 13, 2023 Those of you fairly new to Nassau County maybe [...]

Legislators Hear From Tree Advocates

By Wes Wolfe Florida Politics Conservative state legislatures like to pass municipal preemption laws to [...]

Pat’s Wildways: Ghosts on the Beach

By Pat Foster-Turley January 6, 2023 These days, going to the beach this time of [...]

Pat’s Wildways: Christmas Eve at Rooterville

By Pat Foster-Turley December 30, 2022 Every year Bucko and I seek out a new [...]

Pat’s Wildways: Monarchs and Milkweed

By Pat Foster-Turley December 23, 2022 I thought I knew all about monarch caterpillars turning [...]

Pat’s Wildways: Buy Local

By Pat Foster-Turley December 16, 2022 One of the first local persons I met when [...]

Pat’s Wildways: Searching for Seahorses

By Pat Foster-Turley December 9, 2022 The sun woke me up early in southern Belize [...]

Pat’s Wildways: Bosque Bello Cemetery

By Pat Foster-Turley December 2, 2022 If you are looking for an interesting walk on [...]

Pat’s Wildways: Boris the Botfly Goes to the University

By Pat Foster-Turley November 25, 2022 Some of you readers may remember that Bucko and [...]

Pat’s Wildways: Like a Mother to Me?

By Pat Foster-Turley November 18, 2022 I was older than 30 when I entered the [...]

Pat’s Wildways: Was that a Pig?

By Pat Foster-Turley November 11, 2022 Amelia Island abounds with pets traveling with their owners [...]

Pat’s Wildways: The Marsh is Alive

By Pat Foster-Turley November 4, 2022 When the land on Crane Island was slated for [...]

Conflict: Beach Renourishment Oversight and Fish Oversight

By Wes Wolfe Florida Politics At one time, NOAA Fisheries committed people and time to oversight of [...]

Right Whale Rule Drawing More Opposition

By Wes Wolfe Florida Politics Organized pushback against federal efforts to reduce North Atlantic right whale [...]

Pat’s Wildways: Blue Crabs

By Pat Foster-Turley October 28, 2022 I’m sure lots of you readers have happily feasted [...]

OHPA Does the Right Thing! Mayor is on Board

By Tammi Kosack October 25, 2022 It’s been a while since we’ve seen agreement between [...]

Pat’s Wildways: A Fort Clinch Saturday Morning

By Pat Foster-Turley October 21, 2022 One recent Saturday, it was a beautiful day—sunny, clear, [...]

Pat’s Wildways: Greenway Adventures

By Pat Foster-Turley October 14, 2022 These days I seem to have decreasing successes with [...]

Pat’s Wildways: Hurricane Season

By Pat Foster-Turley October 7, 2022 Just as regular as clockwork, my orange hurricane lilies [...]

Wild Amelia Presentation on Cumberland Island

Wild Amelia Presentation on Cumberland Island Learn about the conservation efforts of Wild Cumberland on [...]

CLAM Informational Meeting

The Conservation Land Acquisition and Management (CLAM) Program Amelia Tree Conservancy, the Comp Plan/LDC Working [...]

Pat’s Wildways: Darien, Georgia Revisited

By Pat Foster-Turley September 30, 2022 Lots of my readers probably get the Harris Teeter [...]

Pat’s Wildways: For the Love of Cats

By Pat Foster-Turley September 23, 2022 I have always been a cat person. Throughout junior [...]

Take Note of a Very Important Referendum on the November Ballot

By Mike Phillips Nassau County has a reputation for disliking bond issues, but it also [...]

Pat’s Wildways: The Deer Whisperer at Fort Clinch

By Pat Foster-Turley September 16, 2022 Bucko and I often see deer when we make [...]

Pat’s Wildways: Watch Out for Tortoises

By Pat Foster-Turley September 9, 2022 Many people who live here on Amelia Island are [...]

Pat’s Wildways: Psychic Capital of the World, Part Two

By Pat Foster-Turley September 1, 2022   The morning after the séance and piano bar [...]

Dr. Taylor Clem to Speak at The Bartram Garden Club Open House

The Bartram Garden Club, Inc. Submitted by Linda Broadrick Secretary and Publicity Chairman August 23, [...]

Pat’s Wildways: Souvenirs from Belize

By Pat Foster-Turley August 18, 2022 These days, I’ve traveled to many places and brought [...]

Pat’s Wildways: The Greenway in Summer

  By Pat-Foster Turley It took some news about ants crawling all over places on [...]

Amelia Island revealed . . .

July 23, 2022 For those of you who have not had the opportunity to walk [...]

Pat’s Wildways: Getting Antsy

By Pat Foster-Turley July 21, 2022 Thanks to Bill Birdsong, with his eyes and camera [...]

FWC approves new guidelines for imperiled beach-nesting birds

FWC Press Release July 14, 2022   At its July meeting, the Florida Fish and [...]

Pat’s Wildways: Always Learning

By Pat Foster-Turley, Ph.D. July 14, 2022 Pat’s Wildways: Always Learning Whenever I travel internationally, [...]

Two Burmese pythons, clutch of eggs and hatchlings found and removed from Big Cypress National Preserve

FWC Press Release July 18, 2022   Shortly before midnight on July 11, Florida Fish [...]

FWC approves changes for redfish in state waters following final rule hearing

At its July meeting, the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC) approved new management [...]

Amelia Island revealed . . .

By Stephan R. Leimberg unseenimages.com July 9, 2022 “Marsh Madness” Photo courtesy of Stephan R. [...]

Blueline tilefish recreational season closes July 26 in Atlantic state waters

July 9, 2022 Blueline tilefish closes for recreational harvest in Atlantic state waters (including all [...]

Pat’s Wildways: Small World

By Pat Foster-Turley July 7, 2022 Southeast Asia is getting to feel too far away [...]

“Last of the Right Whales” to be shown July 16

PRESS RELEASE By Richard Timm July 7, 2022   Amelia Island’s premier of the documentary [...]