After Irma at the Prairie (Senior Times magazine)—In the days after Hurricane Irma, as water continued to rise across Paynes Prairie, Donald Forgione noticed something off about Camps Canal to the southeast of the park’s center.
Chattanooga Zoo Helps in Fight for Vanishing Amphibian (Chattanooga Times Free Press)—In an effort to help save the disappearing hellbender salamander, zookeepers from the Chattanooga Zoo have teamed up with other keepers and researchers to find out how they can breed the species in captivity for possible reintroduction into the wild.
Endangered Species Hatches for First Time in 4 Years at White Oak (White Oak Conservation)—A northern helmeted curassow chick hatched on July 23 at White Oak Conservation, marking the first time the endangered species has produced offspring at the center since 2009.
Fire Worries Heat Up with Dry, Scorching Days (Chattanooga Times Free Press)—With temperatures reaching 100 degrees on Thursday and drought conditions advancing each sunny day, Chattanooga-area residents may soon have another detail to sweat: forest fires.
Florida Shorebirds See Breeding Bump After Hurricane Michael (Audubon)—In October 2018, Hurricane Michael and its Category 5 winds inflicted tremendous destruction to Florida, causing an estimated $18.4 billion in damage and an eventual 50 deaths in the state. More than a year later, human communities in the state’s Panhandle are continuing to struggle to rebuild, but some Florida residents are thriving in the post-storm landscape
Gopher Tortoise to Have New ‘Homes’ at White Oak (White Oak Conservation)—The gopher tortoise, an animal native to the terrain of White Oak, will soon have some new territory on the plantation to explore.
Powder Springs City Manager: ‘We’re Shut Down’ (Patch)—Sheila Newberry woke up for work at 4 a.m., two hours before her shift at Waffle House, so she would have time to slowly navigate icy roads Monday. Thankfully, she said, her boss came to pick her up after she got ready, but they didn’t make it to the Marietta Street restaurant in Powder Springs until 7:30 a.m. “We’re open 24/7, no matter what,” Newberry, a server, said by phone Monday morning. And if you open, she added, they will come. “We’re filling up now,” she said.
Saving Florida’s Water (Our Town magazine)—When Getzen Fowler started working maintenance at Poe Springs in 1951 for 23 cents an hour, it was vastly different than today. The park, then privately owned, had a boardwalk, a concession stand, changing houses and diving boards, said 75-year-old Fowler, who has lived in and around the nearby city of High Springs his whole life.
Springs Institute Looks to New Future at ‘Heart of Springs Country’ (Our Town magazine)—The Florida Springs Institute — a nonprofit established six years ago with the goal of rescuing the state’s 1,024 springs from its increasing human population and all the inevitable side effects — is settling into its new home in downtown High Springs.
The Anti-Snow Crew (Patch)—As snow began to fall Sunday night and Georgians stayed glued to their television sets, intently watching the storm’s progress, three men headed out prepared to battle the worst.
The Snow Words We’re Sick of Hearing (Patch)—Anyone sick of hearing anything that even remotely correlates to snow, icy roads, school closures and the like? I know I am.
Tornado Slams Dam (Chattanooga Times Free Press)—The metallic snarl of the crash was still grinding in his ears when Noe Fuentes looked out his car’s window and saw why the driver in front of him had slammed on the brakes.
White Oak Conservation’s Wikipedia page (built and wrote)—White Oak Conservation is 600 acres[1] of the 7,400 acres on White Oak Plantation, which is mostly forest, wetlands, arts and wildlife facilities, and a golf course outside Yulee, Florida, just below the Georgia state line along the St. Marys River.[2] The site houses more than 200 animals from 20-plus species and is internationally known[3] for its wildlife conservation.
