Events and Meetings

2008 Board of Directors Meeting Schedule

Board of Directors meetings are usually held on the second Thursday of each month at 6:30pm.

Please call 872-8260 to get directions to the meeting location.

Past Events

2008 Annual Meeting Summary

The Bay County Conservancy held its Annual Meeting on March 8, 2008, at the Gallery of Art, 36 West Beach Drive, Panama City. Dr. Ted Wilson, Palm Preserve Land Manager, was introduced as a new member of the Board of Directors. Rick Ruebsamen was thanked for taking on team leader responsibility for the Talkington Preserve. It was announced that Beth Miller had agreed to serve as management team leader for the Highpoint preserve – which was recently renamed “Marjorie’s Magical Marsh – Symone’s Sanctimonious Swamp.”

Ron Houser reported on the Audubon Nature Preserve and expressed thanks to Mike Finnegan for his help and hard work in removing invasive plants. Warren Middlemas gave a report on the King Preserve and noted that there would be a clean-up day on the property in the near future. Ted Wilson described the Conservancy’s habit restoration work in progress at the Mary Ola Reynolds Miller Palm Preserve, next to the Gallery of Art, and invited everyone present to take a brief tour after the meeting. Laura Roesch presented a Land Acquisition Report for Jackie Kolk, and Candis Harbison provided a report written by Nancy Harris following a recent visit to the Tumble Creek Preserve. Teresa Nooney reminded attendees that the Conservancy would be happy to visit groups in the community to deliver a PowerPoint presentation describing BCC’s protected lands. It was reported that the Conservancy planned to hold a dedication in May for the Doreen Miley Holder Preserve, a 12-1/2 acre property near Freeport which was donated to the BCC by Lehman Holder and Donna MIley Albert. BCC Board members were formally elected and ideas for future activities were discussed. A tour of the new native plantings at the Palm Preserve was provided after the meeting adjourned.

2006 Field Trip Summary

Tumble Creek Preserve Field Trip - April 29, 2006

Following the Bay County Conservancy’s seventh Annual Meeting at the Gallery of Art, nineteen people in a five-vehicle caravan braved the washboard roads of the bi-county area (Bay and Washington) to discover the Bay County Conservancy’s Audubon Tumble Creek Preserve.  After a picnic lunch, Dr. and Mrs. Ed and Lisa Keppner led an exploration of the “longleaf pine-wiregrass-turkey oak” habitat on the high and dry portion of the 45-acre preserve, winding downhill through titi and Florida anise (Note: Next field trip, we’ll bring clippers to help keep the path clear!) to the seepage slopes and sphagnum moss of the creek itself.  Participants learned what an “ecotone” is and became familiar with many of the wildflowers and trees.  Written directions to the property are available by emailing Bay County Conservancy.

Note to Life Members: A special event for Life Members will be scheduled in the future.