Forever Wild Land Trust

The Board of Trustees of the Alabama Forever Wild Land Trust will hold its second quarterly meeting of 2024 on Thursday, May 2, at Jacksonville State University, located at 700 Pelham Road North in Jacksonville, Alabama. The meeting will take place in room B10 of Merrill Hall at 10 a.m.

https://www.outdooralabama.com/articles/forever-wild-board-meets-jacksonville-may-2

ADCNR’s State Lands Division, in cooperation with ADCNR’s Wildlife and Freshwater Fisheries Division, will conduct a prescribed burn at the Forever Wild Lillian Swamp Complex in Baldwin County on April 4-5, 2024. The complex will be closed during the burn period and will reopen when the prescribed burn has been completed.

This burn is being implemented as part of a coastal habitat restoration process for the property. Smoke is an expected part of the process and is no reason for concern. Proper smoke management and ensuring the safety of the surrounding areas during the burn period are priorities of the experienced burn team.

Prescribed fire is an effective way to reduce wildfire risk, enhance wildlife habitat and maintain a healthy forest ecosystem. A properly managed controlled burn reduces the risk of wildfire by eliminating excess fuel on the ground. Prescribed fire also stimulates new plant growth that serves as food for native wildlife species.

Learn more about the use of prescribed fire as a habitat management toot at https://www.outdooralabama.com/wildlife-management-programs/prescribed-fire-alabama.

For more information about the Forever Wild Lillian Swamp Complex, visit https://www.alabamaforeverwild.com/lillian-swamp-complex.

Big Canoe Creek Nature Preserve in Springville is officially open to the public. The Preserve is located approximately 30 miles northeast of Birmingham at 1700 Murphrees Valley Rd. From Birmingham, take Interstate 59 north to exit 154. Turn left onto Murphees Valley Road and drive north for 2.4 miles. The Preserve is on the right. From Gadsden, take Interstate 59 south to exit 154. Turn right onto Murphees Valley Road and drive north for 2.4 miles. The Preserve is on the right.

Operational hours are 7 a.m. to 5 p.m. November through February, and 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. March through October. Open Wednesday through Sunday each week (closed Monday and Tuesday).

For more information about Big Canoe Creek Nature Preserve including a trail map, visit Springville Parks and Recreation online at http://springvilleparksandrec.com/WildPreserve.aspx.

Today, representatives from ADCNR, Forever Wild Land Trust, City of Springville, St. Clair County Commission and other partner organizations took part in a ribbon cutting ceremony to celebrate the opening of the Big Canoe Creek Nature Preserve in Springville, Alabama. The Preserve opens to the public at 7 a.m. on February 3.

Learn more at https://www.outdooralabama.com/articles/big-canoe-creek-nature-preserve-springville-provides-new-outdoor-recreation-opportunities-central

The media and public are invited to attend a ribbon cutting ceremony to celebrate the opening of Big Canoe Creek Nature Preserve in Springville, Alabama, on Friday, February 2, at 1 p.m. A guided tour of the Preserve will be offered after the ribbon cutting ceremony. The Preserve will officially open to the public on Saturday, February 3.

The Preserve features 422 acres of Ridge and Valley lands with a mix of upland hardwood and pine forests situated along Big Canoe Creek near Springville. Outdoor recreation opportunities include hiking, mountain biking, horseback riding, birding and wildlife watching.

Learn more at https://www.outdooralabama.com/node/149208

For more information about Big Canoe Creek Nature Preserve including a trail map, visit Springville Parks and Recreation online at http://springvilleparksandrec.com/WildPreserve.aspx.

The Board of Trustees of the Alabama Forever Wild Land Trust will hold its first quarterly meeting of 2024 on Thursday, February 1, at the Alabama Forestry Commission, 513 Madison Dr., in Montgomery, Alabama. The meeting will take place at 10 a.m.

https://www.outdooralabama.com/articles/forever-wild-board-meets-montgomery-february-1

https://wbhm.org/2023/meet-the-tiny-fish-that-only-call-jefferson-county-home/

Meet the tiny fish that only call Jefferson County home Though the creek water at Turkey Creek Nature Preserve is crystal clear, and thousands visit the preserve each year, it’s highly unlikely most will see three unique fish species that swim alongside…

Feeling stuffed after Thanksgiving? Hike off your meal this weekend at one of ADCNR's Forever Wild tracts.

Find a trail nearest you at www.alabamaforeverwild.com/hiking

Photo: Dragon's Trail, west trailhead in Dothan, Alabama

The next Camping, Open Trails and Fishing weekend at the Wehle Land Conservation Center is this weekend, November 17-19. The gate opens at 2 p.m. on Friday for camping and closes at dark. The gate opens on Saturday at 8 a.m. for Open Trails and Fishing and closes at dark (bank fishing at Blue Heron Lake and Wood Duck Lake until 4p.m.). Checkout time for campers is 3 p.m. on Sunday. Wehle is located at 4819 Pleasant Hill Rd., in Midway, Alabama.

https://www.outdooralabama.com/node/121992

Photo by Robin Bowden

Great news for this year's Bat Week (October 24-31)!

Biologists with ADCNR's Wildlife and Freshwater Fisheries Division, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, and the Alabama Bat Working Group (ABWG) have discovered a breeding population of endangered northern long-eared bats in coastal Alabama. The bats were discovered during the ABWG’s annual Bat Blitz.

This year’s Bat Blitz took place in Baldwin and Mobile counties in May 2023. On the last day of the event, one male and two pregnant female northern long-eared bats were captured and released on a Forever Wild Land Trust tract within the Perdido River Wildlife Management Area (WMA) in Baldwin County. Prior to the 2023 Bat Blitz, the species had not been documented in southwest Alabama.

Learn more at https://www.outdooralabama.com/articles/breeding-population-endangered-northern-long-eared-bats-discovered-coastal-alabama

Photo by Dylan Shaw

The Board of Trustees of the Alabama Forever Wild Land Trust will hold its fourth quarterly meeting of 2023 on Thursday, November 2, at the Auburn University College of Forestry, Wildlife and Environment, located at 602 Duncan Drive, in Auburn, Alabama. The meeting will take place in the Conference Hall, room 1101, at 10 a.m.

https://www.outdooralabama.com/articles/forever-wild-board-meets-auburn-november-2

Registration for the youth deer and duck hunts at the M. Barnett Lawley Forever Wild Field Trial Area in Hale County opens Monday, September 18. The hunts will take place late November 2023 through January 2024.

For more details, visit https://www.outdooralabama.com/articles/youth-hunt-dates-announced-forever-wild-field-trial-area-1

October 7 at the 5 Rivers Delta Resource Center in Spanish Fort, AL.

Learn mmore at https://www.facebook.com/events/676832604316301/?ref=newsfeed

The 2023 Outdoor Alabama Photo Exhibit is currently on display at the 5 Rivers Delta Resource Center in Spanish Fort.

The 2023 Outdoor Alabama Photo Exhibit is currently on display at the 5 Rivers Delta Resource Center in Spanish Fort.

5 Rivers is open 7 days a week from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.

For the complete exhibit schedule, visit https://www.outdooralabama.com/photo-exhibit.

The Board of Trustees of the Alabama Forever Wild Land Trust will hold its third quarterly meeting of 2023 on Thursday, August 3, at the MacQueen Alumni Center, University of South Alabama, 100 Alumni Dr., in Mobile. Free parking will be available in the parking lot behind the Alumni Center. The meeting will take place at 10 a.m.

https://www.outdooralabama.com/articles/forever-wild-board-meets-mobile-august-3

The next Open Woods Week at the Forever Wild Sipsey Complex starts this Friday, July 21.

This Forever Wild outdoor recreation area features 7,155 acres of beautiful bottomland forest along the Sipsey River available for canoeing, birding, fishing, hiking, horseback riding, biking, picnicking and wildlife photography.

Open Woods Weeks Announced for the Forever Wild Sipsey River Complex | Outdoor Alabama Official Web Site of Alabama Department of Conservation and Natural Resources

On Saturday, July 15, the Wehle Land Conservation Center will open for hiking, horseback riding, and fishing from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m.

Learn more at https://www.outdooralabama.com/node/121986

Photo by Robin Bowden

https://www.facebook.com/photo?fbid=628965952599765&set=a.545096504320044

Tomorrow from 8 a.m. until noon at the Wehle Land Conservation Center in Bullock County.

Annual Bullock County Kid's Fishing Derby will be THIS Saturday June 10th at Wehle Land Conservation Center. Gates open for registration at 7am and fishing starts at 8am. The first 100 children will receive a FREE tackle box and rod and reel combo to take home. There will also be prizes awarded in 4 separate age groups. Free lunch for all. This is a great event for families to enjoy together.

The parking area and portions of the road running through the Forever Wild Turkey Creek Nature Preserve in Pinson, Alabama, are temporarily closed due to the construction of a new parking area for the facility.

Updates on the project will be posted as they become available.

https://www.facebook.com/photo/?fbid=625132129650083&set=a.545988410897789

Construction has begun on our new parking lot at the Falls! Until this work is completed, visitors should expect increased congestion and more limited parking. We highly suggest that visitors use the large gravel lot at the Blue Hole. Parking near and past the Falls area will be very limited. As always, if you park roadside, please obey any posted signage for no parking areas and make sure that all of your tires are completely off of the roadway. With traffic increasing, we will not have any option but to tow any vehicles that are parked incorrectly or that are on the road. We appreciate your patience and support during this busy time!

Tomorrow, June 3, is National Trails Day!

With several trails to choose from, Alabama's Forever Wild Land Trust makes it easy to celebrate. Visit https://www.alabamaforeverwild.com/hiking to find a Forever Wild trail near you.

Walls of Jericho trail photo by Kenny Johnson, ADCNR

This weekend at the Wehle Tract in Bullock County.

The next Camping, Open Trails and Fishing weekend at the Forever Wild Wehle Tract in Bullock County will take place May 5-7.

Learn more at https://www.outdooralabama.com/node/121982

Photo by Robin Bowden

This Saturday, April 15, ADCNR's Wehle Land Conservation Center in Bullock County, in partnership with the Forever Wild Land Trust, will host a spring open trails day in conjunction with the 2023 Chunnenuggee Fair in Union Springs, Alabama.

During the open trails day at Wehle, the public is invited to take part in free fishing, hiking, horseback riding and camping as part of the festivities. Wehle staff will also lead guided nature walks to showcase the property’s biological diversity and unique birding opportunities. The event is free to attend.

Learn more at https://www.outdooralabama.com/articles/spring-open-trails-day-wehle-joins-chunnenuggee-fair-celebration-april-15

The Board of Trustees of the Alabama Forever Wild Land Trust will hold its second quarterly meeting of 2023 on Thursday, May 4, at the Lake Guntersville State Park Lodge, 1155 Lodge Dr., in Guntersville, Alabama. The meeting will take place at 10 a.m.

More details at https://www.outdooralabama.com/articles/forever-wild-board-meets-guntersville-may-4

The Wehle Land Conservation Center in Midway, Alabama, just announced its 2023 Open Weekends Schedule.

https://www.facebook.com/534912063266669/photos/a.570053579752517/6204851249606027

2023 Open Weekend schedule. Download available athttps://www.alabamaforeverwild.com/sites/default/files/Wehle/Wehle-Schedule-2023.pdf

The Board of Trustees of the Alabama Forever Wild Land Trust will hold its first quarterly meeting of 2023 on Thursday, February 2, at the Alabama Activities Center located at 201 Dexter Avenue in Montgomery, Alabama. The meeting will take place at 10 a.m.

https://www.outdooralabama.com/articles/forever-wild-board-meets-montgomery-february-2

The Red Hills Wildlife Management Area in Monroe County will soon expand by 2,488 acres, increasing the amount of protected Red Hills salamander habitat as well as access to hunting, wildlife watching and birding.

Learn more at https://www.outdooralabama.com/articles/red-hills-salamander-habitat-and-access-outdoor-recreation-expand-south-alabama.

Red Hills Salamander Habitat and Access to Outdoor Recreation to Expand in South Alabama | Outdoor Alabama Official Web Site of Alabama Department of Conservation and Natural Resources

The M. Barnett Lawley Forever Wild Field Trial Area in Hale County, Alabama, will host a series of deer hunts for hunters with physical disabilities from late November 2022 through January 2023.

For information about hunt dates and registration, visit https://www.outdooralabama.com/articles/physically-disabled-hunt-dates-announced-field-trial-area-1

Physically Disabled Hunt Dates Announced for Field Trial Area | Outdoor Alabama Official Web Site of Alabama Department of Conservation and Natural Resources