June grass update for Four Mile Village/Coffeen,THPSP, and Stallworth Blvd./S. Bishop Public Access-Walton County 6/12/13:AM

0 on the June Grass Grossness Index. 

The water is still a bit murky but looks nice otherwise. I got to see a track from a nesting sea turtle on the beach and a few shorebirds. There were a couple of stingrays in the water close to shore, so mind your feet. Apparently there are jellies around too. Most of the sargassum is off the beach too. It’s supposed to stay nice for the weekend according to the latest weather forecast, but that might change in five minutes.

I PICKED UP ABOUT 9 MILLION PIECES OF TRASH, MOSTLY BEER CONTAINERS AND CUPS, AND I STILL DIDN’T GET ALL OF IT! PLEASE PICK UP YOUR OWN TRASH AND DON’T THROW IT IN THE GULF! IF THE TRASH CAN IS  OVERFLOWING PACK YOUR TRASH OUT WITH YOU, SINCE YOU CARRIED IT DOWN TO THE BEACH ANYWAY!

I also found a second dead baby corn snake on the bike path for the week. DO NOT KILL SNAKES ON PUBLIC LAND! IT IS ILLEGAL! CORN SNAKES ARE HARMLESS EVEN IF THEY LOOK SLIGHTLY LIKE CORAL SNAKES, WHICH WE DON’T HAVE AROUND HERE! Leave the snakes alone, they aren’t interested in biting you. Snakes eat rodents. Rodents carry diseases like Hanta virus, which we do have around here. Rodents are attracted to trash, so pick up your trash and don’t kill snakes!

Sorry for all the caps, since I am pretty sure June Grass Report aficionados would never do any of the aforementioned stuff, but I bet folks wouldn’t like me doing the aforementioned stuff in their backyards and might even feel a bit screechy about it.

It was really neat to get to see the turtle track and nest this morning. I also saw a lot of big holes in the sand on the beach, which apparently kids dug yesterday. It’s fine for kids to dig holes and I heartily encourage it, but they need to be filled in when you leave the for two reasons: they can catch and harm nesting turtles and hatchlings and they present a hazard to public safety and conservation personnel who drive on the beach as part of their duties. Also be sure to watch your little ones when they dig big holes so the sand doesn’t collapse on them, which can be very dangerous.

At the time this report was made the beach flags were yellow and purple, but check them again before you head to the beach.

I would love it if you would share your personal June Grass and beach condition reports in the comments section. It would also be great if you left a comment to tell me where you’re traveling from to visit the beach!

If there isn’t a current June Grass report up on this site I suggest checking the link to local beach cams on the left side of this page. They can often give you an idea of what the water is like. It is also important to “Know Before You Go” and check local beach flags. They are updated twice daily at 9:30am and 1:30pm.

PLEASE ENJOY THE BEACH RESPONSIBLY!