Grab your running shoes and hit the trails for the second annual Alabama Nature Center Critter Crawl!

The Critter Crawl is a 5K TRAIL RUN beginning at 9 a.m. benefiting the ANC education programs. There will be an additional 1-mile race beginning at 10 a.m.

Enjoy Alabama's forests and fields with your family and come do the critter crawl!

There will be prizes for male and female overall, Masters (40+) and Grand Masters (50+). Also, three deep in the following age groups: 8 and under, 9-12, 13-18, 19-24, 25-29, 30-34, 35-39, 40-44, 45-49, 50-54, 55-59, 60-69, 70+.

Contact Elizabeth Johnson at ejohnson@alabamawildlife.org for more information.

Source:  Alabama Nature Center

This year is starting out to be another new experience for us here at Barber Berry Farm in the wonderful world of fruit farming. Because of all the warm weather this winter, some of our earlier varieties of Rabbiteye blueberries think it's time to wake-up.  For the past 5 seasons, they usually didn't start blooming until around the end of February. Now that sounds pretty good, blueberries in April. However, for those same past 5 seasons, we have also experienced either a freeze or frost sometime around Easter, not to mention various times in February, which is a killing event for the tender blossoms. Hopefully, that won't be the case this year, but then again, this is Alabama where you can never tell what the weather is going to be like the next day!  Now, you can protect your blooming plants by covering them if you know there is going to be a frost or freeze that night.

February 1 marks the return of the fishing season schedule for 18 of Alabama's 23 state-owned public fishing lakes. Commonly known as state lakes or county lakes, these waters are noted for their quality fishing for bream, largemouth bass, channel catfish, and crappie (in some lakes). Because these smaller lakes warm more quickly than larger waters, early spring fishing can be excellent. Anglers may fish from the pier, bank, rental boat or personal boat.

Three additional lakes are scheduled to reopen later this year: Barbour County Lake, Bibb County Lake, and Dale County Lake (Ed Lisenby Lake). Lower Geneva County Lake and Lee County Lake will remain closed.