Restrictions from the COVID pandemic provided a new learning opportunity this spring for a group of students enrolled in the University of Montevallo’s President’s Outdoors Scholars Program. Because of restrictions on large gatherings, Outdoors Scholars Director William Crawford and Assistant Director Chris “Scooter” Stano had to get creative with the curriculum for the program that […]

For nearly a century, the Alabama Wildlife Federation has been on the front lines of promoting environmental stewardship, wildlife and natural resource conservation across the state. The federation’s important work includes educational outreach that has informed generations of Alabamians about the state’s natural beauty and incredible biodiversity. It is why the Alabama Power Foundation supports the federation. “Our priority […]

Anglers, tournament staff and community leaders are thrilled with their new shaded place on Lewis Smith Lake in Walker County to host fishing tournament weigh-ins. Many of them gathered May 8 to share their appreciation for the weigh-in pavilion during a dedication ceremony prior to weigh-in at the Basspro.com Bassmaster Open. The pavilion provides shade for fish-holding tanks during tournament […]

Before the tournament began, Wes Logan predicted it would take 55 pounds to win. He was wrong. It took 57 pounds. The Springville native landed 57 lbs. 9 oz. to land the blue trophy Monday at the 2021 Whataburger Bassmaster Elite at Neely Henry Lake. He beat Paul Mueller, who was 1 lb. 6 oz. back in second place. “I give it […]

The Alabama Conservation Advisory Board voted to limit rainbow trout anglers to two rods per person on the Sipsey Fork of the Black Warrior River below Lewis Smith Dam and placed a portion of Colbert County on the dog deer hunting permit system at its recent meeting in Jasper. The Sipsey Fork from Lewis Smith […]

The Alabama Black Belt Adventures Association on Monday announced that Hudson Mathews of Deatsville has won the 2021 Big Gobbler Photo Contest. Hudson, age 5, reportedly harvested the winning turkey in Pike County while hunting with his father. The gobbler, which was Hudson’s first, had a 10-inch beard and 1-inch spurs. Over the course of […]

For someone who got a late start chasing turkeys, Ray Jones of Huntsville has spent the last 60 years catching up. In fact, Jones, 86, reached and surpassed a milestone this season by bagging the 400th and 401st turkeys of his career. The reason he got off to such a slow start was because he lived in […]

Chris Phengsisomboun grew up in the Vietnamese fishing community of Bayou La Batre, where the families of war refugees worked and sacrificed to build better lives for their children. He remembers his grandparents coming home reeking of shrimp from the packing house. He remembers the community reeling from Hurricane Katrina in 2005 and the Deepwater […]

On April 27, 2011, a monstrous EF5 tornado tore through the nature trail and outdoor classroom on the Phil Campbell campus of Northwest-Shoals Community College (NW-SCC). Downed trees and debris rendered the trail and classroom unsafe and unusable. Ten years to the day after the storm, the Cecil Clapp Nature Trail and outdoor classroom is open again. […]

With Alabama Governor Kay Ivey’s signature this week, new legislation will provide hunters in Alabama with another opportunity to harvest two specific animals. The legislation allows Conservation Commissioner Chris Blankenship to establish a season for hunting feral hogs and coyotes at night without the need for a depredation permit. When the season is finalized, Alabama […]

Katie Boyd Britt has been elected to serve on the Alabama Wildlife Federation’s (AWF) board of directors.

Alabama is known for its beautiful lakes, but there is even more to discover along the state’s lakeside lands. Alabama’s rivers, lakes and streams have some of the most topographically and ecologically diverse property surrounding them, and The Preserves are Alabama Power’s celebration of this land, offering the gift of splendid outdoor experiences to Alabama residents and […]

When Noah Yawn headed out for Oak Mountain State Park in October 2020, he was planning to take part in a survey for a tree found only in Alabama. What he didn’t expect was to also stumble upon a sizable population of another rare plant species – the Georgia Aster. The survey was part of […]

Alabama’s 2021 red snapper season for private recreational anglers will be different than in previous years. The season opens on May 28 with four-day weekends like last year’s season, but the closing date has not been set. The end of the season will be determined by catch data compiled through the Red Snapper Reporting System, […]

Kevin Savoy of Dothan, Alabama, has been appointed to the Alabama Conservation Advisory Board by Gov. Kay Ivey. Savoy replaces Patrick Cagle of Montgomery, whose six-year term expired. A native of Mobile, Savoy is a 1991 graduate of Auburn University. He currently serves as Vice President of Great Southern Wood Preserving, Incorporated and Greenbush Logistics, […]

The Alabama Department of Conservation and Natural Resources’ (ADCNR) Marine Resources Division (MRD) on Monday announced that Alabama state waters and federal waters will open to private vessel anglers for red snapper fishing on Friday, May 28, 2021. The season will consist of four-day weekends, Friday through Monday, continuing until the private angler quota is […]

A new search in the Bankhead National Forest for a tiny, rare fish found only in Alabama has discovered it living in a spot where no one had seen it before. The USDA Forest Service, supported by biologists from Alabama Power and the Alabama Department of Environmental Management, went looking last month for the federally endangered rush darter in a remote […]

A near-death experience for a fledgling owl in 2001 resulted in a second chance for the raptor and educational close encounters for countless people across Alabama over the past two decades. On April 17 from 1-4 p.m., the Alabama Wildlife Center (AWC) inside Oak Mountain State Park will celebrate the 20th birthday of Coosa, the barred owl whose […]

The guys from YouTube sensation The Hunting Public made a swing through the state early this turkey season and found out how much work it takes to bag an Alabama bird. Aaron Warbritton, Greg Clements and Zack Serenbaugh had previously worked together at Midwest Whitetail, a deer video website, and all were in between jobs when this […]

Alabama Governor Kay Ivey on Thursday joined the Alabama State Parks Foundation, local corporate leaders and other stakeholders at Oak Mountain State Park to announce unprecedented efforts aimed at investing millions of dollars into park improvements. The governor spoke about an $80 million bond issue for park improvements that must be approved by voters through […]

The storms that tore through Alabama last month took a toll on a rare longleaf pine forest near Lake Mitchell, but Alabama Power biologists have moved in to make repairs ahead of the nesting season for a protected woodpecker. Chad Fitch, a biologist with Alabama Power, said the storm took down numerous trees in the 1,600-acre, old-growth longleaf pine […]

Last week’s meeting of the Gulf of Mexico Fisheries Management Council (Gulf Council) Scientific and Statistical Committee (SSC) yielded mixed results for red snapper anglers. The SSC voted to partially incorporate the Great Red Snapper Count, which estimated the red snapper population in the Gulf is three times higher than previous estimates, into the Gulf […]

Two up-and-coming anglers from Alabama have been selected as 2021 members of the prestigious Bassmaster High School All-American Fishing Team.

With his research team, Sanjiv Kumar, assistant professor in the Auburn University School of Forestry and Wildlife Sciences, co-authored a breakthrough study on drought forecasting published March 12 in Climate and Atmospheric Science, a partner publication to the journal Nature. In the paper, “Seasonal to multi-year soil moisture drought forecasting,” researchers sought to find out whether they […]