Beach Access #4 Opened
District 1 Commissioner Jeff Bergosh presided over the March 4, 2022 opening of Perdido Key
Beach Access #4 just east of the Crab Trap Restaurant. The new location has 35 parking
spaces on a permeable solid surface and handicap-friendly Mobi-Mat beach access, as well as
a protected wildlife area. For more on the opening, see the March 9-23, 2022 Mullet Wrapper
article “Escambia County opens another free public beach on Perdido Key” by Fran Thompson
at https://mulletwrapper.net/escambia-county-opens-another-free-public-beach-on-perdidokey/.
Planting the “Perdido Key Garden”
In January, many volunteers helped prepare the open space at the Perdido Key Visitors/
Community Center for its conversion into a garden. Additional volunteers are needed to help
plant over 500 native plants in the garden on Earth Day, Saturday, April 23, from 9 AM to 12
PM at the Visitors Center, 15500 Perdido Key Drive. If interested, please contact the Escambia
County Natural Resources Management Community Outreach Specialist Ms. Samantha
Bolduc at smbolduc@myescambia.com. Volunteers under the age of 18 are welcome but must
be accompanied by a parent or guardian for the duration of the event.
Pensacola a Best Beach Town
Southern Living ranked Pensacola 8th among the Top Ten beach towns in the South for 2022.
Panama City Beach ranked 6th and Grayton Beach 10th; Orange Beach was 3rd and Hilton
Head, South Carolina 1st. For more on the issue, see the March 30, 2022 Pensacola News
Journal article “Pensacola named one of the ‘South’s Best Beach Towns’ by Southern Living
for 2022” by Brittany Misencik at https://www.pnj.com/story/news/2022/03/30/pensacolanamed-southern-livings-2022-souths-best-beach-town-list/7195846001/.
Hot Perdido Real Estate Market
The 32507 Zip code containing the Perdido area and Warrington had a 54.6% increase in
home real estate sales value between 2020 and 2021, topping the generally booming
Pensacola area market. Total sales in the 32507 Zip code increased from 846 to 1,166. For
more on the issue, see the March 1, 2022 Pensacola News Journal article “Pensacola’s hottest
Zip codes: Home sales in these neighborhoods are on fire” by Emma Kennedy at
https://www.pnj.com/story/news/local/escambia-county/2022/03/01/pensacola-florida-realestate-zip-code-where-hottest-neighborhoods/6928806001/.
More Sand for National Seashore Beaches
While the Pensacola Inlet Management Plan requires final adoption by the Florida state
government, sand is currently being dredged from the Pensacola Entrance Channel and
pumped onto the Perdido Key Area of Gulf Islands National Seashore (Johnson Beach) with
the operation expected to continue until May 1, 2022. Because of the east to west migration of
sand along the northwest Florida coast, the dredged sand should help both “eroded” National
Seashore beaches and beaches on the rest of Perdido Key where the eastern portion is
“critically eroded.” For more on the issue, see the March 18, 2022 Army Corps of Engineers
Navigation Bulletin No. 22-20 at
https://www.sam.usace.army.mil/Portals/46/docs/navigation/OP-TN/docs/NavBull%2022-
20%20(Pensacola%20Harbor).pdf?ver=1bAo8WFnZRrGu9tBI4OueQ%3d%3d.
Florida State Park Specialty License Plates
Interested in helping Florida State Parks? You can order license plates featuring the State
Parks while also supporting them. The Perdido Key area benefits significantly from the
wilderness spaces at Big Lagoon and Tarkiln Bayou State Parks and the wonderful beaches of
Perdido Key State Park. For more information, go to
https://secure.everyaction.com/RWnNT2HaSEOEIZ8xrDv4dQ2.
Alabama Red Snapper Season
Alabama’s Department of Conservation and Natural Resources announced the 2022 red
snapper season will begin May 27 on Fridays through Mondays in both state and federal
waters. For more on the issue see the March 18, 2022 Orange Beach Press Release “State
season will open May 27 on Fridays through Mondays until quota is met” at
https://www.obawebsite.com/state-officials-expect-similar-recreational-snapper-season-in2022.
PKA Purpose and Membership
The Perdido Key Association’s purpose is to maintain the natural beauty, welfare and orderly
development of Perdido Key by keeping the public and government officials informed of issues
affecting our island’s present and future. The Association has long supported the Perdido Key
Master Plan and Perdido Key Multi-Use Path, for example, yet many property owners,
residents and local businesses are unaware of PKA’s efforts. Please help us reach a greater
audience by using your social media access and other means to publicize PKA’s work and
gain additional members for the organization. In 2022, your PKA Board will continue to
advocate better managed beach parking and access, movement toward underground utilities,
understanding rules for use of the Perdido Key Multi-Use Path, and appropriate cleanups for
Perdido Key roadways. We appreciate your support very much!
Environmental Notes
Beach Vitex Again – PKA’s Key Notes have featured beach vitex several times in the past
because of the plant’s potential to take over Perdido Key’s sandy soil and beach areas. The
species has already been identified on two Perdido Key properties where complete eradication
is still required. The recent article “Invasive plants wreak havoc in SC” about the Myrtle Beach
area of South Carolina shows how difficult a problem beach vitex can be. As spring advances,
be on the lookout for sprawling plants with small clusters of violet flowers near the end of
branches. For more on beach vitex, see the University of Georgia Center for Invasive Species
and Ecosystem Health publication Invasive Plant Atlas of the United States at
https://www.invasiveplantatlas.org/subject.html?sub=11609 and the March 29,2022 WFAE
90.7 article “Invasive plants endanger sea turtles and hurt South Carolina’s sand dunes” by
Chase Karacostas at https://www.wfae.org/energy-environment/2022-03-27/invasive-plantsendanger-sea-turtles-and-hurt-south-carolinas-sand-dunes.
Microplastics in Human Blood – Microplastics are plastic particles less than 5 mm and come
from a variety of sources. They are found almost everywhere on the planet because of the
widespread use of plastics in modern society. For the first time, researchers have detected
microplastics in human blood though additional research is needed to determine what effect if
any microplastics can have on human health. For more on the issue, see the March 24, 2022
Guardian article “Microplastics found in human blood for first time” edited by Damian
Carrington at https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2022/mar/24/microplastics-found-inhuman-blood-for-first-time.
Burrowing Owl at Gulf State Park – Alabama Audubon Coastal biologist Olivia Morpheth
spotted a borrowing owl in Gulf State Park, the first sighting in over 20 years. They are “small,
sandy colored owls with bright-yellow eyes” found more often in the Florida peninsula and
western portions of the United States. Their numbers have declined in recent years because
of habitat loss. For more on the burrowing owl, see the March 9-23, 2022 Mullet Wrapper
article “Alabama Audubon biologist finds rare owl in Gulf State Park dunes” at
https://mulletwrapper.net/alabama-audubon-biologist-finds-rare-owl-in-gulf-state-park-dunes/
and The Cornell Labs All About Birds entry “Burrowing Owl” at
https://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/Burrowing_Owl/overview.
Blooming Thistles – While not fun to touch, thistles create beautiful pinkish blooms in the
spring. You can find thistles along the River Road pedestrian/bicycle path and other parts of
Perdido Key.
April Calendar
Apr 1-2 – Pensacola Ice Flyers at Pensacola Bay Center
Apr 1-3,8-10,29-30 – Horse Shows at Escambia County Equestrian Center
Apr 2 – Navy Federal 5K in downtown Pensacola
Apr 2 – Discovery Day at Dauphin Island Sea Lab
Apr 2-3 – Pensacola Jazzfest at Seville Square in downtown Pensacola
Apr 2-3 – Northwest Florida Advanced Citizen Corps Academy, North W Street, Pensacola
Apr 2,3 – Spring Kite Festival on The Boardwalk at Okaloosa Island
Apr 8-10 – Pensacola Habitat Food Truck Festival in downtown Pensacola
Apr 8-10,19-24 – Blue Wahoos at Blue Wahoo Stadium
Apr 9 – Flora-Bama’s Mullet Man Triathlon
Apr 9-10 – Baldwin County Strawberry Festival at Loxley Municipal Park
Apr 16 – Flora-Bama Easter Egg Hunt and Kid’s Fun Day
Apr 16 – Kiwanis Easter Egg Hunt and Games at Perdido Kid’s Park on Gulf Beach Hwy
April 17 – Easter
Apr 22-24 – Flora-Bama Mullet Toss
Apr 23 – Earth Day Celebration at Bayview Park
Apr 23 – Regional Roundup at Bailey Middle School for electronic and hazardous waste
Apr 29-30 – Pensacola Crawfish Festival
Apr 30 – Perdido Key Area Chamber of Commerce Spring Craft Fair at Innerarity Park
Blue Angels practice at NAS Pensacola April 05,06,12,13,20,26,27
Bands on the Beach at Pensacola Beach every Tuesday, 7-9 PM from April to October
The following websites provide additional information about events taking place in our great
Gulf Coast region:
https://www.visitpensacola.com/
http://mygulfcoastchamber.com/
http://www.visitperdido.com/
http://mulletwrapper.net/
https://myescambia.com/
http://www.emeraldcoastfl.com//
http://alabama.travel/festivals-and-events
Perdido Key Association Board of Directors