Bham Now’s most popular nature stories in 2017

Cahaba Lily Black Warrior River
Cahaba Lily Black Warrior River
Cahaba Lilies on the Black Warrior River – Cahaba Lily (Hymenocallis coronaria), in the Black Warrior River prior to its impoundment, Squaw Shoals, Tuscaloosa County, Alabama, 4 June 1913. Photograph by Roland Harper, from the W.S. Hoole Special Collections Library, The University of Alabama.
What are Bham Now‘s most popular nature stories in 2017?

With only 3 days left in 2017, Bham Now surveyed the number of visits to our website, Facebook and Twitter to determine which nature stories interested you, our readers, the most.
Alabama rivers
Clear Creek Falls Alabama
Clear Creek Falls -Image courtesy of Alabama Power Company Corporate Archives.
Bham Now’s two  most popular stories in 2017 came from a series that focused on Alabama’s rivers.
Both stories had stunning photos, including archival scenes of Clear Creek Falls, one of Alabama’s largest waterfalls and the surrounding canyons that are now submerged under Smith Lake.  The story on “America’s Amazon” also showed images of rare snails and endangered species that reside in Alabama.
Smith Lake Alabama
Canyon walls before creation of Smith Lake – Image courtesy of Alabama Power Company Corporate Archives.
Snails Alabama
Plicate Rocksnail (Leptoxis plicata) Locust Fork of the Black Warrior River, Blount and Jefferson Counties – Photo ADCNR/AABC
A solar powered school
Birmingham Alabama
Completed Altamont School solar array
In the Birmingham area, locally,  the most popular story this year was about Altamont School’s development and construction of a large solar array on campus this past February.
Oak Mountain State Park improvements
Coming in second, as the most popular local story was an article about the progress Oak Mountain State Park has made since the Constitutional Amendment securing State Park funding was passed.
Birmingham Alabama
Oak Mountain State Parks newly re-furbished beach area – photo by Oak Mountain State Park
Best stories advocating environmental solutionsThe Alta
During the year, our two most popular environmental advocacy stories were  about sewage discharge notifications and prescribed burning.
Two very different topics.
The sewage notification story helped educate people about the state of Alabama’s weak notification rules.  The good news – the state did take action later in the year to strengthen the public’s right to know laws.
The second most popular environmental advocacy/education story was the Nature Consevancy’s use of prescribed fire to enhance habitats.

Most popular story in December 2017

One last story that just made our list was this month’s story about the Intermediate musk turtle.  The Bham Now story about Alabama’s newly discovered turtle was featured this week on National Public Radio.

Photo of an Intermediate musk turtle

Meet the intermediate musk turtle, Alabama’s newest turtle species

Were these your favorite Bham Now nature stories in 2017?
Tell us your favorites.  Email us at hello@bhamnow.com

Author: Pat Byington

Longtime conservationist. Former Executive Director at the Alabama Environmental Council and Wild South. Publisher of the Bama Environmental News for more than 18 years. Career highlights include playing an active role in the creation of Alabama's Forever Wild program, Little River Canyon National Preserve, Dugger Mountain Wilderness, preservation of special places throughout the East through the Wilderness Society and the strengthening (making more stringent) the state of Alabama's cancer risk and mercury standards.