Thornback Farm

03/07/2026

This photo would only be better was the nest full and this was the native Tulip tree. As it is, gorgeous nonetheless!

01/16/2026

🍇 Did you know Alabama is home to several native blackberry species that are perfect for picking, eating fresh, baking, or preserving? 🍓🌿 These juicy gems aren’t just tasty — they support pollinators and wildlife too! 🐝🦌

🔗 https://www.aces.edu/blog/topics/forestry/native-fruits-blackberries/

01/05/2026

🚨Chinese privet is one of the most widespread invasive plants across the South.
🍃 Semi-evergreen to evergreen shrub or small tree
🍃 Oval-shaped, green leaves that grow opposite one another in two rows along stems
🌳 Smooth gray to brownish bark scattered with lenticels (small dots)
💐Abundant white flowers bloom April–June
🍇 Fruits are small and ripen in late fall, turning dark purple to black in clusters along the branches
📍 Commonly found in:
Managed forests & natural areas
Rights-of-ways & fencerows
Aquatic environments
Pastures & orchards
Urban landscapes
Introduced in the mid-1800s as an ornamental, Chinese privet is still sold for home landscapes today. Unfortunately, it spreads aggressively and threatens native ecosystems across Alabama.
Join the 2026 Year of Alabama Invasive Plants Project to raise awareness, improve identification skills, and take action against invasive plants! Visit www.aces.edu/go/YearofInvasivePlants to learn more and take the pledge.
Learn more about control options here 👉 https://aces.edu/blog/topics/forestry-wildlife/control-options-for-chinese-privet/
🌱

12/21/2025

12/07/2025

https://www.facebook.com/share/r/1GR6enrHkF/?mibextid=wwXIfr

11/01/2025

Can’t trust anyone these days!!!

10/13/2025

On Indigenous Peoples’ Day, we honor some of the first caretakers of this land the Muscogee (Creek), Cherokee, Choctaw, Chickasaw, Koasati, and others whose deep understanding shaped Alabama’s ecosystems long before modern conservation began.

Indigenous communities practiced careful land management: using fire to renew longleaf pine forests, tending river cane stands, and protecting the balance between food, medicine, and wildlife. Their relationship with the land was based on reciprocity .... taking what was needed, giving back what sustained life.

As we work to restore native plants and habitats today, we continue that legacy of respect and responsibility. The land remembers good care. Our job is to listen, learn, and keep it going.

Learn more about the indigenous tribes of Alabama at the link in comments!

📸: America 250 AL

10/10/2025

For over 20 years, the USDA has worked to combat rabies in Alabama and other states by distributing an oral rabies vaccine intended for consumption by wildlife. This annual endeavor will begin tomorrow (10/10) in parts of Autauga, Blount, Calhoun, Cherokee, Chilton, Coosa, DeKalb, Etowah, Jackson, Jefferson, Marshall, St. Clair, Shelby, and Talladega counties, and will last for about 3 weeks.

The RABORAL V-RG® oral rabies vaccine (ORV) will be distributed across an approximately 14,000 square-kilometer bait zone in Northeast and North Central Alabama, targeting raccoons and other wildlife. These baits will be distributed by low-flying airplanes and helicopters.

The ORV baits to be aerially distributed over the majority of the bait zone are plastic packets of vaccine coated with an oily, fish-scented substance to attract raccoons and other rabies vector species. Each bait is marked with a toll-free number (1-877-722-6725) for people to call for assistance or information if they find or come in contact with a bait.

From October 10, 2025-October 16, 2025, USDA personnel will distribute approximately 31,320 ORV baits from trucks in the Birmingham Metro Area and surrounding communities within the bait zone. The ORV baits used for hand baiting the urban/suburban areas are square blocks made of fishmeal and fish oil. The vaccine is contained inside of a plastic packet in the hollow center of the block. Each of these fishmeal baits is also imprinted with the toll-free phone number to report bait contacts.

It is recommended that anyone who finds a bait leave it alone to allow wildlife to find it. However, if a bait is intact and out in the open, it can be tossed deeper into the woods or brush where a wild animal is more likely to find it. People should wear gloves or use a towel if it is necessary to handle baits and wash their hands afterward. Pet owners should not attempt to take baits away from their pets, as they may be bitten in the process and exposed to the vaccine. Although baits are not harmful to pets, ingestion of a large number of baits may cause temporary stomach upset. Anyone who comes in contact with the liquid vaccine contained within the bait should wash their hands immediately and contact their local health department for further guidance.

THANK YOU, USDA, for this work to manage disease in wildlife populations!

10/09/2025

They grow up so fast. Soon she will be driving me to Rite Aid

09/27/2025

We tried our best but thankfully she left notes. 📝

🌧 Rain has been hit and miss across the state this week.
☀️Parts of the state have gone 50+ days without significant rainfall.
🔥This can lead to intense fires because while the rain was beneficial, it will only help for a few days before fire activity returns.

Although the agency has not yet issued any restrictions, dry conditions lead to the escape of prescribed fires, even for seasoned professionals.

❌We have gotten a few questions about why we haven’t issued a ‘No Burn’. The current conditions are not severe enough to constitute the issuing of burn restrictions by the AFC.