Wildlife/Fauna
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Ed Ball Sanctuary Dedication
The Ed Ball Nature Trail was dedicated in November 1969 by Ed Ball, a banking and railroad magnate in Florida, and initially funded by the Edward Ball Wildlife Foundation, which built boardwalks on the trail. In 1972, the Pensacola Lions Club provided funds to adapt the trail for the visually impaired, and a 100 foot long pedestrian bridge across Thompson’s Bayou was built in 1975. |
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Goldie Mascot
Goldie, Mascot of Omega College, with Billy Williams, Provost of Omega College, 1969. |
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Duck Family
Duck Family tours UWF, 1970. |
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Baars Visit Nature Trail
Mary and Theo Baars visit Nature Trail with President Crosby, November 1973. |
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Captain Thunder
In 1981, a naming contest was held for a five-foot alligator that had taken up residence in Thompson Bayou, and appeared to have a crooked tail, possibly with missing or deformed feet. After a year of being fed by visitors, the campus held a naming contest and student Lucinda Ellis won with “Captain Thunder of the University Marine Patrol.”The first gator adopted by the University of West Florida was “Randi.” Randi was purchased by a boy from Quebec for a school project and later decided to send him “home” to Florida. Brom Nichols, Director of Engineering Services in 1969, recalled the telephone call and he said “Send him home! We’ve always wanted a French-speaking alligator.” Eastern Airlines called a few days later “begging” the University to come pick him up and Randi was launched from a sand bar into Thompson Bayou. At the time two other alligators were known to lurk on campus, both near the sewage treatment lagoons. One of them, a six-footer, had been delivered to campus in the backseat of a game warden’s car. |
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Fernando the Llama
In the mid-1980s, Fernando the Llama was a frequent sight at UWF. Named for the Latin American singer, Fernando was owned by Karen Whigham, a biology major (Building 58), who dated and married a Physics major (Building 13). Karen had a little trailer for Fernando on the back of her car and Fernando could be seen when she drove the length of campus between these buildings. Fernando was often a visitor at campus events such as Festival on the Green. His favorite special treat was bananas. |
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