Going to Bat for Bats
Dusk. At Lake Alice, a crowd lines the sidewalk between a wooden fence and the road. Everyone gazes in anticipation at three houses on stilts. Has the sun sunk enough for the bats to emerge?… Read More
Category: Wildlife
Letting Them Bee: National Pollinator Week
This week is National Pollinator Week, which makes it a good time to learn about how birds, bees, hummingbirds, and other pollinators sustain our ecosystem! What is a pollinator? When some people hear “pollinator,” they… Read More
Landscaping Backyards for Wildlife
June 5 is World Environment Day. This year, to celebrate, why not think about the wildlife environment of your own backyard—literally? Recently, the article Landscaping Backyards for Wildlife: Top Ten Tips for Success was updated… Read More
Bear Fences Help Beekeepers–and Bears!
Florida’s black bear is a unique species and a beloved part of natural Florida. But beekeepers know that bears and bees shouldn’t mix. Hive-raiding bears can cause thousands of dollars of damage and eventually destroy… Read More
Contaminants in the Urban Environment: Bisphenol-A
Bisphenol-A (BPA) is a man-made chemical widely used as a component in many products of daily use in households, such as plastic bottles and metallic canned foods. BPA can leach from bottles and cans into the environment, increasing our… Read More
Contaminants in the Urban Environment: Microplastics
Plastic, plastic everywhere! We live in a world where we are surrounded by plastic: from packaging materials and cutlery to plastic appliances and medical devices. Since the mid-twentieth century, plastic has been a boon to… Read More
Facts about Wildlife Diseases: Rabies
Rabies is a virus carried by mammals. It kills infected humans and animals if they are not treated shortly after exposure. Rabies can be prevented, but it cannot be cured once symptoms become evident. This… Read More
Third Grade Manatee Curriculum
This 19 fact sheet curriculum series provides a series of individual lessons covering manatee biology and ecology, as well as highlighting some of the ways that humans impact and can protect manatees. The curriculum has… Read More
Managing Conflicts with Wildlife: Living with Coyotes
The omnivorous coyote is a relative newcomer to Florida that plays an important role in ecosystems and food webs. Of particular importance and possible benefit may be their potential ability to control populations of pest… Read More
Managing Conflicts with Wildlife: Living with Deer
Though deer rarely pose problems for people, it is important to understand the issues associated with deer and human-deer interactions. This 4-page fact sheet describes the biology of Florida’s white-tailed deer, the hazards associated with… Read More