Late winter and spring will be buzzing with native pollinator activity in the landscape. Learn to recognize signs of the native mining bees that will be active in the ground for a few weeks. There are many ways that you can participate in No ... READ MORE
Category: Florida-Friendly Landscaping, HOME LANDSCAPES
It’s Spring Break season! The recent warm weather is ideal for the incoming crowds of visitors we expect along our Gulf beaches. But as we know, having tens of thousands of often inexperienced folks from out of town converging on the water ... READ MORE
Category: Coasts & Marine, Natural Resources, Water
National Invasive Species Awareness Week (NISAW) 2026 In our last video for this year, we will introduce to a new species that was first discovered in the panhandle during the summer of 2025 – the Thrush Cowrie. This small snail ... READ MORE
Category: Invasive Species, Natural ResourcesAll across the Florida panhandle one can encounter a tall, bamboo-like, plant that has taken over many shorelines. Sometimes called “common cane” it is most known by its genus name Phragmites. It can reach heights of 20 feet and can ... READ MORE
Category: Invasive Species, Natural Resources
We all know an old-timer who’s lived in the area forever. They can tell you about the flood of the century or the time the bay froze. Sometimes there’s a little tall tale thrown in, but for the most part you can trust them to know the ... READ MORE
Category: Conservation, Natural Resources, WaterNational Invasive Species Awareness Week (NISAW) 2026 Today we will learn about another relatively new species in the Florida panhandle – Giant Salvinia. This small floating aquatic plant has been a large problem in Texas and ... READ MORE
Category: Invasive Species, Natural ResourcesNational Invasive Species Awareness Week (NISAW) 2026 Today we will learn about another relatively new species in the Florida panhandle – Giant Salvinia. This small floating aquatic plant has been a large problem in Texas and ... READ MORE
Category: Invasive Species, Natural ResourcesNational Invasive Species Awareness Week (NISAW) 2026 Each year near the end of February across the country communities are observing NISAW. Each year UF IFAS Extension provides some form of invasive species education to local ... READ MORE
Category: Invasive Species, Natural Resources
If you look at the more popular snake guides of Florida, they only list four species known to inhabit there; and the pygmy rattlesnake is not one of them. However, I continue to survey for snakes on the islands I am finding species not listed ... READ MORE
Category: Coasts & Marine, Natural Resources, Wildlife
Last week, I wrote about how riprap consists of a cluster of medium-sized rocks placed at the base of a seawall to prevent erosion. The same concept is put to work when creating a living shoreline, but the rock gets moved offshore. As I’ve ... READ MORE
Category: Coasts & Marine, Natural Resources, Water