With the Spotted Turtle we begin a series of species that are often called “pond turtles”. These belong to one of the largest families – the Family Emydidae. It includes not only the spotted turtle but the box… Read More
Water – the magic molecule – the one that allows life to exist on our planet. Our objective is to better understand the issue of water quantity and quality in Florida, but we begin with understanding the molecule… Read More
Over the weekend one of our followers found a barking treefrog exploring their yard. This was great for the kids and a great teaching moment. They wanted to know about this frog and, because it is supposed to… Read More
Biking along the Blackwater Heritage Trail recently, my son pointed out an intimidating-looking flower and asked me about it. We pulled over and looked closely at the spiked leaves and bristles along the stems. Having experienced the unseen… Read More
Check out this guy… We found him last week on our front porch, basking in the sun. It is a Cuban Anole… an invasive lizard. As the name suggests, the Cuban Anole (also called the Brown Anole… Read More
From a distance, native azaleas are easily mistaken for honeysuckle vines. With long, arching stamens, you might be tempted to relive your childhood, hoping to pull the pistil from the bottom and find a single drop of sweetness… Read More
They are taught in elementary school that all animals need four things… (1) food, (2) oxygen, (3) water, and (4) shelter. Shelter is important. Everyone needs a place to hunker down for the night (or heat of the… Read More
Monarch Magic – Day 1 Mar 22 – 33 monarch caterpillars invade our milkweed! I am lucky enough to have a cool gardener in my family… my wife. She has converted our front yard into a… Read More
Jacques Cousteau once said, “it is strange that they call this planet Earth… there is so little of it”. This is true. 70% of the surface of this planet is covered in water but to call it that… Read More
Normally I would begin a series like this with an introduction to local wildlife and not a specific topic. However, I have – in the last few days – witnessed several cases of territoriality in my backyard and… Read More
