Happy Estuaries Week! Begun in 1988 to educate lawmakers and citizens about the importance of estuaries nationwide, the third week of September celebrates all things estuary. But what is an estuary, exactly? The most frequently cited ... READ MORE
Category: Coasts & Marine, Conservation, Natural Resources, Recreation, Water, Wildlife
Kayaking through a crystal blue spring, hiking among longleaf pines and discovering gopher tortoise burrows, gliding past alligators by boat in Mobile Bay, private tours of the EPA lab on Pensacola Beach, meeting hundreds of fascinating, ... READ MORE
Category: Coasts & Marine, Conservation, Natural Resources, Recreation, Water, Wildlife
In this series we have looked at where the concept of climate change came from and how climate has changed over the centuries. We looked closer at the changes over the last decade and what the most recent IPCC report is telling us. We also ... READ MORE
Category: Conservation, Natural Resources
Over my years of leading people on interpretive trail hikes, I have learned it is particularly important to know the names of whatever happens to be in bloom. These flowers are eye-catching, and inevitably someone will ask what they are. ... READ MORE
Category: Coasts & Marine, Conservation, Natural Resources
In a garden with a variety of flowers, pollinators will be abundant. Sometimes we don’t always recognize the specific pollinator when we see it, but there are some native pollinators that leave other signs of their activity. One of our medium-sized ... READ MORE
Category: Conservation, Florida-Friendly Landscaping, Home Landscapes, Wildlife
We’re highlighting all things Florida Master Naturalist Program (FMNP) in 2021 as the program marks its 20th anniversary. To learn more about FMNP, view the first blog post here. By Justina Dacey and Rick O’Connor If there were ... READ MORE
Category: Coasts & Marine, Community Volunteers, Conservation, Forests, Invasive Species, Natural Resources, Recreation, UF/IFAS Extension, Water, Wildlife
Movies set in the deep South often start with sweeping views of ancient live oak or cypress trees draped with Spanish moss (Tillandsia usneoides). The mysterious-looking plant lends a haunting feel to a landscape. But believe it or not, ... READ MORE
Category: Conservation, Natural Resources
I am not going to lie; slime molds are weird. They are weird in a “star role in a cheesy 70’s horror flick” kind of way. They come in nearly every shade of the rainbow and a wide variety of shapes, from fluorescent yellow piles and ... READ MORE
Category: Conservation, Natural Resources, Wildlife
Late August is prime time for floating or canoeing down north Florida’s slow-moving, cold-water rivers. It is favorite summer tradition for our family, floating for hours in inner tubes and stopping to jump off rope swings. If you drift ... READ MORE
Category: Conservation, Natural Resources, Wildlife
Unfortunately the Panhandle Outdoors Live events that we have enjoyed for the past several years are not possible right now. Given the limitations of the current situation, the Panhandle Outdoors team has moved ... READ MORE
Category: Coasts & Marine, Conservation, Forests, Invasive Species, Natural Resources, Recreation, UF/IFAS Extension, Water, Wildlife