Back in the day when thousands of shrimp boats trawled the Gulf, Atlantic, and bays along the coast, fishing was a bit of a free-for-all. Shrimp populations were abundant, but catching unintended species (bycatch) was a fact of life. Up ... READ MORE
Category: Conservation, Natural Resources, Wildlife
On any given day, a walk down the Navarre Beach Fishing Pier over the Gulf of Mexico will typically reward the observant visitor with what, for most places, is a rare treat—a sea turtle sighting. Today, on a 30-minute stroll, we saw four ... READ MORE
Category: Coasts & Marine, Conservation, Natural Resources, Water, Wildlife
JOIN YOUR LOCAL PARTICIPATING UF IFAS EXTENSION OFFICE IN THE PANHANDLE OF FLORIDA TO CELEBRATE POLLINATORS WITH NO MOW MARCH. https://go.ufl.edu/nomowmarch Landscapes and lawns have potential to support many of our native pollinators ... READ MORE
Category: Conservation, Florida-Friendly Landscaping, HOME LANDSCAPES, Lawn, Natural Resources, UF/IFAS Extension, Wildlife
If you've ever spent any time fishing, you know it's rare to catch exactly what you want on the first bite. Even more so, when large nets are pulled behind boats at sea, it's impossible to catch a single target species. These extraneous ... READ MORE
Category: Conservation, Natural Resources, Wildlife
It’s peaceful out there. At the end of the boardwalk, you can look over one of the few completely undisturbed shorelines in the Perdido Key area. Almost every time I’ve visited, an osprey or bald eagle has flown past, hunting for its ... READ MORE
Category: Coasts & Marine, Conservation, Forests, Natural Resources, Recreation, Water, Wildlife
I am always on the lookout for easily accessible places to get out into nature. Much of my job entails leading other people outdoors and teaching them more about what they're seeing. I've found in my years with Extension that if someone ... READ MORE
Category: Conservation, Forests, Natural Resources, Recreation, Water, Wildlife
Florida is known for its kitschy plastic lawn flamingos—a throwback to the 1950’s era of aspirational, semitropical suburban bliss. But if you head a little farther south, you get a lot more of the real thing. These elegant neon pink ... READ MORE
Category: Coasts & Marine, Conservation, Natural Resources, Wildlife
Most of us are familiar with the Appalachian Trail, the popular hiking route that follows the mountains from Maine for nearly 2200 miles to north Georgia. But did you know you could set off from Fort Pickens at Pensacola Beach and follow ... READ MORE
Category: Coasts & Marine, Conservation, Forests, Natural Resources, Recreation, Water, Wildlife
Back in the day, pirates would scour the beaches for hidden treasure. On a recent trip out with a group of botanists and biologists, we combed the dunes of Perdido Key for a specific plant that hosts a rare bee species. While not gold doubloons, ... READ MORE
Category: Coasts & Marine, Conservation, Natural Resources, Wildlife
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