Category: Forests

Weekly “What is it?”: Coastal Dune Lakes

by Carrie Stevenson
November 20, 2025

Formed at the edge of freshwater and salt, dense forest and open water, scrubby dune and open marsh, the diversity along and within coastal dune lakes is tremendous. Coastal dune lakes are shallow, irregularly shaped, permanent bodies of ... READ MORE

Category: Coasts & Marine, Conservation, Forests, Natural Resources, Recreation, Water, Wildlife
Tags: Barrier Islands, Coastal Wildlife, Gulf Of Mexico, Habitat Conservation, Recreation, Weekly What Is It

Weekly “What is it?”: Ginkgo

by Carrie Stevenson
October 30, 2025

I've wanted to pursue a career in something outdoorsy/science-related for as long as I can remember. In my earliest days, I was one of those “dinosaur kids” who would obsess over dinosaur names and types, checking out books from the ... READ MORE

Category: Forests, Natural Resources
Tags: Trees, Weekly What Is It, Wildlife

Weekly “What is it?”: Fan clubmoss

by Carrie Stevenson
October 9, 2025

I love hiking in new places. Different terrain, new perspectives, and always some plant or animal I’ve never before come across. Last weekend on another hike along the Cumberland Plateau in southern Tennessee, we noticed a low-growing, ... READ MORE

Category: Forests, Natural Resources
Tags: Native Plants, Weekly What Is It

Weekly “What is it?”: Rain Lily

by Carrie Stevenson
April 2, 2025

For years, I’ve recommended a plant—the rain lily (Zephyranthes spp.)—for people interested in building rain gardens. In truth, I’d never knowingly seen the plant in the field or a landscape, but many horticulture professionals I ... READ MORE

Category: Forests, HOME LANDSCAPES, Natural Resources
Tags: Florida Panhandle, Flowers, Garden Design, Gardening, Weekly What Is It

Weekly “What is it?”: Morgan Park

by Carrie Stevenson
March 19, 2025

It’s spring break season, and area beaches are loaded up with students and families taking advantage of the beautiful sunshine and water along our coasts. Tucked among the full parking lots, restaurants, and entertainment venues on the ... READ MORE

Category: Coasts & Marine, Conservation, Forests, Natural Resources, Wildlife
Tags: Barrier Islands, Coastal Wildlife, Gulf Of Mexico, Trees, Weekly What Is It

Weekly “What is it?”: Witches’ Brooms

by Carrie Stevenson
March 12, 2025

Our topic today might seem better suited to late October, but it can be observed in the woods year-round. During a recent Master Naturalist class, we discussed the various species of pines that grow in northwest Florida. All seven Florida ... READ MORE

Category: Forests, Natural Resources
Tags: Environmental Education, Hiking, Insects, Trees, Weekly What Is It

Weekly “What is it?”: Red Maple

by Carrie Stevenson
February 26, 2025

Throughout local woods, roadsides, and residential properties right now, red maples (Acer rubrum) are harbingers of spring. Their brilliant red samaras—wind driven seed pods—are loaded up on the branches. This spring and summer they ... READ MORE

Category: Forests, Natural Resources
Tags: Native Plants, Trees, Weekly What Is It

Weekly “What is it?”: Biodiversity

by Carrie Stevenson
February 13, 2025

According to Conservation International, there are 36 biodiversity hotspots worldwide. These are defined as areas with “at least 1,500 vascular plants as endemics — which is to say, it must have a high percentage of plant life found ... READ MORE

Category: Coasts & Marine, Conservation, Forests, Natural Resources, Water, Wildlife
Tags: Barrier Islands, Coastal Wildlife, Environmental Education, Estuaries, Florida Panhandle, Gulf Of Mexico, Pollinators, Water Quality, Weekly What Is It, Wildlife

Weekly “What is it?”: Salt pruning

by Carrie Stevenson
January 30, 2025

Walking along the beach, my eyes are naturally drawn to the waves. That mesmerizing, repetitive motion of water is both calming and endlessly fascinating. But have you ever looked back at the dunes and noted the shape of the vegetation growing ... READ MORE

Category: Coasts & Marine, Forests, Natural Resources
Tags: Barrier Islands, Gulf Of Mexico, Native Plants, Shrubs, Trees, Weekly What Is It

Weekly “What is it?”: Crown Shyness

by Carrie Stevenson
January 16, 2025

I spent a lot of time in my childhood lying in our backyard hammock, reading. Inevitably, I’d take a break and stare up at the tree canopy above me. We had sweetgum trees in that corner of our yard, and I’d watch squirrels chasing each ... READ MORE

Category: Forests, Natural Resources
Tags: Native Plants, Trees, Weekly What Is It

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