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
Vertebrates are animals that have backbones and are the ones most familiar to everyone. They include the fish, amphibians, reptiles, birds, and mammals. But there are a couple of creatures that are not truly vertebrates… Read More
The plant has a crazy-sounding name, more like some little animal you’d find in Australia than a native plant. However, an ancient Florida plant it is, and a tough one at that. Growing close to… Read More
Echinoderm means “spiny skin” and some members of this phylum are very spiny. The sea urchin is almost like a round shaped roaming cactus on the seafloor. Many think the spines are venomous, and some… Read More
If there is one thing we know in northwest Florida, it’s rain. As the wettest region of Florida, with an average annual rainfall total of 65+ inches, we also rival the Pacific northwest for highest… Read More
The crustaceans belong to the most successful group of animals on the planet – the arthropods. The phylum Arthropoda has an estimated 800,000 species, some say almost one million, which equates to about 90% of… Read More
Weaving its quiet path through the most intensely developed portions of Pensacola, it is easy to forget that Carpenter’s Creek is there. Beginning at a springhead near Olive Road (on property recently purchased by the… Read More
Six Rivers “Dirty Dozen” Invasive Species Chinese Tallow (popcorn tree) (Triadica sebifera) Define Invasive Species: must have all of the following – Is non-native to the area, in our case northwest Florida Introduced… Read More
Based on diversity and species richness, at 80,000 species (maybe more) mollusk are one of the most successful animal phyla on the planet. These creatures are bilateral/coelomates meaning they have a distinct head region and… Read More
Besides a few vines near the foot of the sand dunes, the open beachfront where most visitors spend their time is essentially devoid of plant life. However, incoming waves will wash up and deposit dead… Read More
