School of Forest, Fisheries, and Geomatics Sciences

Austin Cary Forest safe from 400-acre State Road 26 wildfire

by Wes Wolfe
April 16, 2026

As evening rush hour traffic built Wednesday, April 15, on Waldo Road, a towering black column of smoke rose to the northeast. Sparked by an unknown origin, the State Road 26 fire was already at 10 acres when reported, and spread to around 400 ... READ MORE

Category: Conservation, Forests, Natural Resources, UF/IFAS, UF/IFAS
Tags: Austin Cary Forest, Forest, Forest Fisheries And Geomatics Sciences, Forest Management, Forestry, Natural Disasters, School Of Forest Fisheries And Geomatics Sciences, SFFGS

UPDATE: “Map Quest: Scallop Habitats” registration now open through 4-H!

by Katie Britt
April 15, 2026

April 15, 2026 update: dates offered for the 4-H Senior events have been changed. The following article reflects current changes and will be updated later with new date and registration information when available. Explore Tampa Bay’s ... READ MORE

Category: 4-H & Youth, Coasts & Marine, Conservation, Natural Resources, UF/IFAS Extension, Water, Wildlife
Tags: 4-H, 4-h Youth, Geomatics Extension, Hillsborough County, Hillsborough County 4-H, Pinellas County, School Of Forest Fisheries And Geomatics Sciences, UF/IFAS Extension Pinellas County

SFFGS annual Spring Celebration more than an award ceremony

by Suzette Cook
April 13, 2026

Families equipped with nets traipsed through the woods with an entomologist in search of bugs. Kids learned how to cast with fishing poles. The cornhole game was adjacent to enormous drones used by top geomatics scientists. Winners of the ... READ MORE

Category: Academics, Conservation, EVENTS, Forests, Natural Resources, UF/IFAS, UF/IFAS Extension, UF/IFAS Research, Wildlife, Work & Life
Tags: Awards, College Of Agricultural And Life Sciences, Forest Resources And Conservation, School Of Forest Fisheries And Geomatics Sciences

Florida Land Steward Update, April 10, 2026

by Chris Demers
April 10, 2026

GOPHER TORTOISE DAY GREETINGS! April 10th is officially adopted by the Gopher Tortoise Council as Gopher Tortoise Day in Florida. Gopher tortoises are found in parts of all 67 Florida counties and are frequently encountered in neighborhoods, ... READ MORE

Category: Conservation, Forests, Invasive Species, Natural Resources, Recreation, SFYL Hot Topic, UF/IFAS Extension, Water, Wildlife
Tags: Conservation Easements, Family Forest, Florida Land Steward Program, Forest Health, Forest Management, Gopher Tortoise, Hurricane Recovery, Landowner Assistance, Longleaf Pine, Natural Resources, Online Course, School Of Forest Fisheries And Geomatics Sciences, Tax Tips, Tree Farm, Wildlife

Tree Quest: Exploring Gainesville’s Urban Trees and Finding Opportunities for Fun, Learning, and Connection

by Stephanie Cadaval
April 8, 2026

Gainesville’s inaugural TreeQuest brought out over 90 individuals and groups to participate in a local tree scavenger hunt. The event took place in three public parks and the University of Florida’s main campus, with participants ... READ MORE

Category: Conservation, EVENTS, Forests, Natural Resources, Recreation, UF/IFAS Extension, UF/IFAS Extension
Tags: Community Engagement, Community Trees, Urban Forestry, Urban Forestry Extension

Florida Land Steward Update, April 3, 2026

by Chris Demers
April 3, 2026

PROFOREST PROGRAM LAUNCHES A NEW SOUTHEAST SILVICULTURE LIBRARY, WORKSHOP AT AUSTIN CARY FOREST ON APRIL 24, 2026 The ProForest (Proactive Forest Health and Resilience) program at the University of Florida and other partners have recently launched ... READ MORE

Category: Conservation, Forests, Invasive Species, Natural Resources, Recreation, SFYL Hot Topic, UF/IFAS Extension, Water, Wildlife
Tags: Family Forest, Florida Land Steward Program, Forest Health, Forest Management, Hurricane Recovery, Landowner Assistance, Longleaf Pine, Natural Resources, Online Course, School Of Forest Fisheries And Geomatics Sciences, Tax Tips, Tree Farm

Florida Land Steward Update, March 27, 2026

by Chris Demers
March 27, 2026

MARCH 26 FLORIDA LAND STEWARD TOUR AT YOUNG FAMILY FARM A SUCCESS Thanks everyone who joined us yesterday for the tour at Young Family Farm in Putnam County. Cory Young and the event team shared a great deal of land management experiences ... READ MORE

Category: Conservation, Forests, Invasive Species, Natural Resources, Recreation, SFYL Hot Topic, UF/IFAS Extension, Water, Wildlife
Tags: Award, Family Forest, Florida Land Steward Program, Forest Health, Forest Management, Hurricane Recovery, Landowner Assistance, Longleaf Pine, Natural Resources, Online Course, School Of Forest Fisheries And Geomatics Sciences, Tax Tips, Tree Farm, Wildlife

Ladies and Gentlemen, the Beetles: SFFGS faculty lead major beetle taxonomy paper

by Wes Wolfe
March 16, 2026

It’s immense. School of Forest, Fisheries, & Geomatics Sciences researchers — along with international scientists and experts from the Maryland Department of Agriculture, Michigan State University and the University of Texas — ... READ MORE

Category: Agriculture, Forests, Natural Resources, Pests & Disease, UF/IFAS, Wildlife
Tags: College Of Agricultural And Life Sciences, Forest, Forest Fisheries And Geomatics Sciences, Forest Health, Forest Management, Forestry, School Of Forest Fisheries And Geomatic Sciences, School Of Forest Fisheries And Geomatics Sciences, SFFGS, Trees, Wildlife

Florida Land Steward Update, March 13, 2026

by Chris Demers
March 13, 2026

NATIONAL GROUNDWATER AWARENESS WEEK, MARCH 8-14, 2026 This week is National Groundwater Awareness Week. Aquifers are natural underground reservoirs where water is stored. They fill up with rainwater that percolates down through sand and soil. ... READ MORE

Category: Conservation, Forests, Invasive Species, Natural Resources, Recreation, Water, Wildlife
Tags: Award, Family Forest, Florida Land Steward Program, Forest Health, Groundwater, Hurricane Recovery, Landowner Assistance, Longleaf Pine, Natural Resources, Online Course, School Of Forest Fisheries And Geomatics Sciences, Tax Tips, Tree Farm

Forest health module added to UF Forest Landowner Academy online course

by Suzette Cook
March 10, 2026

What is a healthy forest? Not just a single tree but the full community of all trees, animals and plants that make up a forest. The answer: A healthy forest is made up of vigorous trees and understory, is able to recover after a disturbance ... READ MORE

Category: Agriculture, Farm Management, Forests, Invasive Species, Natural Resources, Pests & Disease, UF/IFAS Extension, UF/IFAS Teaching, Wildlife
Tags: Florida Land Steward Program, Forest Health, Forest Management, Forestry, Online Course, Online Education, School Of Forest Fisheries And Geomatics Sciences

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