School of Forest, Fisheries, and Geomatics Sciences

Florida Land Steward Update, May 1, 2026

by Chris Demers
May 1, 2026

BE PREPARED FOR WILDFIRE Hopefully we’ll be getting some much-needed rain by the time you see this update, but it is dry out there and wildfire risk is very high in many areas. Each year, wildfires burn across the United States. At the ... 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, Invasive Species, Landowner Assistance, Longleaf Pine, Natural Resources, Online Course, School Of Forest Fisheries And Geomatics Sciences, Tree Farm, Wildfire

Students discover which invasive plant species are commonly lurking in Gainesville stores and nurseries

by Suzette Cook
April 29, 2026

Two University of Florida juniors took a deep dive into invasive plant species being sold in the Gainesville area. UF/IFAS School of Forest, Fisheries, and Geomatics (SFFGS) students Natalie Vargas and Luis Hernandez launched an undercover ... READ MORE

Category: Conservation, Invasive Species, Natural Resources
Tags: Invasive Species, Natural Resource Conservation, Natural Resources, School Of Forest Fisheries And Geomatics Sciences, UF/IFAS, UF/IFAS Extension, Urban Forestry Extension

UF entomology lab sent out warning before invasive brown winged leafhopper’s U.S. arrival

by Suzette Cook
April 28, 2026

By Jiri Hulcr, Ph.D. UF/IFAS Forest Entomologist A new insect pest recently showed up in Georgia -- and the University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences Forest Entomology Lab already knows a lot about it. In ... READ MORE

Category: Conservation, Forests, Invasive Species, Natural Resources, UF/IFAS Extension
Tags: Forest Health, Forest Management, Forestry, Invasive Pests, Sentinel Garden

SilvaLab, SFFGS prepare for world’s premier forest spatial analysis conference

by Wes Wolfe
April 20, 2026

It’s about the forest view from above. School of Forest, Fisheries, and Geomatics Sciences Associate Professor Carlos Alberto Silva’s SilvaLab, SFFGS and the University of Florida landed a major forestry tech conference and it’s set ... READ MORE

Category: EVENTS, Forests, Natural Resources, Professional Development, UF/IFAS
Tags: Austin Cary Forest, Forest, Forest Carbon, Forest Fisheries And Geomatics Sciences, Forest Health, Forest Management, Forestry, ForestSAT, School Of Forest Fisheries And Geomatics Sciences, SFFGS, SilvaLab, Trees

Florida Land Steward Update, April 17, 2026

by Chris Demers
April 17, 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: Austin Cary Forest, Family Forest, Florida Land Steward Program, Forest Health, Forest Management, Hurricane Recovery, Landowner Assistance, Longleaf Pine, Natural Resources, Online Course, ProForest, School Of Forest Fisheries And Geomatics Sciences, Tree Farm

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 ... 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

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