Category: Natural Resources

La_Palma_volcano_DAF2.jpg Photo of a volcano on the Spanish island of La Palma in the Canary Islands. UF/IFAS photo by David Foster

Can spreading basaltic volcanic rock dust improve crops and the health of Florida’s soils?


May 12, 2026

Highlights: UF researchers are testing volcanic rock dust to improve soil health across the state’s sandy and organic farmlands. A $749,999 USDA-funded, four-year study aims to boost crop productivity while cutting reliance on ... READ MORE

Category: Agribusiness, Agriculture, Blog Community, , Conservation, Crops, Farm Management, Natural Resources, SFYL Hot Topic, UF/IFAS, UF/IFAS, UF/IFAS Research
Tags: Agricultural Acreage, Agroindustry, And Geomatics Sciences, Basaltic Volanic Rock, Boost Crop Growth, CALS, CLAS, David Foster, Department Of Geological Sciences, Everglades Agricultural Area, Everglades Research And Education Center, Fisheries, Grant, Improve Soil Health, Improve Soil Quality, Institute Of Food And Agricultural Sciences, Jehangir Bhadha, Landscapes, Mineral Soils, News, Organic Farmlands, Reduce Fertilizers, Research, Rice, Rosvel Bracho, Soil Amendments, Sugarcane, Sustainable Agriculture, U.S. Department Of Agriculture Forest Inventory And Analysis, UF College Of Liberal Arts And Sciences, UF/IFAS, UF/IFAS Range Cattle Research And Education Center, UF/IFAS School Of Forest, University Of Florida, USDA-NIFA, Volcanic Rock

Florida Land Steward Update, May 8, 2026


May 8, 2026

FLORIDA WILDLIFE CORRIDOR PAYMENT FOR ECOSYSTEM SERVICES PILOT PROGRAM The Florida Wildlife Corridor Foundation teamed up with The Balmoral Group to develop a Payments for Ecosystem Services (PES) framework using the University of Florida’s ... READ MORE

Category: Conservation, Forests, Invasive Species, Natural Resources, Recreation, Water, Wildlife
Tags: Drought, Ecosystem Services, Family Forest, Florida Land Steward Program, Forest Health, Forest Management, Hurricane Preparation, Hurricane Recovery, Invasive Species, Landowner Assistance, Longleaf Pine, Natural Resources, Online Course, Prescribed Fires, School Of Forest Fisheries And Geomatics Sciences, Tree Farm

Florida Land Steward Update, May 1, 2026


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


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


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
An aerial view of the Austin Cary Forest.

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


April 22, 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


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
Thick, dark plumes of wildfire smoke rise over green treetops.

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


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
Close up of a kayaker operating a handheld fish finder.

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


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


April 14, 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

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