Category: Conservation

Corey Callaghan during a bioblitz showing a toothpick grasshopper as other participants capture it for recording. UF/IFAS photo by Brittany Mason.

Intensity and innovation earn UF/IFAS scientist Early Career Fellow honor by Ecological Society of America


April 15, 2026

Whether he’s submitting daily bird sightings on a citizen science website without missing a beat or racing the clock during a 24-hour biodiversity blitz, University of Florida scientist Corey Callaghan brings a distinct intensity to both ... READ MORE

Category: Blog Community, Conservation, Natural Resources, SFYL Hot Topic, UF/IFAS, UF/IFAS, UF/IFAS Extension, UF/IFAS Research, Wildlife, Work & Life
Tags: Apps, BioBlitz, Biology, Citizen Science, Corey Callaghan, Crowdsource, Datasets, DeLuca Preserve, Early Career Fellow, EBird, Ecological Society Of America (ESA), Ecology, Extension, Global Change, Human-dominated Landscapes, Human-driven Environmental Change, INaturalist, Informatics, Observe Biodiversity, Peer-reviewed Publications, Policy, Quantitative Ecology, Research, Spatial Scales, Theory
Brittany Mason and a student reporting and observing a non-venomous rat snake. Photo by Corey Callaghan

From curiosity to conservation: How citizen science is teaching children and adults to see, experience nature


April 13, 2026

It often starts with something small, such as a new bird in a branch, a vibrant butterfly in a yard, a colorful plant growing through a crack in the sidewalk or as part of a lawn. Suddenly, you are engaged and can’t help but snap a ... READ MORE

Category: Blog Community, , Conservation, Forests, Invasive Species, Natural Resources, Recreation, SFYL Hot Topic, UF/IFAS, UF/IFAS Extension, UF/IFAS Research, Water, Wildlife
Tags: Beneficial Wildlife, BioBlitz, Brittany Mason, Changes, Changes In Ecosystems, Changes In Environment, Citizen Science, Citizen Science Month, Coexistence With Wildlife, Community, Corey Callaghan, Crowdsource, Curiousity, Department Of Wildlife Ecology And Conservation, EBird, Environmental Shifts, Fort Lauderdale Research And Education Center, Global Ecology, Habitat, Habitat Removal, Habitat Restoration, INaturalist, Learning, Observations, Seasonal Changes, Smartphone, Species Distributions, Urbanization, Water Quality, Wildlife, Wildlife Monitoring
Sendero peatonal del parque Welleby con árboles y bancas a lo largo de un estanque en el condado de Broward.

Study uses AI, citizen science to show perceptions of access to Broward County parks


April 9, 2026

A new study from the University of Florida paired artificial intelligence and citizen science to measure whether parks in Broward County provide access and the same experiences across communities. Rather than focusing solely on where ... READ MORE

Category: Blog Community, , Conservation, Health & Nutrition, Natural Resources, Recreation, SFYL Hot Topic, UF/IFAS, UF/IFAS, UF/IFAS Extension, UF/IFAS Extension, , Water, Wildlife
Tags: #AI, Artificial Intelligence, Broward County Parks And Recreation, Citiizen Science, Dog Parks, Dog-friendly Parks, Green Space, Haojie Cao, Homogeneous Neighborhoods, Jiangxiao Qiu, Kid-friendly, Lakefront Park, Make America Beaur, Make America Beautiful Again Commission’s Mission, Parks, Playgrounds, Pool, Recreational, Reviews, Splash Pads, Urban Green Space, Urban Parks, Walking Paths
An asian swamp eel close up. Photo by USGS.

Be an invader detector: UF scientists call on public to help track elusive Asian Swamp Eels


April 7, 2026

University of Florida researchers are urging South Floridians to help stop the spread of an invasive fish now secretly moving through canals, marshes and wetlands across the region’s most vulnerable environments. Visitors, residents, ... READ MORE

Category: Blog Community, , Conservation, Invasive Species, SFYL Hot Topic, UF/IFAS, UF/IFAS, UF/IFAS Extension, UF/IFAS Research, Water
Tags: 1-888-IVEGOT1, Asian Swamp Eel, Canals, Citizen Science Month, Conservation, CROC Docs, Fish, Fort Lauderdale Research And Education Center, Frank J. Mazzotti, Frank Mazzotti, Invasive Species, IVEGOT1 Mobile App, South Florida, Southeast Asia, UF/IFAS Wildlife Ecology And Conservation, USGS, Wetlands
Braham Dhillon examining a plam frond at the Fort Lauderdale Research and Education Center (FLREC). Photo taken 10-02-20.

UF/IFAS FNGLA Palm Quest 2026 to unveil next generation AI drone research tools for a changing industry on April 21-22


March 26, 2026

From artificial intelligence that can diagnose palm diseases to drone technology tracking tree health from above, the Palm Quest 2026 Conference will spotlight the future of palm science when it returns to Fort Lauderdale April 21 to 22. Hosted ... READ MORE

Category: Agriculture, Blog Community, , Conservation, Crops, EVENTS, Farm Management, Horticulture, Pests & Disease, Pests & Disease, SFYL Hot Topic, UF/IFAS, UF/IFAS Extension, UF/IFAS Research
Tags: #AI, AI-driven Palm Diagnostics, Artificial Intelligence, Disease, Drones, Ecosystem, Environmental Stressors, Florida, Florida's Ecosystem, Fungal Diseases, Fungal Pathogen, Mica McMillan, Native Palms, Palm Quest 2026, Palm Trees, Palm Varieties, Pests, Plant Health, Soil, Sustainability, UF/IFAS Fort Lauderdale Research Education Center, Urban Environments
Demonstration of targeted application using Ecorobotix ARA Research Unit. Courtesy UF/IFAS Pawel Petelewicz

March 26: UF/IFAS 37th South Florida Turfgrass – Landscape Research and Expo Field Day set


March 5, 2026

  Turf professionals will get a first look at the future of weed control and sustainable turf when the University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences (UF/IFAS) unveils new research and pioneering technologies at the ... READ MORE

Category: Agriculture, Blog Community, Conservation, Crops, EVENTS, Lawn, Pests & Disease, SFYL Hot Topic, Turf, UF/IFAS, UF/IFAS, UF/IFAS Extension, UF/IFAS Research
Tags: Agronomy, Archive, Artificial Intelligence, Athletic Field Managers, CEU, Commercial Applicators, Field Day, Golf, Golf Course Superintendents, Integrated Weed Management, Landscape Professionals, Lawns, Marco Schiavon, Pawel Petelewicz, Pest Control Operators, Sod Producers, Truf, Turf, Turfgrass, Turfgrass Managers, UF/IFAS Fort Lauderdale Research Education Center, Weed Control, Weed Science, Weeds
photo collage of six female scientists who belong to the UF Croc Docs - a wildlife conservation lab.

Meet the UF Croc Docs: Women leading wildlife conservation in the Everglades


February 5, 2026

Highlights Women make up less than 30% of all scientists globally, a reminder of how persistent gender gaps remain in STEM fields, according to UNESCO. At the University of Florida’s Croc Docs Wildlife Research Lab , women represent ... READ MORE

Category: Blog Community, , Conservation, Invasive Species, SFYL Hot Topic, UF/IFAS, UF/IFAS, UF/IFAS Research
Tags: American Crocodile, Burmese Python, Crocodile, Drones, Everglades National Park, Florida Everglades, Fort Lauderdale Research And Education Center, Frank Mazzotti, GPS, Hawk, Innovation Tools, Innovative Solutions, Institute Of Food And Agricultural Sciences, Invasive Species, Jen Brueggen, Melissa Miller, News, Radio Tracking, Snakes, Surveys, Tegu, Telemetry, UF Croc Docs, UF/IFAS, University Of Florida, University Of Florida's Croc Docs Wildlife Research Lab, Venetia Briggs-Gonzalez, Wildlife Conservation, Wildlife Ecology And Conservation
Hands passing a dish during holiday meal. Spanish.

UF experts share easy, stress-free ways to waste less, save money, enjoy the holidays


November 20, 2025

  The holidays are all about good food, great gatherings and plenty of gratitude. It can be a time of extended budgets, overflowing trash bins and wasted leftovers. How does one plan with precision to maximize savings, guarantee ... READ MORE

Category: Blog Community, , Conservation, Fruits & Vegetables, Health & Nutrition, Home Landscapes, Horticulture, Money Matters, SFYL Hot Topic, UF/IFAS, UF/IFAS Extension, UF/IFAS Research, Work & Life
Tags: Beneficial Microorganisms, Brenda Marty-Jimenez, Budget, Compost, Cooking Temperature, Decomposition, Egg, Environmental Horticulture, Food, Food Planning, Food Poisoning, Food Safety, Grocery, Holiday Meal, Holiday Savings, Josey Pearce Keener, Leftovers, Meal, Meat, Mica McMillan, Micronutrient, Overcooking, Portions, Poultry, Savubgs, Thawing, UF IFAS Extension Broward, UF IFAS Family And Consumer Sciences, UF/IFAS, UF/IFAS Extension, UF/IFAS Extension St. Lucie County, Undercooking, University Of Florida, Usda
Dead palm tree in an open field.

Innovative tool offers palm owners, growers new line of defense against trunk rot, protecting iconic trees


November 13, 2025

Ever wonder why some palm varieties flourish while others suddenly bend at the trunk or topple over completely? From the iconic coconut palm to towering royal palms, these signature features of Florida’s landscapes are facing a silent ... READ MORE

Category: Agribusiness, Blog Community, Conservation, Crops, Home Landscapes, Horticulture, Pests & Disease, Pests & Disease, SFYL Hot Topic, UF/IFAS, UF/IFAS Research
Tags: Advancement, Biological Controls, Braham Dhillon, Canary Island Date Palms, Coconut Palm, Conservation, Date Palms, Disease, Disease Resistance, Entomology And Nematology, Fort Lauderdale Research And Education Center, Fronds, Fungicides, Germplasm Collection, Institute Of Food And Agricultural Sciences, Invasive, Leaflets, Lethal Fungus, Monica Elliott, News, Palm, Palm Landscape, Pathogens, Plant Pathology, Plant Pathology Department, Research, Resilient, Royal Palms, Thielaviopsis Trunk Rot, Trunk Rot, U.S. Department Of Agriculture Southern Sustainable Agriculture Research And Education (USDA-SSARE), UF/IFAS, University Of Florida, Usda, USDA-ARS, Wahingtonia Palms
Palm trees. Español. Palmeras debajo de un cielo despejado.

Nov. 5: UF’s palm tree team brings science, solutions to South Florida at Palm Short Course in Davie and online


October 28, 2025

Florida’s palm trees don’t just define the Sunshine State’s skylines. They are a cornerstone of the state’s environment and economy. Yet, pests, diseases and nutrient issues can make it tough to keep the many varieties healthy. To ... READ MORE

Category: Blog Community, Conservation, Crops, EVENTS, Florida-Friendly Landscaping, Pests & Disease, Pests & Disease, SFYL Hot Topic, UF/IFAS, UF/IFAS, UF/IFAS Extension, UF/IFAS Extension, UF/IFAS Research
Tags: Arborists, Conservation, Entomology And Nematology, Environmental Horticulture, Fort Lauderdale Research And Education Center, Growers, Horticultural Sciences, IFAS, Institute Of Food And Agricultural Sciences, Mica McMillan, News, Nutrients, Palm, Palm Disease, Palm Tree Short Course, Property Managers, UF/IFAS, UF/IFAS Extension, University Of Florida

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