Category: Conservation

Create a Buggy Yard!

by Maria Quirico
August 4, 2025

Insect populations are on the decline. This is a serious problem because insects are a primary source of food for any ecosystem. Birds, reptiles, and small mammals rely on insects as a major part of their diet. There are TEN simple things ... READ MORE

Category: Agriculture, Conservation, Florida-Friendly Landscaping, Fruits & Vegetables, Home Landscapes, Horticulture, Invasive Species, Lawn, Natural Resources, Pests & Disease, Pests & Disease, Turf, UF/IFAS, UF/IFAS Extension, UF/IFAS Teaching, Water, Wildlife
From left to right: aphid parasitoid wasp, whitefly parasitoid wasp larva, caterpillar parasitoid, predatory mite. Photo credits: caitlin Sollazzo

The Beneficial Insects You Don’t See

by Caitlin Sollazzo
August 4, 2025

When we talk about insect conservation, the conversation usually centers on “saving the bees.” But this often overlooks an entire world of tiny, unseen creatures that are just as vital to our ecosystems. These small, often overlooked arthropods, ... READ MORE

Category: Agriculture, , Conservation, Florida-Friendly Landscaping, Horticulture, Pests & Disease, Pests & Disease, UF/IFAS, UF/IFAS Extension
Tags: Conservation, Florida Friendly Landscape, Gardening, Horticulture, Insects, Manatee County Extension, Microscopic
A green, leafy pile of freshly washed purslane stems.

Purslane in the Garden

by Yvonne Florian
August 1, 2025

Summer vegetable-garden weeds can be a problem for gardeners.  It's too hot to check weed growth every afternoon.  And we really only have a few vegetable plants which will survive the heat of a Florida summer.  Deciding to let the garden ... READ MORE

Category: Agriculture, Conservation, Florida-Friendly Landscaping, Food Safety, Fruits & Vegetables, Home Landscapes, Home Management, Horticulture, Lawn
Tags: Eat The Weeds, Edible, Florida Foraging, Foraging, Free Vegetables, Nutrition, Pickling, Purslane, Weed Identification, Weeds, Wild Edibles

¡Ayuda a combatir la enredadera invasora “papa voladora” en el condado de St. Lucie!

by Sara MacDonald
July 31, 2025

Ya llegó esa época del año en que la papa voladora comienza a brotar, y muchas personas se preguntan: ¿cómo podemos deshacernos de ella? ¿Qué es la papa voladora? La papa voladora (Dioscorea bulbifera) es una planta trepadora invasora ... READ MORE

Category: Conservation, Florida-Friendly Landscaping, Home Landscapes, Horticulture, Invasive Species, Natural Resources, Pests & Disease, Pests & Disease, UF/IFAS Extension
Tags: Air Potato, Air Potato Leaf Beetle, Especies Invasoras, Florida Friendly Landscape, Integrated Pest Management, Manejo Integrado De Plagas, MIP
Honey bee collecting pollen on a purple and yellow flower

Científico ciudadano: Únase al conteo de polinizadores y ayude a las abejas

by Luz Bahder
July 31, 2025

Creado por Brad Buck, especialista sénior en relaciones públicas para UF/IFAS.  Aproximadamente el 70% de la producción agrícola mundial depende de insectos polinizadores para sobrevivir. Por eso, es útil saber cuántos polinizadores ... READ MORE

Category: Community Volunteers, Conservation, Events, Florida-Friendly Landscaping, Home Landscapes, Natural Resources, UF/IFAS, UF/IFAS Extension
Tags: Abejas, Abejas Meliferas, Abejas Pequeñas, Abejorros, Agentes De Extension, Alabama, Avispas, Broward, Broward County, Carolina Del Norte, Censo, Censo De Polinizadores, Ciencia Ciudadana, Conservacion, Contar, Contenido De Betacaroteno, Conteo, Conteos, Entomologia, Español, Evento Regional, Florida, Georgia, Hábitat Sostenible, Inaturalist, INaturalist App, Insectos, Jardín, Jardineros, Jeremy Rhoden, Lorna Bravo, Marion, Marion County Extension, Mariposas, Moscas, Naturalistas, Observaciones, Patio, Polillas, Polinizadores, Polinizar, Spanish, UF-IFAS, Voluntarios
a view of kids playing on synthetic turf

Scorching temps from California turf raises questions about artificial turf, xeriscaping in humid states like Florida

by Lourdes Mederos
July 30, 2025

While artificial turf and rock-heavy xeriscapes are marketed as low-maintenance, drought-resistant alternatives to traditional lawns, research by University of Florida scientists shows it comes at unexpected environmental and public safety ... READ MORE

Category: Conservation, Crops, Florida-Friendly Landscaping, Home Landscapes, Lawn, SFYL Hot Topic, Turf, UF/IFAS, UF/IFAS Extension, UF/IFAS Research
Tags: Artificial Turf, Drought, Drought-resistant, Enrvironmental Horticulture, Environmental Costs, Florida Law, Florida-Friendly Landscaping, Fort Lauderdale Research And Education Center, Heat, Institute Of Food And Agricultural Sciences, Marco Schiavon, Natural Turf, News, Public Safety, Rock-heavy Xeriscape, Surface Temperatures, Synthetic Turf, Traditional Lawns, Turfgrass Science, UF-IFAS, University Of Florida, Weeds
A close up of someone at a computer in a greenhouse.

August 7: Free workshop helps farmers, ranchers master financial planning, from balance sheets to USDA loans

by Lourdes Mederos
July 29, 2025

Running a successful farm or ranch takes more than just hard work — it takes smart financial planning. From managing taxes to applying for federal loan programs, today’s agribusiness operators must be well-versed in a range of budgetary ... READ MORE

Category: Agribusiness, Agriculture, Conservation, Crops, Farm Management, Horticulture, Livestock, SFYL Hot Topic, UF/IFAS, UF/IFAS Research
Tags: Agribusiness, Agricultural Finance, Business Plan, Farm Service Agency, Food And Resource Economics, FSA, Institute Of Food And Agricultural Sciences, News, Ranchers, Tax And Asset Protection, Tax Management, Texas A&M, Tropical Research & Education Center, U.S. Department Of Agriculture Southern Sustainable Agriculture Research And Education (USDA-SSARE), UF-IFAS, UF/IFAS Extension Miami-Dade County, University Of Florida, USDA Loans

Celebrating 20 Years of Sustainable Communities Workshop

by Michelle Marinangel
July 28, 2025

For 20 years, the annual Sustainable Communities Workshop (SCW) has been a day of learning and community-building, a source of inspiration for local community members with an interest in sustainability. The theme for this milestone year is “Then, ... READ MORE

Category: Conservation, UF/IFAS Extension, Work & Life
Tags: Community, Environment, Events, Local, Pgm_Sustain, Sustainabiility, UF/IFAS Extension Sarasota County

Florida Land Steward Update, July 28, 2025

by Chris Demers
July 28, 2025

THANKS TO THOSE JOINING US LAST WEEK FOR OUR FLORIDA LAND STEWARD WEBINAR ON PINE BEETLE RESPONSE FOLLOWING HURRICANES, RECORDING NOW AVAILABLE Florida Forest Service State Forest Entomologist, Jeff Eickwort discussed the pine bark beetles ... READ MORE

Category: Conservation, Disaster Preparation, Forests, Invasive Species, Natural Resources, Recreation, SFYL Hot Topic, Water, Wildlife
Tags: Family Forest, Florida Land Steward Program, Florida Panther, Forest Health, Forest Management, Hurricane Preparation, Hurricane Recovery, Hurricane Season, Invasive Species, Longleaf Pine, Natural Resources, Online Course, School Of Forest Fisheries And Geomatics Sciences, Southern Pine Beetle, Tree Farm, Wildlife

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