Category: Conservation

UF/IFAS study: Drones, AI help farmers save money, protect the environment

by Lourdes Mederos
May 21, 2025

A new University of Florida study shows how drones can do more than just take aerial pictures and videos—they can help farmers grow better hemp by seeing the health of their crops with some artificial intelligence assistance. Researchers ... READ MORE

Category: Agriculture, , Conservation, Crops, Farm Management, Horticulture, SFYL Hot Topic, UF/IFAS, UF/IFAS Research
Tags: Agriculture, Agroecology, AI, Artificial Intelligence, Canopy, Crops, Dollar Drone Company, Drone, Fertilization, Fertilizer, Flower Production, Hemp, Hemp Canopy, Hemp Research, Nitrogen, Nutrients, Plant Health, Reflectance, Tropical Research And Education Center, Zachary Brym

Learn About Composting Day is May 29: UF/IFAS experts available to provide insights into best practices

by Lourdes Mederos
May 20, 2025

As cities across the nation increasingly embrace composting as a sustainable solution to food waste, the University of Florida's Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences (UF/IFAS) is proud to offer access to leading experts in the field. ... READ MORE

Category: Conservation, Events, Natural Resources, UF/IFAS, UF/IFAS Extension
Tags: Broward County, Calvin Gardner, Carrie Stevenson, Compost, Compost Consortium, Compost Experts, Compost Industry, Compostable, Composting, Conservation, Dave Hébert, Environmental Hazards, Escambia County, Florida Compost Council, Food, Food Waste, Fort Lauderdale Research And Education Center, Health, Landfill, Learn About Composting Day, Methane Emissions, Mica McMillan, Nassau County, Orange County, Randall Penn, Sarasota County, Sustainability, Sustainable Solutions, UF-IFAS, UF/IFAS Extension, Vermicompost, Vermicomposting

Meet Bob Frank: A Florida Master Naturalist Program Success Story

by Katherine Clements
May 20, 2025

Blog co-authored by Mary Ellen Boelhower, Florida Master Naturalist Program (FMNP) graduate Meet Bob Frank, Conservation Ambassador Amateur photographer Bob Frank spent his career as a college professor in Ohio before retiring to Florida ... READ MORE

Category: Community Volunteers, Conservation, Natural Resources, Professional Development, UF/IFAS Extension, Wildlife, Work & Life
Tags: Conservation, Course, Ecology, Florida Master Naturalist Program, FMNP, Fmnp-in-srq, Learn, Nature, Pgm_EcoNR, Wildlife

Composting is officially on the map in Deerfield Beach; UF/IFAS is leading the charge for a statewide model

by Lourdes Mederos
May 19, 2025

Sandwiched between International Compost Week in early May and National Composting Day on May 29, a new initiative with the University of Florida is taking shape as cities across the nation embrace composting as a sustainable solution to ... READ MORE

Category: , Conservation, Fruits & Vegetables, SFYL Hot Topic, UF/IFAS
Tags: City Of Deerfield Beach, Compost, Compost College, Compost Industry, Filthy Organics, Fort Lauderdale Research And Education Center, Institute Of Food And Agricultural Sciences, International Composting Week, Landfills, Lourdes Mederos, Market Viability, May 29, Methane Emissions, Mica McMillan, Micro-composter, National Composting Day, News, Organic Waste, Organics Recycling Foundation, Sustainable Alternatives, U.S. Department Of Agriculture, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, UF-IFAS, USDA, USDA Composting And Food Waste Reduction Program
Garrett Beach and Tyler Pittman

Automating irrigation of Suwannee Valley crop saved more than 164 million gallons of water in 2024

by Megan Winslow
May 19, 2025

May is peak watermelon season in North Florida, and farmers are busy tending to their crops as they anticipate harvesting around Memorial Day. Rather than painstakingly twisting water valves, however, an ever-growing number are relying on automated ... READ MORE

Category: Agriculture, Conservation, Crops, Farm Management, UF/IFAS Extension, Water
Tags: FDACS, Florida Department Of Agriculture And Consumer Services, Gilchrist County, IFAS, Institute Of Food And Agricultural Sciences, Irrigation, Office Of Agricultural Water Policy, Suwannee County, Suwannee River Water Management District, SV Ag Update, Tyler Pittman, UF, UF-IFAS, University Of Florida, Watermelon

Florida Land Steward Update, May 16, 2025

by Chris Demers
May 16, 2025

NATIONAL ENDANGERED SPECIES DAY, MAY 16 Every year the third Friday in May marks Endangered Species Day. Designated by the U.S. Congress in 2006, this day spotlights and advances conservation efforts for endangered (and threatened) species ... READ MORE

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

Beloved ancient oak felled by Hurricane Helene to be honored through sprouts planted on UF campus

by Megan Winslow
May 13, 2025

As much as Norman Hall’s red bricks and gothic arches, the massive live oak tree in the courtyard was a defining feature of the University of Florida College of Education. Hurricane Helene toppled the tree in September, but it will live ... READ MORE

Category: Conservation, Forests, UF/IFAS
Tags: Campaign, College Of Education, Courtyard, Design, Finding Touchstones, Fundraiser, Gage LaPierre, Glenn Good, Hurricane, Hurricane Helene, IFAS, Institute Of Food And Agricultural Sciences, Live Oak, Megan Winslow, Michael Andreu, Norman Hall, P.K. Yonge Laboratory School, Revival, School Of Forestry Fisheries And Geomatics Sciences, SFFGS, Tree, UF, UF-IFAS, UF/IFAS Native Plant Nursery, University Of Florida

Know Your Beef – The Myths of Meatless Mondays

by Bridget Stice
May 12, 2025

Every Monday, some groups urge Americans to skip meat in the name of “helping the planet.” But here’s the truth: U.S. beef production is NOT the environmental problem it’s often made out to be. These campaigns rely on global averages ... READ MORE

Category: Agribusiness, Agriculture, Conservation, Crops, Farm Management, Livestock, Natural Resources, Pests & Disease, SFYL Hot Topic, Turf, UF/IFAS, UF/IFAS Extension, UF/IFAS Research, Water, Wildlife
Tags: Agriculture, Beef, Bstice, Featured, Livestock, Polk County, Sustainability

Florida Land Steward Update, May 9, 2025

by Chris Demers
May 9, 2025

MAY IS AMERICAN WETLANDS MONTH American Wetlands Month celebrates the vital importance of wetlands to our Nation’s ecological, economic, and social health. Wetlands are critical natural infrastructure that improve water quality and supply, ... READ MORE

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

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