May 16th is National Endangered Species Day. It is important to raise awareness of some of the most critically endangered species that call the Florida Keys home. The Florida Keys are known for their breathtaking coral reefs, diverse marine ... READ MORE
Category: , Conservation, Natural Resources, Wildlife
Coreopsis flowers are like sunshine on a stem. Their bright, festive yellow petals look up to the sun and are especially striking when planted en masse. Our Master Gardeners have planted and tended a garden of these cheerful asters at the ... READ MORE
Category: Conservation, Florida-Friendly Landscaping, Natural Resources
In the late spring when it starts to get hot and dry in Central Florida you may notice some plants wilting and others thriving. This is a good time to consider remove plants that are not well suited for your landscape and replace with drought ... READ MORE
Category: , Conservation, Florida-Friendly Landscaping, Home Landscapes, Horticulture, Lawn, Natural Resources, UF/IFAS Extension, Wildlife
Aren't plants amazing? They add beauty to any setting, bring joy to those around them, help to clean our air, and can provide a great meal! Did you know that they have a lot in common with oysters as well! Oysters are amazing animals that ... READ MORE
Category: Coasts & Marine, Community Volunteers, Conservation, Home Landscapes, Natural Resources, Recreation, UF/IFAS Extension, Water, Wildlife
Recap of May 2025 First Friday with Florida First Detector In May, we continued our talks about wood-boring insects. This time, we focused on bark beetles. These are small beetles in the insect family called Curculionidae. Some bark beetles ... READ MORE
Category: Agriculture, Conservation, Crops, Farm Management, Forests, Home Landscapes, Horticulture, Invasive Species, Livestock, Natural Resources, Pests & Disease, UF/IFAS Extension,
During the Eyes on Seagrass Blitz, one of the questions we ask is "Is there macroalgae present?" But what is macroalgae, and how can I tell it apart from seagrass? What is the difference between seagrass and algae? Seagrass is ... READ MORE
Category: Coasts & Marine, Conservation, Natural Resources, Recreation, UF/IFAS Extension, Water
THANKS EVERYONE WHO JOINED US FOR THE MENDOZA’S FLORIDA LAND STEWARD OF THE YEAR TOUR ON APRIL 25 Over 50 landowners, foresters, resource professionals, conservationists, and agricultural producers joined us last Friday for a tour of Rebecca ... READ MORE
Category: Conservation, Forests, Invasive Species, Natural Resources, Recreation, SFYL Hot Topic, Water, Wildlife
In 1950, two brothers were out harvesting peat in the marshes near their homes in Denmark. The water was low, and they saw what looked like the outline of a human body whose skin was perfectly intact. Alarmed, they quickly notified the authorities ... READ MORE
Category: Conservation, Natural Resources, Water, Wildlife![assorted microplastics shown resting on two fingertips, with a pile of microplastics in the background. [credit: uf/ifas, tyler jones]](https://blogs.ifas.ufl.edu/sarasotaco/wp-content/blogs.dir/40/files/2025/02/2017_Waste_microplasticCloseupFingers01_ifasTylerJonesCROP1650x470TINY.png)
We have all heard the mantra: Reduce, Reuse, and Recycle. We know plastic isn't natural and doesn't decompose. After all, you can’t compost plastic, right? You’ve probably seen those heart-wrenching images of straws in sea turtles' noses ... READ MORE
Category: Coasts & Marine, Conservation, Water
Did you know? The water you use to irrigate your lawn could be reclaimed water—water recycled from wastewater! Sounds odd? Maybe. But it is one of Florida’s best tools for protecting our freshwater supply. 1. What is “Reclaiming Water”? The ... READ MORE
Category: Conservation, Florida-Friendly Landscaping, Lawn, UF/IFAS Extension, Water