Category: Forests

purple and blue flowers growing in a wooded area

Weekly “What is it?”: Discovering New Species (Sewanee Purple Phacelia)


April 9, 2026

Growing up a fan of Indiana Jones, the swashbuckling adventures of searching for archaeological treasures were embedded deeply into my youthful psyche. As a teenager, I would lose myself in National Geographic stories and photography, captivated ... READ MORE

Category: Conservation, Forests, Natural Resources
Tags: Flowers, Habitat Conservation, Hiking, Native Plants, Species, Weekly What Is It
Upward view of a tagged Quest Tree trunk and canopy on the University of Florida campus, showing a Gainesville TreeQuest sign highlighting estimated lifetime benefits of the tree.

Tree Quest: Exploring Gainesville’s Urban Trees and Finding Opportunities for Fun, Learning, and Connection


April 8, 2026

Gainesville’s inaugural TreeQuest brought out over 90 individuals and groups to participate in a local tree scavenger hunt. The event took place in three public parks and the University of Florida’s main campus, with participants ... READ MORE

Category: Conservation, Events, Forests, Natural Resources, Recreation, UF/IFAS Extension
Tags: Community Engagement, Community Trees, Urban Forestry, Urban Forestry Extension
Florida with magnifying glass and insect

April 2026 First Friday with Florida First Detector


April 6, 2026

Recap of April 2026 First Friday with Florida First Detector This month, we explored several invasive pests that threaten pine forests. Florida has roughly 17 million acres of forestland, with a large portion dominated by pine species. Our ... READ MORE

Category: Agriculture, Conservation, Crops, Farm Management, Florida-Friendly Landscaping, Forests, Home Landscapes, Horticulture, Invasive Species, Livestock, Natural Resources, Pests & Disease, Pests & Disease, Professional Development, UF/IFAS Extension
Tags: Disease, Early Detection, Eradication, FFD25-26, FloridaFirstDetector, Forest, Pests, Pines, SeminoleCountyAg

April 2026 First Friday with Florida First Detector


April 6, 2026

Recap of April 2026 First Friday with Florida First Detector This month, we explored several invasive pests that threaten pine forests. Florida has roughly 17 million acres of forestland, with a large portion dominated by pine species. Our ... READ MORE

Category: Agriculture, Conservation, Crops, Farm Management, Florida-Friendly Landscaping, Forests, Home Landscapes, Horticulture, Invasive Species, Livestock, Natural Resources, Pests & Disease, Pests & Disease, Professional Development, UF/IFAS Extension
Tags: Disease, Early Detection, Eradication, FFD25-26, FloridaFirstDetector, Forest, Pests, Pines, SeminoleCountyAg

Florida Land Steward Update, April 3, 2026


April 3, 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, Water, Wildlife
Tags: Family Forest, Florida Land Steward Program, Forest Health, Forest Management, Hurricane Recovery, Landowner Assistance, Longleaf Pine, Natural Resources, Online Course, School Of Forest Fisheries And Geomatics Sciences, Tax Tips, Tree Farm
a small blue Northern parula bird huddled on the ground

Weekly “What is it?”: Northern Parula


April 2, 2026

A few weeks back, fellow Extension Agent Thomas Derbes and I were leading a field trip for local high school biology students. We were at Big Lagoon State Park, located along the coast near Perdido Key and truly one of my favorite places ... READ MORE

Category: Conservation, Forests, Natural Resources
Tags: Backyard Habitats, Birds, Gulf Of Mexico, Habitat Conservation, Hiking, Panhandle Outdoors, Weekly What Is It, Wildlife
NATA logo in front of boardwalk

Natural Areas Training Academy 2025 Report


March 30, 2026

We are excited to announce that our 2025 Annual Report is officially live on the Natural Areas Training Academy website! We will discuss some highlights below, but be sure to check out the full report, especially for specific information on ... READ MORE

Category: Conservation, Forests, Invasive Species, Natural Resources, Professional Development, Recreation, UF/IFAS, UF/IFAS Extension, Water, Wildlife
Tags: NATA, Natural Areas Training Academy, Shelly Johnson, UF/IFAS Extension

Florida Land Steward Update, March 27, 2026


March 27, 2026

MARCH  26 FLORIDA LAND STEWARD TOUR AT YOUNG FAMILY FARM A SUCCESS Thanks everyone who joined us yesterday for the tour at Young Family Farm in Putnam County. Cory Young and the event team shared a great deal of land management experiences ... READ MORE

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

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