Bugs are an incredibly important part of the environment. Many pollinate plants, including fruits like berries and melons, help make the soil healthier by breaking down leaves, wood, and other organic matter, serve as food for wildlife like ... READ MORE
Category: Conservation, Florida-Friendly Landscaping, UF/IFAS Extension, Wildlife, Work & Life
So the search begins... This week, I got the opportunity to participate in my very first python survey and potential removal! This started due to a potential sighting within a preserve so we were tasked with trying to confirm this identification ... READ MORE
Category: Conservation, Invasive Species, Natural Resources, Wildlife
SUMMER-FALL 2026 ISSUE OF QUARTERLY FLORIDA LAND STEWARD NEWSLETTER NOW AVAILABLE In this issue: Need Equipment or Herbicides? Check out the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission's Private Lands Tool Cache, Hurricane Season is Here. ... READ MORE
Category: Conservation, Disaster Preparation, Forests, Invasive Species, Natural Resources, Recreation, SFYL Hot Topic, Water, Wildlife
It can be missed sometimes, considering the attention the Austin Cary Forest receives, but the Natural Area Teaching Laboratory (NATL) is one of UF’s hidden treasures. Organizers of the recent Urban Forestry Summit in Gainesville made ... READ MORE
Category: Forests, Invasive Species, Natural Resources, UF/IFAS
Last week in the middle of that brutal stretch of extreme heat (temperatures in the upper 90’s, heat indexes reading 108-118), I walked out in our office garden to stretch my legs. An overhead irrigation sprayer was on for the parched ... READ MORE
Category: Conservation, Natural Resources, Wildlife
You carefully select plants to create a beautiful landscape, provide wildlife habitat, and increase your home's curb appeal. But hidden among those desirable plants may be an uninvited guest, an invasive plant that quietly establishes itself, ... READ MORE
Category: Florida-Friendly Landscaping, Home Landscapes, Invasive Species, Natural Resources, Pests & Disease
Rainfall Historically in Florida, July is one of the wettest months of the year, but it was not in 2026. The map to the left above shows NOAA's estimated rainfall from July in Florida. There were areas shaded in fuchsia that received ... READ MORE
Category: Agriculture, Water
By Dr. Hance Ellington, UF/IFAS Range Cattle Research and Education Center, Ona Few animals generate as much conversation around the ranch as the coyote. Coyotes are nearly everywhere in Florida now — they reached the Panhandle in the late ... READ MORE
Category: Livestock, UF/IFAS Research, Wildlife
Many of us have memories of warm summer nights watching fireflies. Some of us might have even chased and caught a few to put in mason jars for observation, fascinated by their glowing abdomens. Floridians actually have the best chance ... READ MORE
Category: Conservation, Florida-Friendly Landscaping, Home Landscapes, Lawn, Natural Resources, Wildlife
Since 1986 the University of Florida IFAS LAKEWATCH program has used citizen scientists to monitor nutrients in Florida’s lakes and estuaries. Monitoring has been going on in the Pensacola Bay area since 2002. Water samples are collected ... READ MORE
Category: Water