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
"The health of soil, plant, animal and man is one and indivisible." – Sir Albert Howard, An Agricultural Testament (1940) Farmers are intrinsically tied to the soil beneath their fields. Where others see dirt, greenery, and maybe a few worms, ... READ MORE
Category: Agriculture, Conservation, Crops, Natural Resources
UF/IFAS School of Forest, Fisheries and Geomatics Sciences (SFFGS) extension staff and faculty hosted senior 4-H members on July 29 and 30 as they were taking part in the 2026 Florida 4-H Youth Development Program's 4-H University. The ... READ MORE
Category: Forests, Natural Resources, Water
Cassidy Dalton, an undergraduate student at the University of Florida studying environmental management, natural resources and agriculture, has spent her summer as an intern at the Hayslip Biological Control Research and Containment Laboratory, ... READ MORE
Category: Conservation, Invasive Species, Natural Resources, Pests & Disease, UF/IFAS Research
In Florida and elsewhere, cities are a mixture of exotic and native species. These novel or “recombinant ecosystems” represent unique plant and animal communities that have been purposely or accidentally created by humans. The question posed ... READ MORE
Category: , Florida-Friendly Landscaping, Invasive Species, Lawn, Turf, UF/IFAS Extension, Wildlife