Category: Natural Resources

Bat roosts in Florida are protected as of April 16th

by Dr. Shelly Johnson
April 9, 2026

Bats are an important part of our ecosystem in Florida, as the only major predator of night-flying insects. To ensure bats continue providing natural pest control, all bats in Florida are protected. Bat roosts are provided extra protection during ... READ MORE

Category: 4-H & Youth, Agriculture, Conservation, Home Landscapes, Natural Resources, SFYL Hot Topic, UF/IFAS, UF/IFAS Communications, UF/IFAS Extension, Wildlife, Work & Life
Tags: Bats, Chiroptera, Conservation, Exclusions, Ifas Extension, Maternity Colony, NATA, Natural Areas Training Academy, Natural Resources, Shelly Johnson, Wecdept, Wildlife, Wildlife Ecology And Conservation
purple and blue flowers growing in a wooded area

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

by Carrie Stevenson
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
Sendero peatonal del parque Welleby con árboles y bancas a lo largo de un estanque en el condado de Broward.

Study uses AI, citizen science to show perceptions of access to Broward County parks

by Lourdes Mederos
April 9, 2026

A new study from the University of Florida paired artificial intelligence and citizen science to measure whether parks in Broward County provide access and the same experiences across communities. Rather than focusing solely on where ... READ MORE

Category: Blog Community, , Conservation, Health & Nutrition, Natural Resources, Recreation, SFYL Hot Topic, UF/IFAS, UF/IFAS Extension, Water, Wildlife
Tags: AI, Artificial Intelligence, Broward County Parks And Recreation, Citiizen Science, Dog Parks, Dog-friendly Parks, Green Space, Haojie Cao, Homogeneous Neighborhoods, Jiangxiao Qiu, Kid-friendly, Lakefront Park, Make America Beaur, Make America Beautiful Again Commission’s Mission, Parks, Playgrounds, Pool, Recreational, Reviews, Splash Pads, Urban Green Space, Urban Parks, Walking Paths

Study uses AI, citizen science to show perceptions of access to Broward County parks

by Lourdes Mederos
April 9, 2026

A new study from the University of Florida paired artificial intelligence and citizen science to measure whether parks in Broward County provide access and the same experiences across communities. Rather than focusing solely on where ... READ MORE

Category: Blog Community, , Conservation, Health & Nutrition, Natural Resources, Recreation, SFYL Hot Topic, UF/IFAS, UF/IFAS Extension, Water, Wildlife
Tags: AI, Artificial Intelligence, Broward County Parks And Recreation, Citiizen Science, Dog Parks, Dog-friendly Parks, Green Space, Haojie Cao, Homogeneous Neighborhoods, Jiangxiao Qiu, Kid-friendly, Lakefront Park, Make America Beaur, Make America Beautiful Again Commission’s Mission, Parks, Playgrounds, Pool, Recreational, Reviews, Splash Pads, Urban Green Space, Urban Parks, Walking Paths
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

by Stephanie Cadaval
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
An asian swamp eel close up. Photo by USGS.

Be an invader detector: UF scientists call on public to help track elusive Asian Swamp Eels

by Lourdes Mederos
April 7, 2026

University of Florida researchers are urging South Floridians to help stop the spread of an invasive fish now secretly moving through canals, marshes and wetlands across the region’s most vulnerable environments. Visitors, residents, ... READ MORE

Category: Blog Community, , Conservation, Invasive Species, SFYL Hot Topic, UF/IFAS, UF/IFAS Extension, UF/IFAS Research, Water
Tags: 1-888-IVEGOT1, Asian Swamp Eel, Canals, Citizen Science Month, Conservation, Croc Docs, Fish, Fort Lauderdale Research And Education Center, Frank J. Mazzotti, Frank Mazzotti, Invasive Species, IVEGOT1 Mobile App, South Florida, Southeast Asia, UF/IFAS Wildlife Ecology And Conservation, USGS, Wetlands

Be an invader detector: UF scientists call on public to help track elusive Asian Swamp Eels

by Lourdes Mederos
April 7, 2026

University of Florida researchers are urging South Floridians to help stop the spread of an invasive fish now secretly moving through canals, marshes and wetlands across the region’s most vulnerable environments. Visitors, residents, ... READ MORE

Category: Blog Community, , Conservation, Invasive Species, SFYL Hot Topic, UF/IFAS, UF/IFAS Extension, UF/IFAS Research, Water
Tags: 1-888-IVEGOT1, Asian Swamp Eel, Canals, Citizen Science Month, Conservation, Croc Docs, Fish, Fort Lauderdale Research And Education Center, Frank J. Mazzotti, Frank Mazzotti, Invasive Species, IVEGOT1 Mobile App, South Florida, Southeast Asia, UF/IFAS Wildlife Ecology And Conservation, USGS, Wetlands
Primer plano de varias anguilas de pantano asiáticas húmedas y viscosas entrelazadas sobre una superficie blanca. Sus cuerpos son largos, lisos y cilíndricos, con tonalidades marrones, amarillas y verde oscuro. La cabeza de una anguila es claramente visible cerca del centro.

Conviértase en un detector de especies invasoras y ayude a los científicos de UF a localizar la esquiva anguila asiática de pantano

by Luz Bahder
April 7, 2026

Creado por Lourdes Mederos, gerente de relaciones públicas en español para el Departamento de Comunicaciones de UF/IFAS. Investigadores de University of Florida instan a los residentes del sur de Florida a colaborar para detener la propagación ... READ MORE

Category: Blog Community, Coasts & Marine, Community Volunteers, Conservation, Invasive Species, Recreation, SFYL Hot Topic, UF/IFAS, UF/IFAS Research, Water, Wildlife
Tags: 1-888-IVEGOT1, ADN Ambiental, Agua, Anguila, Anguilas Asiáticas De Pantano, Canales, Cientificos, Condado De Broward, Condado De Miami-Dade, Condado De Palm Beach, Ecología De La Vida Silvestre, Ecosistemas Del Sur De Florida, Español, Especie Invasora, Everglades, Frank Mazzotti, Humedales, Informe, Invasores, Investigación Científica, IveGot1, Marismas, Mes De La Ciencia Ciudadana, Monitorear La Propagación De La Especie, Muestreos, Observaciones, Participación, Pez, Propogacion, Reporte, Reportes Del Publico, Respirar Aire, Spanish, Sur De Florida, University Of Florida, University Of Florida Institute Of Food And Agricultural Sciences, Www.IVEGOT1.org

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