Category: Natural Resources

Landscape with a palm tree

Are You Over-Pruning Your Palms?


March 29, 2026

The Big Misunderstanding: “Do not prune above 9 and 3 on a clock” was guidance intended as an absolute pruning limit. “Pruning to 9 and 3” as a standard was never the goal. Over time, it has been misinterpreted as the correct way ... READ MORE

Category: Agriculture, , Florida-Friendly Landscaping, Home Landscapes, Home Management, Horticulture, Lawn, Natural Resources, Pests & Disease, UF/IFAS Extension
Tags: Fertilizer, Florida Friendly, Home Landscapes, Palm, Palm Trees, Pruning
Landscape Fabric w Weeds & Yard Litter

Landscape Fabric was a Garden Mishap!


March 29, 2026

Landscape fabric is called weed barrier or garden cloth. It is a textile typically made from synthetic polypropylene or polyester. I put landscape fabric in all of the beds around my house at the recommendation of the landscape service I was ... READ MORE

Category: Agriculture, Conservation, Florida-Friendly Landscaping, Home Landscapes, Home Management, Horticulture, Lawn, Natural Resources, UF/IFAS, UF/IFAS Extension, UF/IFAS Teaching, Work & Life
Tags: Florida-Friendly Landscaping, Gardening, Landscape Fabric, Mulch, Residential Horticulture
someone dressed as a tree out in a park with a family

Agents of Discovery Goes to the Beach! South County Parks and Preserves in April and May


March 27, 2026

Agents of Discovery Goes to the Beach! This time around, Agents of Discovery will be live our first beach park to have a mission! Put on your Special Agent gear and head on down to North Jetty Park in Nokomis to explore nature like never before! ... READ MORE

Category: 4-H & Youth, Coasts & Marine, Conservation, Natural Resources, Recreation, Relationships & Family, Water, Wildlife
Tags: Agents Of Discovery, AgentsOfDiscovery, AoD, Beach, Family, Family Friendly, Gaming, Nature, Pgm_EcoNR, Youth

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
Braham Dhillon examining a plam frond at the Fort Lauderdale Research and Education Center (FLREC). Photo taken 10-02-20.

UF/IFAS FNGLA Palm Quest 2026 to unveil next generation AI drone research tools for a changing industry on April 21-22


March 26, 2026

From artificial intelligence that can diagnose palm diseases to drone technology tracking tree health from above, the Palm Quest 2026 Conference will spotlight the future of palm science when it returns to Fort Lauderdale April 21 to 22. Hosted ... READ MORE

Category: Agriculture, Blog Community, , Conservation, Crops, Events, Farm Management, Horticulture, Pests & Disease, Pests & Disease, SFYL Hot Topic, UF/IFAS, UF/IFAS Extension, UF/IFAS Research
Tags: AI, AI-driven Palm Diagnostics, Artificial Intelligence, Disease, Drones, Ecosystem, Environmental Stressors, Florida, Florida's Ecosystem, Fungal Diseases, Fungal Pathogen, Mica McMillan, Native Palms, Palm Quest 2026, Palm Trees, Palm Varieties, Pests, Plant Health, Soil, Sustainability, UF/IFAS Fort Lauderdale Research Education Center, Urban Environments

UF/IFAS FNGLA Palm Quest 2026 to unveil next generation AI drone research tools for a changing industry on April 21-22


March 26, 2026

From artificial intelligence that can diagnose palm diseases to drone technology tracking tree health from above, the Palm Quest 2026 Conference will spotlight the future of palm science when it returns to Fort Lauderdale April 21 to 22. Hosted ... READ MORE

Category: Agriculture, Blog Community, , Conservation, Crops, Events, Farm Management, Horticulture, Pests & Disease, Pests & Disease, SFYL Hot Topic, UF/IFAS, UF/IFAS Extension, UF/IFAS Research
Tags: AI, AI-driven Palm Diagnostics, Artificial Intelligence, Disease, Drones, Ecosystem, Environmental Stressors, Florida, Florida's Ecosystem, Fungal Diseases, Fungal Pathogen, Mica McMillan, Native Palms, Palm Quest 2026, Palm Trees, Palm Varieties, Pests, Plant Health, Soil, Sustainability, UF/IFAS Fort Lauderdale Research Education Center, Urban Environments
A Florida-springs fed river is center of frame with one male and one female researcher to the right wading in the knee-high water and a pedestrian raised wood bridge to the left.

Florida’s Natural Springs Janitors: Research Shows Snails Can Help Fight Algae


March 25, 2026

What are the green globs that are sometimes seen floating in or even taking over Florida’s natural springs and waterways? Those would be algae blooms and, turns out, snail grazers have a role to play.  For 20 years, waterway ... READ MORE

Category: Natural Resources, UF/IFAS Research, Water
Tags: Algae, Algae Bloom, Algal Bloom, Dina Liebowitz, Featured, Florida Waterways, Freshwater, Matt Cohen, News, Paul Donsky, School Of Forest Fisheries And Geomatics Sciences, Springs, UF-IFAS

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