Category: Natural Resources

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

by Katherine Clements
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

by Chris Demers
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

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

by Lourdes Mederos
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

by Lourdes Mederos
March 26, 2026

Recycling in St. Lucie County

by Bridget Gerovac
March 25, 2026

Refuse, Reduce, Reuse, and Recycle These 4 R's are an important part of protecting our environment. You should first try to refuse any single use items. Followed by reducing the amount of single use items. You could also get creative and reuse them- ... READ MORE

Category: Conservation, Natural Resources, UF/IFAS Extension

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

by Jamie Groh
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

Why Phase II Water Shortage Matters—and What You Should Do

by Sedi Samiee
March 25, 2026

Water is something we often don’t think about—until there isn’t enough. In Florida, especially in our area, water shortages can happen when rainfall is low, groundwater levels drop, and demand increases. That’s when the St. Johns River ... READ MORE

Category: Conservation

Facilitating Growing Connections: UF/IFAS signs MoUs with University of Samarkand and Konya Technical University

by Marissa Cassaway
March 25, 2026

Agricultural Education and Communication (AEC) PhD student Rock Aboujaoude Jr. set out to identify and build institutional connections that could expand opportunities for real- world impact in Central Asia. As a result, conversations with university ... READ MORE

Category: Agriculture, Natural Resources, UF/IFAS
Tags: Agricultural Education And Communication, Agricultural Systems, Climate Resilience, Collaboration, Institutional Partnerships

Letting plants grow naturally helps pollinators

by Sara MacDonald
March 24, 2026

In a residential landscape in Florida, a simple change in how shrubs are trimmed is improving plant health and helping pollinators like bees. Many ornamental shrubs, including Indian hawthorn (Rhaphiolepis spp.), were previously trimmed into ... READ MORE

Category: Agriculture, Conservation, Florida-Friendly Landscaping, Home Landscapes, Horticulture, Recreation, UF/IFAS Extension, Wildlife
Tags: UF/IFAS Extension St. Lucie County

On the edge of a breakthrough: UF/IFAS breeding disease-resistant lettuce for U.S. farms, kitchens

by Lourdes Mederos
March 24, 2026

University of Florida scientists are closer to a breakthrough that could safeguard the nation’s lettuce supply. Backed by a $500,000 federal grant, the team is working to develop disease-resistant lettuce varieties built to withstand ... READ MORE

Category: Agriculture, Blog Community, , Conservation, Crops, Fruits & Vegetables, Invasive Species, Pests & Disease, Pests & Disease, SFYL Hot Topic, UF/IFAS, UF/IFAS Extension, UF/IFAS Research
Tags: Arizona, Bacterial Leaf Spot, Breeding, California, Cercospora Leaf Spot, Climates, Consumers, Crop, Cultivars, Economic Engine, Economy, Everglades Research And Education Center, Florida, Florida Economy, Freshness, German Sandoya, Harvest, Iceberg, Institute Of Food And Agricultural Sciences, Leaf Lettuce, Lettuce, Lettuce Breeding, Lettuce Breeding Program, Market Demands, National Institute Of Food And Agriculture, News, Postharvest, Production, Public, Resistence, Romaine, Sandy Soils, Storage, Texture, Transportation, U.S. Department Of Agriculture, U.S. Department Of Agriculture National Institute Of Food And Agriculture, UF-IFAS, UF/IFAS Plant Breeding, USDA-NIFA, Varieties

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