Category: Wildlife

Gulf Coast Catch and Cook July: Bay Scallop

by Dr. Megan Moore
July 7, 2025

The Featured Gulf catch and cook species for July 2025 is the Bay Scallop! Catching Bay Scallops is just as fun as eating them! The whole family can participate in hunting for the scallops in nearshore coastal waters. Read on to learn how ... READ MORE

Category: Coasts & Marine, Conservation, Food Safety, Natural Resources, Recreation, UF/IFAS Extension, Water, Wildlife
Tags: Bay Scallop, Florida Sea Grant, Pasco County, Recreational Fishing, Scalloping, Tourism, UF/IFAS Pasco Extension Office

Doomscrolling and Brain Rot: Why it’s time to log off and get outside.

by Alicia Betancourt
July 7, 2025

Let’s be honest — we’ve all been there. You open your phone just to check one thing, and suddenly it's 45 minutes later, and you’ve been scrolling through a stream of disasters, drama, and depressing headlines. Sound familiar? That’s ... READ MORE

Category: , Health & Nutrition, Recreation, Relationships & Family, SFYL Hot Topic, UF/IFAS Extension, Water, Wildlife
Tags: Anxiety Relief, Beat Brain Fog, Brain Rot, Burnout Recovery, Daily Routine, Digital Detox, Digital Wellness, Doomscrolling, Emotional Wellbeing, Focus Tips, Get Outdoors, Get Outside, Healthy Habits, Intentional Living, Life Offline, Mental Clarity, Mental Health, Mindful Living, Mindfulness Matters, Nature Heals, Nature Therapy, Productivity Hacks, Screen Time, Self Care, Sunshine And Fresh Air, Tech Boundaries, Walk It Out

Growing More Than Gardens: The Transformative Journey of Master Gardener Volunteers

by Lorna Bravo
July 5, 2025

Introduction: Sowing the Seeds of Change Volunteerism holds a unique power—the ability to transform not only landscapes but lives. When people unite with a shared purpose, fueled by a passion for learning and a commitment to service, the ... READ MORE

Category: Clubs & Volunteers, Community Volunteers, Conservation, Florida-Friendly Landscaping, Home Landscapes, Horticulture, Natural Resources, Relationships & Family, UF/IFAS, UF/IFAS Extension, , Water, Wildlife, Work & Life
Tags: Broward County, Build Community, Community, Giving, Growing Food, Journey, Master Gardener Program, UF-IFAS, Volunteers

Learn to Burn: A Week at Prescribed Burn School in Old Florida

by George Laibl
July 3, 2025

  Last week, I had the chance to attend a “burn school” hosted by the Prescribed Burn Association (PBA) at Crones Cradle Conserve in Citra, Florida — and it turned out to be one of the most eye-opening experiences I’ve had in ... READ MORE

Category: Agriculture, Conservation, Farm Management, Forests, Natural Resources, Recreation, UF/IFAS, UF/IFAS Extension, UF/IFAS Teaching, Wildlife
Tags: Burn, Conservation, Control Burn, Crones Cradle Conserve, Extension, Fire, Fire Ecology, Florida, Forest, Forestry, Longleaf Pine, Natural Resources, Old Florida, Prescribe Burn, Prescribed Burn, Prescribed Burn Association, UF, UF-IFAS, UF/IFAS Extension, University Of Florida, Wildfire, Wildlife
A frog sits partially submerged in the water among duckweed.

Frogs add song to the rainy season

by Yvette Goodiel
July 2, 2025

When you think of frogs, what comes to mind? Maybe you think of the way their calls ring out when rain is on the way. You may feel squeamish about them, or you may have encountered an invasive frog that you worry will harm your family dog. Most ... READ MORE

Category: Conservation, Florida-Friendly Landscaping, Invasive Species, UF/IFAS Extension, Wildlife
Tags: Commercial Horticulture Digest, Conservation, Environment, Florida-Friendly Landscaping, Invasive Species, Martin County, UF/IFAS Extension

Florida Land Steward Update, June 30, 2025

by Chris Demers
June 30, 2025

SIGN UP OPEN FOR SEVERAL REGIONAL CONSERVATION PARTNERSHIP PROGRAMS (RCPP) Sign up by July 31, 2025 Through RCPP, the USDA Natural Resource Conservation Service (NRCS) provides financial assistance to landowners to help implement conservation ... READ MORE

Category: Conservation, Disaster Preparation, Forests, Invasive Species, Natural Resources, Recreation, SFYL Hot Topic, Water, Wildlife
Tags: Family Forest, Florida Land Steward Program, Forest Health, Hurricane Preparation, Hurricane Season, Invasive Species, Longleaf Pine, Natural Resources, Online Course, School Of Forest Fisheries And Geomatics Sciences, Tree Farm, Wildlife
Person dressed in tree costume outdoors with an adult and two children looking at them

Agents of Discovery: Special Agents Play Mission — Venice Area Audubon Rookery

by Evelyn Spencer
June 30, 2025

First Missions are Live! This month, Venice Area Audubon Rookery was transformed into Sarasota County’s first Agents of Discovery mission location! Agents of Discovery is an interactive, location-based mobile app featuring games and challenges ... READ MORE

Category: 4-H & Youth, Natural Resources, Recreation, Relationships & Family, Water, Wildlife
Tags: AgentsOfDiscovery, Ecology, Exploration, Families, Family, Health, Nature, Nature And Health, NatureAndHealth, Pgm_EcoNR, Youth

Our Passionate State Butterfly

by Donna Corbelli Castro
June 25, 2025

It's a butterfly world! Sometimes, my garden is literally bursting with butterflies.  If you feel this way too, then you may have planted many butterfly host plants.  A butterfly host plant is one which they lay their eggs on.  You must ... READ MORE

Category: Florida-Friendly Landscaping, Home Landscapes, Horticulture, UF/IFAS Extension, , Wildlife
Tags: Butterflies, Butterfly Gardening, Maypop, Newsletter, Newsletter2, Passiflora Incense, Passiflora Suberosa, Passion Vines, Pupal Mating, Zebra Longwing

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