Category: Wildlife

Gopher tortoise

Who’s that critter? UF/IFAS wildlife series spotlights Florida’s native gopher tortoises


August 13, 2025

Boasting more than 80 distinct ecosystems, Florida is a biodiversity hot spot. In fact,  more than 4,000 animal species are native to the Sunshine State. (more…) READ MORE

Category: Conservation, UF/IFAS Extension, Wildlife
Tags: Animal, Burrow, Conservation, Critter, Environment, Extension Pinellas County, Florida Sea Grant, Gopher Tortoise, Habitat, IFAS, Institute Of Food And Agricultural Sciences, Katie Mastenbrook, Keystone Species, Megan Winslow, Threatened, UF, UF-IFAS, University Of Florida, Weedon Island Preserve, Who's That Critter?, Wildlife
Butterflies on a shrub.

Grow Your Green Expertise with the Florida-Friendly Landscaping™ Professional Certification


August 12, 2025

Florida’s landscapes are more than just beautiful; they’re vital to protecting our water, supporting wildlife, and maintaining our state’s natural charm. But keeping them thriving requires more than a good eye for plants. It takes science-based, ... READ MORE

Category: , Conservation, Florida-Friendly Landscaping, Home Landscapes, Lawn, Natural Resources, Pests & Disease, Pests & Disease, UF/IFAS Extension, Wildlife
Tags: Florida Friendly Landscape, Native Plants Florida, Pollinator Friendly, UF/IFAS Extension, Water Conservation Landscaping

Florida Land Steward Update, August 8, 2025


August 8, 2025

GROWING SEASON PRESCRIBED FIRE Over the last couple weeks conditions have been favorable for getting some growing season burning done at the University of Florida’s Austin Cary Forest near Gainesville, FL. See our Facebook page to find ... READ MORE

Category: Conservation, Disaster Preparation, Forests, Invasive Species, Natural Resources, Recreation, SFYL Hot Topic, Water, Wildlife
Tags: Austin Cary Forest, Family Forest, Florida Land Steward Program, Florida Panther, Hurricane Preparation, Hurricane Season, Invasive Species, Longleaf Pine, Natural Resources, Online Course, Prescribed Fires, School Of Forest Fisheries And Geomatics Sciences, Tree Farm, Wildlife
Blue UF/IFAS sign with green shrubs in front

Urban Wildlife Corridors


August 6, 2025

An important and growing landscaping trend is gardening for wildlife. This important conservation effort can help our native small wildlife populations with plants that attract and support a wide variety of our native species, especially birds, ... READ MORE

Category: Florida-Friendly Landscaping, Home Landscapes, Wildlife
Tags: Anne Yasalonis, Ayasalonis, Central Florida, Florida Native, Florida-Friendly Landscaping, Flowers, Gardening, Hurricane Preparedness, Master Gardener, Master Gardener Volunteer, Native Plant Month, Native Plants, Polk County, Polkgardening, Pollinator Plants, UF-IFAS, UF/IFAS Polk County, Your Central Florida Yard Podcast

Career Paths Around the Tree of Life


August 6, 2025

Agriculture literally is the tree of life for everyone on the planet.  Without agriculture, we could not support the population as it exists now.  In fact, it was agriculture that enabled many countries to establish.  Previously in history, ... READ MORE

Category: 4-H & Youth, Agriculture, Conservation, Florida-Friendly Landscaping, Forests, Home Landscapes, Horticulture, Natural Resources, Professional Development, Turf, UF/IFAS Extension, , Wildlife
Tags: Agriculture, Arboriculture, Careers, Certifications, Ecology, Green Industry, Horticulture
turtles on a branch, on a lakeshore

Are There Snakes in Our Lakes? Here’s What UF/IFAS Experts Say


August 6, 2025

You may have seen media reports about the various snakes found in Florida’s water bodies. This may be overwhelming or even scary to consider. However, while it’s not unusual to see a snake near water, University of Florida Institute of Food ... READ MORE

Category: Conservation, Natural Resources, Water, Wildlife
Tags: Living With Wildlife, Naturally Florida Podcast, Shannon Carnevale, UF/IFAS Extension Internship, Wildlife

NCBS Intern Report: USFWS Crystal River National Wildlife Refuge


August 6, 2025

Written by Julia Fischman, 2025 undergraduate summer intern hosted by Alex Arrow and Emily Jung of the USFWS Crystal River National Wildlife Refuge (CRNWR) This summer, I had the incredible opportunity to work with and learn from the U.S. ... READ MORE

Category: Coasts & Marine, Natural Resources, UF/IFAS Research, , Water, Wildlife
Tags: Birds, Crystal River, Manatee, NCBS Interns, Recreation, Springs, USFWS, Water Quality
photo of candles and other insect repelling plants

Florida experts break down the buzz on the myth of mosquito-repelling plants


August 6, 2025

As we enter the heart of Florida’s summer in July and August, we’re at the peak of both rainy season and mosquito season, with daily downpours creating ideal breeding grounds for mosquitoes across the state. If you’ve ever wondered ... READ MORE

Category: , Florida-Friendly Landscaping, Home Landscapes, Home Management, Horticulture, Pests & Disease, Pests & Disease, SFYL Hot Topic, UF/IFAS, UF/IFAS Extension, UF/IFAS Research, Wildlife
Tags: Basil, Beach Sunflowers, Beneficial Wildlife, Birds, Candles, Citronella, Dragonflies, Entomology And Nematology, Environmental Horticulture, Eucalyptus, Eva Buckner, Florida Medical Entomology Laboratory, Florida-Friendly Landscaping, Horticultural Sciences, Insects, Jennifer Pelham, Ladybugs, Lavender, Liah Continentino, Marigolds, Mint, Mosquito, Mosquito Control, Mosquito Season, Natural Predators, News, Rain, UF-IFAS, UF/IFAS Extension Broward County, UF/IFAS Extension Monroe County, University Of Florida

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