Category: SFYL Hot Topic

Dr. Jorge E. Pena, professor of entomology and nematology and PhD. student Daniel Carrillo, UF's Tropical Research and Education Center, Homestead, FL evaluating infestations of the red palm mite. 2010 Annual Research Report Photo.

UF launches initiative to support rapid-response research when invasive pests threaten Florida agriculture


September 14, 2026

When a new invasive pest or plant disease appears, scientists have a small window of opportunity to address the threat before it spreads and becomes a much larger problem, potentially devastating Florida's agriculture, nursery industries, natural ... READ MORE

Category: Agriculture, Blog Community, Crops, Events, Fruits & Vegetables, Horticulture, Invasive Species, Natural Resources, Pests & Disease, Pests & Disease, SFYL Hot Topic, UF/IFAS
Tags: Agriculture, Challenge 250, Horticulture, Invasive Species, Nursery, One Night In The Tropics, Rapid-response, Safeguard Ecosystems
fox squirrel perched in on a pine tree branch

Florida Land Steward Update, September 11, 2026


September 11, 2026

  APPLY FOR THE SOUTHERN PINE BEETLE ASSISTANCE AND PREVENTION PROGRAM Apply by October 9, 2026 Applications are now being accepted for the 2026 Southern Pine Beetle Assistance and Prevention Program through October 9. The program ... READ MORE

Category: Conservation, Disaster Preparation, Forests, Invasive Species, Natural Resources, Recreation, SFYL Hot Topic, Water, Wildlife
Tags: Cogongrass, Drought, Florida Land Steward Program, Forest Landowner Academy, Hurricane Preparation, Hurricane Recovery, Hurricane Season, Landowner Assistance, Loblolly Pine, NRCS, School Of Forest Fisheries And Geomatics Sciences, Southeast Silviculture Library, Southern Pine Beetle, Tree Farm
Gloved hands labeling petri dishes. UF/IFAS photo by Tyler Jones

Are food recalls becoming more common? UF food expert puts recalls into perspective


September 10, 2026

Recent recalls involving eggs and salmonella-linked jalapeños, along with investigations into cyclospora and other produce-related illnesses have fueled concerns by consumers that food recalls are becoming more frequent. While the steady ... READ MORE

Category: Blog Community, Food Safety, SFYL Hot Topic, UF/IFAS, UF/IFAS Extension, UF/IFAS Research
Tags: Cyclospora, Food Recalls, Food Safety, Food Supply, Foodborne Pathogens, Keith Schneider, News, Outbreak, Salmonella
11. The margined calligrapher (Toxomerus marginatus) did not shift its activity timing in relation to human modification. 12. Photo Credit – Corey T. Callaghan

Pollinators keep a later calendar in human-modified landscapes — A UF study explains the phenomenon


September 9, 2026

Human development may be changing more than where pollinators live — it may also be changing when they are active. University of Florida researchers at the Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences (UF/IFAS) found that pollinator ... READ MORE

Category: Blog Community, , Community Volunteers, Conservation, Forests, SFYL Hot Topic, UF/IFAS, UF/IFAS Research, Wildlife
Tags: Citizen Science, Conservation, Ecology, Fort Lauderdale Research And Education Center, Human Development, Inaturalist, Nature, Pollinators, UF-IFAS
Dr. Lawrence Reeves, inspecting a bag of mosquitoes collected with an aspirator (essentially a vacuum for mosquitoes) from boulders at Cochise Stronghold, Dragoon Mountains, Cochise Co., Arizona. 15. Photo Credit: Photo: Dan Killingsworth

Mosquito species known only from Mexico recorded in U.S. for first time


September 8, 2026

While most people may associate mosquitoes with Florida’s swamps, Arizona’s deserts and mountains are also home to a surprising variety of mosquito species. A University of Florida mosquito scientist has documented one of those species ... READ MORE

Category: Health & Nutrition, Home Landscapes, Invasive Species, Pests & Disease, Pests & Disease, SFYL Hot Topic, UF/IFAS, UF/IFAS Research
Tags: Florida, Florida Medical Entomology Lab, Invasive Species, Lawrence Reeves, Mosquito, Mosquito Diversity, Mosquito-borne Disease, Public Health, Top News
stormy skies with palms and flag in foreground

Florida Land Steward Update, August 28, 2026


August 28, 2026

  HURRICANE SEASON IS RAMPING UP. ARE YOU READY? We are keeping an eye on Dolly, the next named tropical storm in the Atlantic. We’ve learned the hard way in recent years that powerful hurricanes can make their way inland and ... READ MORE

Category: Conservation, Disaster Preparation, Forests, Invasive Species, Natural Resources, Recreation, SFYL Hot Topic, Water, Wildlife
Tags: Cogongrass, Drought, Florida Land Steward Program, Forest Health, Forest Landowner Academy, Hurricane Preparation, Hurricane Recovery, Hurricane Season, Landowner Assistance, Loblolly Pine, NRCS, School Of Forest Fisheries And Geomatics Sciences, Wild Turkey
Natural Area Teaching Laboratory boardwalk covered in high water. Photo taken 06-25-21.

NSF awards UF $1.79M grant to harness AI-powered environmental forecasting with help from HiPerGator


August 25, 2026

Water and carbon are key resources people rely on every day, from the availability of drinking water and preventing floods to storing carbon in forests and wetlands. The National Science Foundation has awarded a $1.79 million grant to ... READ MORE

Category: Blog Community, Conservation, Natural Resources, SFYL Hot Topic, UF/IFAS, UF/IFAS Research
Tags: Artificial Intelligence, Conservation, Flood, HiPerGator, Jiangxiao Qiu, National Science Foundation, Research, The Water Institute

NSF awards UF $1.79M grant to harness AI-powered environmental forecasting with help from HiPerGator


August 25, 2026

Water and carbon are key resources people rely on every day, from the availability of drinking water and preventing floods to storing carbon in forests and wetlands. The National Science Foundation has awarded a $1.79 million grant to ... READ MORE

Category: Blog Community, Conservation, Natural Resources, SFYL Hot Topic, UF/IFAS, UF/IFAS Research
Tags: Artificial Intelligence, Conservation, Flood, HiPerGator, Jiangxiao Qiu, National Science Foundation, Research, The Water Institute
a patch of invasive cogongrass in a pine stand

Florida Land Steward Update, August 21, 2026


August 21, 2026

  FALL IS A GOOD TIME TO TREAT THAT COGONGRASS If dealing with a patch of cogongrass is on your to-do list, it’s time to get ready for that treatment. The best time to treat cogongrass is during the fall months, which of course can ... READ MORE

Category: Conservation, Disaster Preparation, Forests, Invasive Species, Natural Resources, Recreation, SFYL Hot Topic, Water, Wildlife
Tags: Cogongrass, Drought, Florida Land Steward Program, Forest Landowner Academy, Hurricane Preparation, Hurricane Recovery, Hurricane Season, Invasive Species, Landowner Assistance, Loblolly Pine, Ranchers, School Of Forest Fisheries And Geomatics Sciences, Wild Turkey

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