Category: Community Volunteers

How one UF/IFAS Extension agent is planting the seeds for a greener St. Lucie County – together with residents

by Lourdes Mederos
September 15, 2025

From backyard gardens to countywide conservation, Sara Salgado MacDonald is helping St. Lucie County residents grow greener, healthier landscapes. As an urban horticulture Extension agent with the University of Florida Institute of Food ... READ MORE

New EDIS/Ask IFAS Documents Published by Agricultural Education and Communication During July and August

by Amanda Quintos
September 8, 2025

Read the latest Agricultural Education and Communication publications for July and August 2025. In this post, you can click on the title of interest to go to the Ask IFAS page and download the document in PDF format. Stay informed about the ... READ MORE

Category: Community Volunteers, Professional Development, UF/IFAS Extension, Work & Life
Tags: Ask IFAS, Department Of Agricultural Education And Communication, Edis

Hillsborough County 4-H Youth Explore GIS Careers

by Katie Britt
September 3, 2025

Tampa, Florida – Hillsborough County 4-H partnered with the Tampa Bay GIS User Group (TBGIS), to put on a GIS Career Exploration event to introduce youth to the variety of careers that use maps and geospatial analysis. The event was part ... READ MORE

Category: 4-H & Youth, Community Volunteers
Tags: 4-H, 4-H & Youth, Beyond Ready, Geomatics, Geomatics Extension, GIS, Hillsborough County, Hillsborough County 4-H, School Of Forest Fisheries And Geomatics Sciences

Growing Knowledge: Teaching Kids About Vegetable Gardening

by Sara MacDonald
September 3, 2025

Recently, our Master Gardener Volunteers and I had the wonderful opportunity to visit Sun Grove Montessori School. We introduced students to the joys of vegetable gardening. Gardening is more than planting seeds. It’s a hands-on way to learn ... READ MORE

Category: 4-H & Youth, Agriculture, Community Volunteers, Fruits & Vegetables, Home Landscapes, Horticulture, Recreation, UF/IFAS Extension
Tags: Gardening, Kids Gardening Activities, STEM, UF/IFAS Extension, Urban Horticulture

Stories from the Yard: Our Path to Florida-Friendly Landscapes

by Lorna Bravo
September 1, 2025

Growing a Garden with Purpose: Teaching, Sustaining, Inspiring Join us as we share real stories from local gardeners and homeowners who are changing their yards into Florida-Friendly landscapes. Learn helpful tips, successes, and challenges ... READ MORE

Category: Community Volunteers, Conservation, Florida-Friendly Landscaping, Home Landscapes, Horticulture, Invasive Species, Natural Resources, UF/IFAS, UF/IFAS Extension, , Water, Wildlife
Tags: Conserve Water, Florida Friendly Landscape, Florida Gardening, Invasive Species, Master Gardener Program, Storytelling, UF-IFAS, UF/IFAS Extension, Urban Environments

Training for Impact: 2025’s Energy Upgrade Program Evolves

by Casey McCabe
August 28, 2025

A Short History of the Energy Upgrade Program The Energy Upgrade program was established in 2012 to educate homeowners in Sarasota County on energy and water efficiency. In 2016, based on community research, the program expanded to include ... READ MORE

Category: Community Volunteers, Home Management, Money Matters, Professional Development
Tags: Assistance, Energy, Energy Efficiency, Learn, Pgm_Sustain, Professional Development, Sustainability, Training

Dr. Paul M. Lyrene’s Legacy of Science and Stewardship – and the UF Facilities Named in His Honor

by Eva Sailly
August 20, 2025

I met Dr. Paul M. Lyrene, University of Florida Emeritus Professor of Horticultural Sciences, at the Alachua Conservation Trust’s (ACT) Prairie Creek property, where he had invited me to see its native wildlife garden. In 2022, Lyrene installed ... READ MORE

Category: Agribusiness, Agriculture, Community Volunteers, Crops, Events, Horticulture
Tags: Blueberry, Blueberry Research Building, Horticultural Sciences, Lyrene, Paul M. Lyrene, Plant Breeding

The 4-H Haybale Decorating Contest is Back!

by Dr. Rachel Pienta
August 18, 2025

Since 2021, Wakulla 4-H has invited the community to participate in annual Haybale Decorating Contest. The contest is always held to coincide with National 4-H Week, October 5 -11, 2025. The theme for the week is "Beyond Ready". The week ... READ MORE

Category: 4-H & Youth, Agriculture, Community Volunteers, Events, UF/IFAS, UF/IFAS Extension, Work & Life
Tags: Contest, Decorating, Haybale, National 4-H Week, Panhandle 4-H

2026 Master Gardener Volunteer Recruitment & FAQs

by Clarissa Chairez
August 18, 2025

Do you love gardening? Or maybe you just want to learn more? Are you interested in being a part of a community of volunteers and sharing your gardening training with the residents in our county? If so, you’ve come to the right place! Find ... READ MORE

Category: Community Volunteers, Florida-Friendly Landscaping, Home Landscapes, Horticulture
Tags: Florida-Friendly Landscaping, Gardening, Horticulture, Landscape, Master Gardener, Master Gardener Volunteer, Master Gardener Volunteers, New Vegetable Gardener, OC MGV, Ocextension, Orange County Master Gardener Volunteers, UF/IFAS Extension Orange County

Portrait of a Career in Urban Horticulture – Indyli Brown

by Donna Corbelli Castro
August 13, 2025

Municipal opportunities abound for those willing to work hard I met Mr. Indyli Brown when he was invited to be on our UF/IFAS Extension Commercial Horticulture advisory board. He impressed me right away with his intelligence and passion ... READ MORE

Category: Agriculture, Community Volunteers, Horticulture, Professional Development, UF/IFAS Extension, , Work & Life
Tags: Arboriculture, Careers In Ag, City Of Plantation, Horticulture, Landscaping, Municipal Work, Newsletter, Newsletter2, Tree City

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