Category: Community Volunteers

Welder works on metal project.

Noah Pearson: My 4-H Experience Prepared Me to be Work Ready After Graduation

by Dr. Rachel Pienta
June 1, 2025

What began as a middle school hobby has grown into a life-shaping journey for Noah Pearson, a young man whose dedication to 4-H and the Shotgun Club has left a lasting mark on his community and beyond. Noah joined the 4-H Shotgun Club ... READ MORE

Category: 4-H & Youth, Clubs & Volunteers, Community Volunteers, Work & Life
Tags: Leadership, Panhandle 4-H, Shooting Sports, Volunteering, Workforce Preparation

Meet Bob Frank: A Florida Master Naturalist Program Success Story

by Katherine Clements
May 20, 2025

Blog co-authored by Mary Ellen Boelhower, Florida Master Naturalist Program (FMNP) graduate Meet Bob Frank, Conservation Ambassador Amateur photographer Bob Frank spent his career as a college professor in Ohio before retiring to Florida ... READ MORE

Category: Community Volunteers, Conservation, Natural Resources, Professional Development, UF/IFAS Extension, Wildlife, Work & Life
Tags: Conservation, Course, Ecology, Florida Master Naturalist Program, FMNP, Fmnp-in-srq, Learn, Nature, Pgm_EcoNR, Wildlife
sarasota county extension volunteers enjoy a dinner and conversation at a recogntion party. [credit: uf/ifas extension sarasota county]

Recognizing Extension Volunteers

by kgeis
May 16, 2025

UF/IFAS Extension volunteers had a big day April 22. In the morning, Sarasota County commissioners showered them (and other county volunteers) with accolades for the services they have provided across a range of programs and activities. Then, ... READ MORE

Category: 4-H & Youth, Clubs & Volunteers, Community Volunteers, UF/IFAS, UF/IFAS Extension, Work & Life
Tags: 4-H Volunteers, Master Gardener Volunteers, Pgm_Admin, Sarasota County Extension, Volunteer, Volunteering_in_nature

Bloom to Brine: Planted Oyster Gardens

by Dr. Megan Moore
May 5, 2025

Aren't plants amazing? They add beauty to any setting, bring joy to those around them, help to clean our air, and can provide a great meal! Did you know that they have a lot in common with oysters as well! Oysters are amazing animals that ... READ MORE

Category: Coasts & Marine, Community Volunteers, Conservation, Home Landscapes, Natural Resources, Recreation, UF/IFAS Extension, Water, Wildlife
Tags: Florida Sea Grant, Oysters, Plants, Restoration, UF-IFAS, UF/IFAS Pasco Extension Office, Vog
University of Florida

Empowering Youth Through 4-H: A Journey of Collaboration and Growth

by Daniel Gonzalez
April 18, 2025

BELLE GLADE, Fla. - Earlier this academic year, I reached out to agricultural educators in Palm Beach County with a vision to expand our 4-H programs and provide more opportunities for youth development. The response was overwhelmingly positive, ... READ MORE

Category: 4-H & Youth, Agriculture, Community Volunteers, UF/IFAS, UF/IFAS Extension, UF/IFAS Research, UF/IFAS Teaching,
Tags: 4-H Programs, Agricultural Education, Animal Science, Career Exploration, College Tours, Community Collaboration, FAMU, Ffa, Field Trips, Hands On Learning, Palm Beach County, Scholarships, STEM Education, Student Engagement, UF-IFAS, Youth Development

Citizen scientists help researchers protect keystone species

by Megan Winslow
April 16, 2025

Range maps for diamondback terrapins – a type of vulnerable turtle species – highlight the entire United States East Coast and Gulf Coast. Until a few years ago, however, the shading hiccupped between Port St. Joe, Florida, and Mobile, Alabama ... READ MORE

Category: Coasts & Marine, Community Volunteers, Conservation, Natural Resources, UF/IFAS, UF/IFAS Extension, Wildlife
Tags: Apalachicola County, Baldwin County, Bay County, Bycatch Device, CITES, Citizen Science, Conservation, Convention On International Trade In Endangered Species Of Wild Fauna And Flora, Crab Trap, Environment, Escambia County, Florida Sea Grant, Gulf Coast, Habitat, IFAS, Institute Of Food And Agricultural Sciences, Keystone Species, Marsh, Mathilda Ravine, Megan Winslow, Mollusks, Okaloosa County, Orientation, Panhandle, Panhandle Terrapin Project, Pensacola And Perdido Bays Estuary Program, Rick O'Connor, Santa Rosa County, Survey, Threatened, U.S. Geological Survey, UF, UF-IFAS, University Of Florida, USGS, Volunteer, Wakulla County, Walton County

St. Lucie County Conducts Futures Forum – Community Needs Assessment

by johnferguso
April 13, 2025

The purpose of this Community Needs Assessment. A community needs assessment is a vital process that helps identify a community's strengths, challenges, and unmet needs. We are gathering input from residents, organizations, and stakeholders, ... READ MORE

Category: 4-H & Youth, Agribusiness, Agriculture, Camp, Clubs & Volunteers, Coasts & Marine, Community Volunteers, Conservation, Crops, Curriculum, Disaster Preparation, Events, Farm Management, Food Safety, Fruits & Vegetables, Health & Nutrition, Home Management, Horticulture, Invasive Species, Livestock, Money Matters, Natural Resources, Pests & Disease, Professional Development, Recreation, Relationships & Family, SFYL Hot Topic, Turf, UF/IFAS Extension, Water, Wildlife, Work & Life
Tags: #4hOpportunityForAll, #H4HOutreach, #slc4h, Biological Control, Citrus, Coastal Shoreline Restoration, Conservation, Endangered Species, Extension, Financial Education, Florida Master Naturalist, FMNP, Hurricane, Invasive, Josey Keener, Money, Pesticide, St. Lucie County, STEM, UF/IFAS Extension, UF/IFAS Extension St. Lucie County, Water, Water Quality, Wildlife
image of Welleby park walking path with trees and benches along a pond in Broward County.

Are we losing our wildlife to benches and ballparks? UF/IFAS research shows how smart designs can avoid it

by Lourdes Mederos
April 10, 2025

Across the United States, more than 440 national parks and 7,400 urban parks offer a variety of recreational green spaces for people and pets. Yet, the United States Forest Service warns that urbanization, including park development, ... READ MORE

Category: , Community Volunteers, Conservation, Natural Resources, SFYL Hot Topic, UF/IFAS, UF/IFAS Research, Wildlife
Tags: Biodiversity, Birds, Carbon, Citizen Science, Community Involvement, Corey Callaghan, Ecology, Fort Lauderdale Research And Education Center, Green Spaces, Greenspace Management, Habitats, Health, Heat Islands, Human Activities, Inaturalist, Insects, Institute Of Food And Agricultural Sciences, Lawns, Mammals, Nature, News, Parks, Planners, Plants, Pollinators, Recreation, Recreations, Smart Park, UF-IFAS, United States Forest Service, University Of Florida, Urban Green Spaces, Urban Parks, Wildlife Conservation, Wildlife Ecology And Conservation

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