The University of North Florida (UNF) student body voted the osprey (Pandion haliaetus) as their mascot in the late 1970’s. Located in Jacksonville, the UNF campus is prime osprey territory, and the birds are frequently seen flying overhead. ... READ MORE
Category: Coasts & Marine, Natural Resources, Wildlife
A hurricane seems like an obvious and ideal football mascot. A storm like that implies power, strength, and intensity running roughshod over anything in its way. I have discussed hurricanes in this blog before—and Florida is the most ... READ MORE
Category: Coasts & Marine, Conservation, Natural Resources, Recreation, Wildlife
If you've followed college football or spent any amount of time in Florida, you know the rivalry between the University of Florida (UF) and Florida State University (FSU) is one of the big ones. My husband was raised a Gator fan from childhood, ... READ MORE
Category: Conservation, Natural Resources, Wildlife
Last week in the middle of that brutal stretch of extreme heat (temperatures in the upper 90’s, heat indexes reading 108-118), I walked out in our office garden to stretch my legs. An overhead irrigation sprayer was on for the parched ... READ MORE
Category: Conservation, Natural Resources, Wildlife
There’s a running joke on social media that as you hit middle age, bird-watching suddenly appeals to you as it never did before. While I still wouldn’t consider myself a highly proficient birder, I have been trying to improve my identification ... READ MORE
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If you are outdoors this time of year, you may spot one of our most recognizable birds flitting about. The Eastern bluebird, Sialia sialis, is a small (six to eight inch long) but brightly colored bird whose populations have been pushed ... READ MORE
Category: Horticulture, Wildlife
A few weeks back, fellow Extension Agent Thomas Derbes and I were leading a field trip for local high school biology students. We were at Big Lagoon State Park, located along the coast near Perdido Key and truly one of my favorite places ... READ MORE
Category: Conservation, Forests, Natural Resources
More than 50 million Americans feed birds, putting out an estimated billion pounds of bird food each year, based on U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service data summarized by bird-feeding researchers. Backyard bird feeding is popular across Florida, ... READ MORE
Category: Blog Community, , Conservation, Florida-Friendly Landscaping, SFYL Hot Topic, UF/IFAS, UF/IFAS Extension, Wildlife
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
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