Tag: citizen science

Global gardeners help UF tomato breeding program; will send growth, flavor data to lab

by Samantha Murray
May 12, 2026

Normally, University of Florida scientists such as Harry Klee gauge the taste and aroma of their new tomatoes by letting volunteers test them at the UF Sensory Lab in Gainesville. But now, people from across the globe who grow tomatoes in their ... READ MORE

Category: Crops, SFYL Hot Topic
Tags: Amateur Plant Breeders, Citizen Science, Data, Gardeners, Harry Klee, Production, Seeds, Taste, Tomatoes, UF/IFAS Advancement, Varieties

Citizen science program: Grow your own tomatoes to help address food insecurity

by Samantha Murray
May 12, 2026

During the early days of the COVID-19 pandemic, victory gardens emerged as a popular way for people to grow their own food and explore a healthy hobby. Now a new program from UF/IFAS aims to understand what home growers need to be successful. ... READ MORE

Category: Fruits & Vegetables, Health & Nutrition, Home Landscapes, SFYL Hot Topic, UF/IFAS Extension
Tags: Alachua County, Broward County, Celina Gomez, Citizen Science, Environmental Horticulture, Featured, News, Orange County, Special Topics

Scientists urgently seek Florida residents to report nonnative lizards as early detection prevents invasive spread

by Lourdes Mederos
May 12, 2026

The brown basilisk, a nonnative lizard, is gaining ground across South Florida, and University of Florida scientists need more data to determine its status and potential impacts. Wildlife specialists with the UF Institute of Food and ... READ MORE

Category: UF/IFAS
Tags: #ivegot1.org, Ask IFAS, Brown Basilisk, Citizen Science, Conservation, EDDMaps, Edis, FLorida Museum Of Natural History Herpetology Collection Database, Iguanas, Invasive Species, Ken Gioeli, Lawrence Reeves, Lizards, Lourdes Pérez Cordero, National Invasive Species Awareness Week, Nonnative, Nonnative Lizard, SFYL Hot Topic, Steven Johnson, UF IFAS Invasive Species Council, UF/IFAS Florida Medical Entomology Laboratory, Wildllife

UF/IFAS new global ecologist to address biodiversity in South Florida and beyond

by Lourdes Mederos
May 12, 2026

Florida is one of the most biodiverse states, ranking among the top five in the variety of bird and reptile species, according to studies commissioned by The Nature Conservancy. Unfortunately, Florida is also one of the leading states ... READ MORE

Category: Conservation, SFYL Hot Topic, UF/IFAS, UF/IFAS Research, Wildlife
Tags: BioBlitz, Biodiversity, Birding, California Academy Of Sciences, Citizen Science, City Nature Challenge, Climate Change, Conservation, Corey Callaghan, Department Of Wildlife Ecology And Conservation, Fort Lauderdale Research And Education Center, Global Ecology, Inaturalist, Institute Of Food And Agricultural Sciences, Natural History Museum Of Los Angeles County, News, The Nature Conservancy, UF-IFAS, Urbanization, WEC, Wildlife

Join the discussion about the Nature Coast Aquatic Preserve

by Savanna Barry
May 12, 2026

Florida's newest Aquatic Preserve, the Nature Coast Aquatic Preserve (NCAP), is about to reach an important milestone. Since designation in 2020, managers and staff at Florida's Department of Environmental Protection (FDEP) have worked hard ... READ MORE

Category: Coasts & Marine, Conservation, Events, Natural Resources, Water
Tags: Applied Research, Birds, Boating, Citizen Science, Cleanup, Climate Change, Coastal Habitat, Coastal Systems, Florida Sea Grant, InsideNatureCoast, Living Shoreline, Mangroves, Marine Debris, Marsh, Nature Coast Aquatic Preserve, Recreation, Research, Restoration, Scalloping, Sea Level Rise, Seagrass, Seagrass Scarring, Water Quality

Citizen science project leads volunteers to live healthier lifestyles

by Brad Buck
May 12, 2026

Citizen scientists help researchers collect valid data. But University of Florida scientists wanted to know how citizen-science projects change the volunteers. In a newly published study, a project involving urban gardening led participants ... READ MORE

Category: UF/IFAS
Tags: Alachua County, Broward County, Catherine Campbell, Citizen Science, Eat Healthy, Family, Orange County, Tomatoes, Urban Gardening, Youth And Community Sciences
Baskets of red tomatoes on white shelves.

Citizen scientists help UF researchers find best-tasting tomatoes

by Brad Buck
May 12, 2026

People with a green thumb for growing tomatoes are giving University of Florida scientists good data to help them find tastier tomatoes. Through a citizen science program, Denise Tieman, a UF/IFAS research associate professor of horticultural ... READ MORE

Category: Agriculture
Tags: Citizen Science, Cultivars, Denise Tieman, DNA, Flavor, Florida Tomato Conference, Gardeners, Growers, Gulf Coast Research And Education Center, Horticultural Sciences Department, Jessica Chitwood-Brown, Tomato Breeding, Tomatoes

Here’s what’s on tap for Citizen Science Month at UF/IFAS

by Lourdes Mederos
May 12, 2026

Scientists need help from residents, and that is what Citizen Science Month is all about. This national observance, held nationally in April, highlights the importance of how consumers engage in science by partnering with scientists on ... READ MORE

Category: UF/IFAS
Tags: Boating, CISMAs, Citizen Science, Citizen Science Month, City Nature Challenge, Climate Change, Environment, Environmental Horticulture, Family, Florida Sea Grant, Fort Lauderdale Research And Education Center, Institute Of Food And Agricultural Sciences, Landscape Water Survey, News, SoFLo City Nature Challenge, Southwest Florida Cooperative Invasive Species Management Areas, Southwest Florida Invasive Fish Roundup, UF Extension Wildflower Bioblitz, UF IFAS Fort Lauderdale Research And Education Center, UF/IFAS Extension, UF/IFAS Extension St. Lucie County

Can citizen science save Florida’s ecosystems? UF’s efforts demonstrate surge in invasive species detection and response

by Lourdes Mederos
May 12, 2026

Thanks to the power of citizen science, everyday people are becoming frontline defenders in the battle against invasive species. By reporting sightings and contributing valuable data, the public is helping researchers detect threats sooner ... READ MORE

Category: Community Volunteers, Conservation, Pests & Disease, SFYL Hot Topic, UF/IFAS, UF/IFAS Extension, UF/IFAS Research
Tags: Asian Swamp Eel, Citizen Science, Citizen Scientists, EDDMaps, Invasion Science Research Institute, Invasive Soft Coral, Invasive Species, IVE-GOT1, Lungworm, Melissa Miller, News, Paul Evans, U.S. Army Corps Of Engineers, U.S. Geological Society, U.S. Geological Survey, UF-IFAS, USGS, USGS Nonindigenous Aquatic Species, USGS Wetland And Aquatic Research Center

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