Tag: manatee county

A hand holding a small glass vial with a pond of lily pads in the background.

UF/IFAS plants flora to try to reduce pollutants going into lakes, rivers

by Brad Buck
April 13, 2026

BRADENTON, Fla. --- Now, in the middle of summer, when those afternoon or evening rains come, stormwater from lawns, driveways and roofs drains down to any of the 76,000 stormwater ponds scattered around Florida. As stormwater flows into ... READ MORE

Category: Lawn, Water
Tags: Absorb, Basil Iannone, Best Management Practices, Lakes, Lawns, Manatee County, Nitrogen, Nutrients, Paul Monaghan, Phosphorus, Plants, Rivers, School Of Forest Fisheries And Geomatics Sciences, Stormwater, Stormwater Ponds, Urban Landscape Ecology
People volunteer to work in a community garden.

Growing a sense of ‘community’ in community gardens

by Brad Buck
April 10, 2026

Across the country, community gardens are cropping up in response to growing interest in producing local food. In a new study, University of Florida researchers ask what makes one of these gardens thrive --- or wither. By bringing people ... READ MORE

Category: UF/IFAS
Tags: Agricultural Education And Communication, Bonding, Community Gardens, Duval County, Government, Hillsborough County, Karissa Raskin, Local Food, Manatee County, Nonprofits, Orange County, Paul Monaghan, Social Capital
A tranquil lake surrounded by houses and greenery, with a reflecting blue sky and clouds.

UF study: Florida’s 76,000 ponds emit more carbon than they store

by Brad Buck
April 8, 2026

When you look at ponds, you might see birds and fish, but you probably don’t think about carbon. In fact, Florida’s 76,000 ponds store plenty of carbon, and a lot of it escapes into the atmosphere. In fact, ponds lose more carbon via ... READ MORE

Category: UF/IFAS
Tags: Audrey Goekner, Carbon, Development, Emission, Gas, Gulf Coast Research And Education Center, Manatee County, Mary Lusk, Muck, Ponds, Soil Water And Ecosystem Sciences, Stormwater Ponds, Urbanization
A person crouching by water, using a device to collect a sample.

Float ‘GatorByte’ down a stream and find pollutants – and their sources

by Brad Buck
March 30, 2026

Water resource managers can now put a buoy in a lake or stream and find locations of pollutants and other problems – as well as their sources – all for about $1,000, say University of Florida researchers. Because the device is a result ... READ MORE

Category: UF/IFAS
Tags: Agricultural And Biological Engineering, Buoy, College Of Agricultural And Life Sciences, Eban Bean, GatoryByte, Manatee County, Piyush Agade, Pollutants, Sarasota County, Station, Water, Water Quality, Water Resources
Close-up of hands holding ripe strawberries.

Savor the flavor, pack in some nutrition this Florida strawberry season

by Brad Buck
March 9, 2026

You can taste them now – sweet, succulent strawberries. February and March mark the peak time for Florida strawberry production, and University of Florida experts point to several reasons consumers gobble up the juicy fruit. “Strawberries ... READ MORE

Category: Health & Nutrition
Tags: Andrea Nikolai, Archive, Charles Sims, Consumers, Flavor, Florida Strawberry Season, Food Science And Human Nutrition, Harvest, Hillsborough County, Joshua Payne, Manatee County, Nutrition, Polk County, Storage, Strawberries, Strawberry Season, Strawberry Shortcake, UF Sensory Lab, Vitamin C

Porterweed Rust

by Caitlin Sollazzo
November 13, 2025

Sometimes nature can be quite beautiful. This is rust (Puccinia urbaniana) infecting native porterweed (Stachytarpheta jamaicensis). If you look closely, you can even see tiny fly larvae feeding on the spores of the rust fungus.Rust is a type ... READ MORE

Category: Agriculture, , Florida-Friendly Landscaping, Horticulture, Natural Resources, Pests & Disease, Pests & Disease, UF/IFAS, UF/IFAS Extension, UF/IFAS Research, UF/IFAS Teaching
Tags: Florida Friendly Landscape, Horticulture, Manatee County, Manatee County Extension
Families Are Coping with Financial Struggles

Families Are Coping with Financial Struggles

by Nelly Nelson
August 15, 2025

Families are coping with financial struggles as we move through 2025; many families across the nation are grappling with the growing weight of financial stress. From rising living costs and housing shortages to job market shifts driven by automation ... READ MORE

Category:
Tags: Family And Consumer Sciences, Family Money Management, Financial Assistance, Financial Management, Manatee County, Manatee County Extension, Money Management, UF/IFAS Extension
Finding Help in Hard Times

Finding Help in Hard Times

by Nelly Nelson
August 12, 2025

As financial challenges persist into 2025, many families are feeling overwhelmed, anxious, and uncertain about where to turn and are finding help in hard times. Whether you're struggling to pay bills, keep up with rent, or find affordable childcare, ... READ MORE

Category:
Tags: Family And Consumer Sciences, Family Money Management, Finances With Children, Financial Management, Manatee County, Manatee County Extension, Mental Health, Money Management, UF/IFAS Extension
A man in a red shirt stands beside a leafy bush outdoors.

New citrus Extension agent aims to assist growers with climate challenges while addressing greening strategies as a priority

by Brad Buck
August 12, 2025

Edwin Gutierrez grew up in rural Colombia, immersed in agricultural communities, where farming is a fundamental part of life. He was raised in the Llanos Orientales region -- a plain known for its livestock, citrus and other agricultural ... READ MORE

Category: UF/IFAS
Tags: Citrus, Citrus Greening, Citrus Research And Education Center, DeSoto County, Edwin Gutiérrez, Grower Education, Growers, Hardee County, HLB, Hurricanes, Manatee County, Multicounty Agent, Research-based Strategies, UF/IFAS Extension, Yields

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