Years ago, I helped a National Park Ranger at Gulf Islands National Seashore run several “Junior Ranger” day camps in the summer. Kids went on hikes, caught crabs in dip nets, and learned about the area’s history. One of their favorite ... READ MORE
Category: Natural Resources
Imagine walking through the woods, enjoying the fresh air and birdsong, when you notice a twig just dangling midair. On first glance, you might presume it is stuck in a vine or a large spider web. However, this material is thinner than a ... READ MORE
Category: , Natural Resources
Old cemeteries are where we go to remember—to visit loved ones long gone, to learn our history, and to understand more about those who built our communities. They are quiet places of reflection and peace. Because they are large tracts ... READ MORE
Category: Natural Resources
Working in Extension has given me a lot of interesting opportunities. On the job, I’ve found myself leading kayak trips all over Florida, building a two-story bat house, and wearing a Mr. Peanut costume while talking about agriculture. ... READ MORE
Category: Florida-Friendly Landscaping, Home Landscapes, Natural Resources
I became familiar with the term “gabion” 20 years ago when I worked for the Florida Department of Environmental Protection, when helping people manage ongoing erosion problems was an almost-daily task. Northwest Florida's soils are often ... READ MORE
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I was walking up to one of the county office buildings when I noticed it on the ground—a dead oak leaf lying bottom-up, with marble-sized, fuzzy brown orbs attached. I picked it up to examine the leaf and its odd attachments more closely, ... READ MORE
Category: Natural Resources
Cypress trees (Taxodium distichum) are in my top five favorite plants list, for many reasons. They have an incredible structure, with a wide base for support and up-reaching knees (also known as pneumatophores) for oxygen exchange on both ... READ MORE
Category: Natural Resources
It looks just like Fort Pickens. The arches, the bricks, the cannons, the individual rooms--until you look out the windows and see tropical vegetation and water adjacent to the walls. These photos were not taken on Pensacola Beach, but at ... READ MORE
Category: , Natural Resources
Walking through my neighborhood the other day, I noticed the live oaks along the path seemed overloaded with acorns. It got me thinking about the time several years ago when our back patio was so overwhelmed with acorns that you could nearly ... READ MORE
Category: Natural Resources
In northwest Florida, fire is life. Fire is the engine that turned the longleaf pine ecosystem, which once covered 90 million acres of the deep south. We see disastrous news about the uncontrolled wildfires out west, so it can be difficult ... READ MORE
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