Tag: Weekly What Is It

Weekly “What is it?” Tailgate Trivia Edition: The Hurricanes and the Ibis

by Carrie Stevenson
September 24, 2026

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
Tags: Birds, Coastal Wildlife, Football, Habitat Conservation, Hurricane, University Of Miami, Weekly What Is It

Weekly “What is it?” Tailgate Trivia Edition: The Nautilus and the Argonaut

by Carrie Stevenson
September 16, 2026

Like a surprising number of schools, the University of West Florida (UWF) has two mascots: the Argonaut and the Nautilus. Or technically, a mascot and “emblem.” Both representatives are tied intrinsically to the university’s location ... READ MORE

Category: Coasts & Marine, Natural Resources, Water, Wildlife
Tags: Coastal Wildlife, College Football, Football, Pensacola Bay, Special Topics, Weekly What Is It

Weekly “What is it?” Tailgate Trivia Edition: Burrowing Owls

by Carrie Stevenson
September 10, 2026

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
Tags: Birds, Habitat Conservation, Owls, Weekly What Is It, Wildlife

Weekly “What is it?”: Iguanas

by Carrie Stevenson
September 2, 2026

Last week I had the opportunity to join my husband in Mexico while he attended a conference. During some of his downtime, we explored an archaeological area called El Rey Ruins in busy Cancun. It was a quiet spot compared to the popular ... READ MORE

Category: Coasts & Marine, Invasive Species, Natural Resources, Wildlife
Tags: Coastal Wildlife, Ecotourism, Invasive Species, Weekly What Is It, Wildlife

Weekly “What is it?”: “Litter boxes”

by Carrie Stevenson
August 20, 2026

Aiming for a sunset stroll last week at Pensacola Beach, we stopped at the Park East lot and headed for the dune walkover. Just before entering the boardwalk, my daughter noticed a wooden box mounted adjacent to it. It was the size and shape ... READ MORE

Category: Coasts & Marine, Conservation, Natural Resources, Wildlife
Tags: Barrier Islands, Environmental Education, Marine Debris, Sea Turtles, Weekly What Is It, Wildlife

Weekly “What is it?”: Blue Button

by Carrie Stevenson
August 13, 2026

A few nights ago, my daughter and I walked the beach at sunset. She was heading back to college the next day, so we soaked in one last summer beach memory. As we walked, we chatted about the detritus in the wrack line—algae-covered driftwood, ... READ MORE

Category: Coasts & Marine, Natural Resources, Wildlife
Tags: Coastal Wildlife, Gulf Of Mexico, Panhandle Outdoors, Weekly What Is It, Wildlife

Weekly “What is it?”: Northern Cardinals

by Carrie Stevenson
August 6, 2026

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
Tags: Birds, Habitat Conservation, Insects, Native Plants, Panhandle Gardening, Weekly What Is It, Wildlife

Weekly “What is it?”: Sandy Hollow Gully

by Carrie Stevenson
July 29, 2026

Florida is famously the flattest, lowest elevation state in the country. It’s probably for the best, though—our highly erodible soil combined with frequent rains means most hillsides start washing out as soon as the opportunity arises. ... READ MORE

Category: Conservation, Natural Resources, Water
Tags: Erosion, Habitat Conservation, Soil, Water Quality, Weekly What Is It

Weekly “What is it?”: Carpenter Creek Headwaters Park

by Carrie Stevenson
July 16, 2026

If you want to truly solve a problem, it’s always best to go back to the original source. Piecemeal fixes can patch things up for a while, but they won’t last. For well over 70 years, Escambia County and the City of Pensacola have dealt ... READ MORE

Category: Natural Resources
Tags: Ecotourism, Estuaries, Habitat Conservation, Hiking, Native Plants, Panhandle Outdoors, Pensacola Bay, Stormwater, Water Quality, Weekly What Is It

Weekly “What is it?”: Water Lilies

by Carrie Stevenson
July 1, 2026

Water lilies so captivated the attention of French impressionist painter Claude Monet that he created over 250 paintings featuring them. Their beauty is quite striking—we are not accustomed to seeing flowers blooming on the water’s surface, ... READ MORE

Category: Natural Resources
Tags: Flowers, Habitat Conservation, Native Plants, Panhandle Gardening, Panhandle Outdoors, Water Quality, Weekly What Is It

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