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
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
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
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
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
I spent this past Saturday working at a "Pollination Celebration" held at the Panhandle Butterfly House. Located for over 20 years in Navarre, they’re now in the heart of downtown Milton, Florida. The facility is centered in a restored ... READ MORE
Category: Conservation, Natural Resources
Century plants (Agave americana) look wild. They grow as thick succulents for years, giving the impression of an aloe plant on steroids. They squat intimidatingly on the ground, boasting giant blue-green leaves and no showy flowers. Their ... READ MORE
Category: Natural Resources
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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I can still remember the first time I saw a horseshoe crab (Limulus polyphemus) in the wild. I didn’t grow up on the coast, and owe much of my early and deep love of marine ecosystems to a brave and energetic elementary school science ... READ MORE
Category: Coasts & Marine, Natural Resources, Water, Wildlife
Over time, we have learned how building so much “gray” infrastructure (roads, buildings, parking lots) affects our water quality. To offset these impacts, we’ve started using green stormwater infrastructure (GSI) to bring back trees, ... READ MORE
Category: Natural Resources