Tag: Wildlife

Brittany Mason and a student reporting and observing a non-venomous rat snake. Photo by Corey Callaghan

From curiosity to conservation: How citizen science is teaching children and adults to see, experience nature


April 13, 2026

It often starts with something small, such as a new bird in a branch, a vibrant butterfly in a yard, a colorful plant growing through a crack in the sidewalk or as part of a lawn. Suddenly, you are engaged and can’t help but snap a ... READ MORE

Category: Blog Community, , Conservation, Forests, Invasive Species, Natural Resources, Recreation, SFYL Hot Topic, UF/IFAS, UF/IFAS Research, Water, Wildlife
Tags: Beneficial Wildlife, BioBlitz, Brittany Mason, Changes, Changes In Ecosystems, Changes In Environment, Citizen Science, Citizen Science Month, Coexistence With Wildlife, Community, Corey Callaghan, Crowdsource, Curiousity, Department Of Wildlife Ecology And Conservation, EBird, Environmental Shifts, Fort Lauderdale Research And Education Center, Global Ecology, Habitat, Habitat Removal, Habitat Restoration, Inaturalist, Learning, Observations, Seasonal Changes, Smartphone, Species Distributions, Urbanization, Water Quality, Wildlife, Wildlife Monitoring

Florida Land Steward Update, April 10, 2026


April 10, 2026

GOPHER TORTOISE DAY GREETINGS! April 10th is officially adopted by the Gopher Tortoise Council as Gopher Tortoise Day in Florida. Gopher tortoises are found in parts of all 67 Florida counties and are frequently encountered in neighborhoods, ... READ MORE

Category: Conservation, Forests, Invasive Species, Natural Resources, Recreation, SFYL Hot Topic, Water, Wildlife
Tags: Conservation Easements, Family Forest, Florida Land Steward Program, Forest Health, Forest Management, Gopher Tortoise, Hurricane Recovery, Landowner Assistance, Longleaf Pine, Natural Resources, Online Course, School Of Forest Fisheries And Geomatics Sciences, Tax Tips, Tree Farm, Wildlife

Bat roosts in Florida are protected as of April 16th


April 9, 2026

Bats are an important part of our ecosystem in Florida, as the only major predator of night-flying insects. To ensure bats continue providing natural pest control, all bats in Florida are protected. Bat roosts are provided extra protection during ... READ MORE

Category: 4-H & Youth, Agriculture, Conservation, Home Landscapes, Natural Resources, SFYL Hot Topic, UF/IFAS, UF/IFAS Communications, UF/IFAS Extension, Wildlife, Work & Life
Tags: Bats, Chiroptera, Conservation, Exclusions, Ifas Extension, Maternity Colony, Natural Resources, Shelly Johnson, Wildlife, Wildlife Ecology And Conservation

Weekly “What is it?”: Northern Parula


April 2, 2026

A few weeks back, fellow Extension Agent Thomas Derbes and I were leading a field trip for local high school biology students. We were at Big Lagoon State Park, located along the coast near Perdido Key and truly one of my favorite places ... READ MORE

Category: Conservation, Forests, Natural Resources
Tags: Backyard Habitats, Birds, Gulf Of Mexico, Habitat Conservation, Hiking, Panhandle Outdoors, Weekly What Is It, Wildlife
Blue Bird feeding on a bird feeder UF/IFAS Photo by Cristina Carrizosa.

Want to attract birds to your outdoor spaces? Ask IFAS bilingual resources offer guidance on the right approach


April 2, 2026

More than 50 million Americans feed birds, putting out an estimated billion pounds of bird food each year, based on U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service data summarized by bird-feeding researchers. Backyard bird feeding is popular across Florida, ... READ MORE

Category: Blog Community, , Conservation, Florida-Friendly Landscaping, SFYL Hot Topic, UF/IFAS, UF/IFAS Extension, Wildlife
Tags: Backyard Birds, Bird Feeders, Bird Food, Bird-friendly, Birds, Birdwatching, Food, Institute Of Food And Agricultural Sciences, News, Outdoor Spaces, Prey, U.S. Fish And Wildlife Service, UF-IFAS, UF/IFAS Extension, University Of Florida, Wildlife, Wildlife Conservation
A close look at an Eastern Diamondback Rattlesnake at the Jacksonville Zoo. UFIFAS Photo Josh Wickham.

Wildlife Watch: Can you recognize Florida’s native venomous snakes? Here is your how-to with Ask IFAS’ bilingual guide


April 1, 2026

About this series As residential and commercial development expands across Florida, wildlife is adapting to live closer to people. The University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences (UF/IFAS) shares tips through ... READ MORE

Category: Blog Community, , Conservation, SFYL Hot Topic, UF/IFAS, UF/IFAS Extension, UF/IFAS Research, Wildlife
Tags: Conservation, Copperhead, Coral Snake, Eastern Diamondback Rattlesnake, Ecology, Florida, Institute Of Food And Agricultural Sciences, Native Snakes, News, Nonvenomous, Pit-viper, Pygmy Rattlesnake, Snakes, Steve Johnson, Timber Rattlesnake, UF-IFAS, UF/IFAS Wildlife Ecology And Conservation, University Of Florida, Venemous Snakes, Vipers, Wildlife, Wildlife Watch

Florida Land Steward Update, March 27, 2026


March 27, 2026

MARCH  26 FLORIDA LAND STEWARD TOUR AT YOUNG FAMILY FARM A SUCCESS Thanks everyone who joined us yesterday for the tour at Young Family Farm in Putnam County. Cory Young and the event team shared a great deal of land management experiences ... READ MORE

Category: Conservation, Forests, Invasive Species, Natural Resources, Recreation, SFYL Hot Topic, Water, Wildlife
Tags: Award, Family Forest, Florida Land Steward Program, Forest Health, Forest Management, Hurricane Recovery, Landowner Assistance, Longleaf Pine, Natural Resources, Online Course, School Of Forest Fisheries And Geomatics Sciences, Tax Tips, Tree Farm, Wildlife
An ambrosia beetle stands near larvae that are eating their way through a piece of wood.

Ladies and Gentlemen, the Beetles: SFFGS faculty lead major beetle taxonomy paper


March 16, 2026

It’s immense.  School of Forest, Fisheries, & Geomatics Sciences researchers — along with international scientists and experts from the Maryland Department of Agriculture, Michigan State University and the University of Texas — ... READ MORE

Category: Agriculture, Forests, Natural Resources, Pests & Disease, UF/IFAS, Wildlife
Tags: College Of Agricultural And Life Sciences, Forest, Forest Fisheries And Geomatics Sciences, Forest Health, Forest Management, Forestry, School Of Forest Fisheries And Geomatic Sciences, School Of Forest Fisheries And Geomatics Sciences, SFFGS, Trees, Wildlife
girl scouts with fish, leaves, drawing circles with chalk on pavement

Girl Scouts learn about forestry, fishing, geomatics at UF jamboree


March 4, 2026

            UF/IFAS School of Forest, Fisheries, and Geomatics Sciences (SFFGS) extension coordinators shared their expertise with local scouts in the inaugural Girl Scouts Jamboree held ... READ MORE

Category: 4-H & Youth, Forests, Natural Resources, UF/IFAS Extension
Tags: Family Forest, Fishing For Success, Geomatics Extension, Girl Scouts, Project Learning Tree, School Of Forest Fisheries And Geomatics Sciences, School Of Forest Resources And Conservation, SFFGS, Wildlife
This water hyacinth is considered an invasive aquatic plant in Florida. petals are light lavender with lush green leaves.

Want to avoid planting invasives in your yard? Check this UF/IFAS website first


February 24, 2026

Highlights Ever wonder whether the plants you choose for your yard, especially non-native ones, might harm Florida’s natural areas? The University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences (UF/IFAS) offers a free website ... READ MORE

Category: Blog Community, Home Landscapes, Horticulture, Invasive Species, SFYL Hot Topic, UF/IFAS, UF/IFAS Research, Wildlife
Tags: Agriculture, Archive, Biodiversity, Conservation, Detection, Floridians, Invasion Science, Invasion Science Institute, Invasive Plants, Invasive Species, ISI, Luke Flory, Master Gardener Volunteer, Natural Areas, News, Non-native Plants, Ports, Ports Of Entry, Risk, Safeguard Ecosystems, Seokmin Kim, UF-IFAS, UF/IFAS Assessment Of Non-Native Plants In Florida's Natural Areas, Wildlife

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