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Tag: Wildlife

Lakefront and Aquatic Landscaping

by Tia Saracino
May 18, 2026

Protecting the waterfront is Principle #9 in Florida-Friendly Landscaping. Waterfront areas can include lakefronts, ponds, ditches, other water bodies and environmentally sensitive areas. So, what makes a nice aquatic landscape?• Full of ... READ MORE

Category: Agriculture, Conservation, Florida-Friendly Landscaping, Fruits & Vegetables, Home Landscapes, Invasive Species, Lawn, Natural Resources, Pests & Disease, UF/IFAS Extension, Water, Wildlife, Work & Life
Tags: Aquatic, Central Florida, Ditch, Florida Friendly, Invasive Plants, Lake, Lakefront, Landscape, Ocextension, Plants, Pond, Waterfront, Wildlife

List of Freshwater Aquatic Plants for Florida

by Tia Saracino
May 18, 2026

This list of Florida native plants will be helpful if you live on the lakefront, a freshwater water body, or are doing a rain garden in a wet spot in your yard. These plants are water loving and live in different zones on the shoreline. While ... READ MORE

Category: , Conservation, Florida-Friendly Landscaping, Home Landscapes, Natural Resources, Recreation, UF/IFAS Extension, Water, Wildlife
Tags: Aquatic, Central Florida, Florida, Freshwater, Grasses, Habitat. Trees, Lakefront, Plants, Rain Garden, Water Lillies, Wildlife

Weekly “What is it?”: Blackwater Fisheries Center

by Carrie Stevenson
May 18, 2026

It was built in the late 1930’s by the Works Progress Administration to help starving people survive the Depression. The idea was to create a state-run fish hatchery, insuring fish were healthy at every step from spawn to adult. These ... READ MORE

Category: , Natural Resources, Recreation, Water, Wildlife
Tags: Fisheries, Weekly What Is It, Wildlife

Weekly “What is it?”: The Florida Trail

by Carrie Stevenson
May 18, 2026

Most of us are familiar with the Appalachian Trail, the popular hiking route that follows the mountains from Maine for nearly 2200 miles to north Georgia. But did you know you could set off from Fort Pickens at Pensacola Beach and follow ... READ MORE

Category: Coasts & Marine, Conservation, Forests, Natural Resources, Recreation, Water, Wildlife
Tags: Coastal Wildlife, Habitat Conservation, Hiking, Shrubs, Weekly What Is It, Wildlife

Weekly “What is it?”: Monarch Migration

by Carrie Stevenson
May 18, 2026

Pilgrimages have taken place for millennia, all over the world. The purpose may be a spiritual quest or a desire to reconnect with some historic location, but the draw to special places is an ancient one for the human species. So also, ... READ MORE

Category: Natural Resources, Wildlife
Tags: Flowers, Gardening, Weekly What Is It, Wildlife

Weekly “What is it?”: Flamingos

by Carrie Stevenson
May 18, 2026

Florida is known for its kitschy plastic lawn flamingos—a throwback to the 1950’s era of aspirational, semitropical suburban bliss. But if you head a little farther south, you get a lot more of the real thing. These elegant neon pink ... READ MORE

Category: Coasts & Marine, Conservation, Natural Resources, Wildlife
Tags: Flamingo, Weekly What Is It, Wildlife

Weekly “What is it?”: Magnolia

by Carrie Stevenson
May 18, 2026

About a year ago, one of my regular blog readers asked if magnolia trees (Magnolia grandiflora) had any particularly redeeming qualities. The one in her yard was constantly dropping leaves and seedpods, and she was tired of it. Little did ... READ MORE

Category: Forests, Natural Resources, Wildlife
Tags: Pollinators, Trees, Weekly What Is It, Wildlife

Weekly “What is it?”: Texas Horned Frogs

by Carrie Stevenson
May 18, 2026

Well, the TCU Horned Frogs didn’t make much of a splash during the college football championship earlier this week. Despite the outcome of the game, their unusual mascot is one of the more intriguing among universities. After noticing ... READ MORE

Category: Coasts & Marine, Natural Resources, Wildlife
Tags: Barrier Islands, Coastal Wildlife, Weekly What Is It, Wildlife

Weekly “What is it?”: Edward Ball Nature Trail

by Carrie Stevenson
May 18, 2026

Like any Florida nature trail worth its salt, the approach to the Edward Ball Nature Trail on the University of West Florida (UWF) campus includes a sign asking visitors not to feed the alligators. UWF sits along Thompson Bayou, which flows ... READ MORE

Category: Natural Resources, Recreation, Water, Wildlife
Tags: Ecotourism, Weekly What Is It, Wildlife

Weekly “What is it?”: Bartram’s Travels

by Carrie Stevenson
May 18, 2026

If you’ve ever taken any of our Master Naturalist classes, you know that hikes can sometimes take a while. We instructors are fascinated by the plants and animals around us, and love revealing details about what makes them special. This ... READ MORE

Category: Natural Resources
Tags: Weekly What Is It, Wildlife