You may have heard the term conservation easements before but never really knew what they were about. A conservation easement is a legally binding agreement between a landowner and a land trust or government agency where the landowner retains ... READ MORE
Category: Agriculture, Conservation, Forests, Natural Resources, UF/IFAS Extension, Wildlife
When I hear the word tumbleweed, an image of a dry brittle plant tumbling across a barren road of an arid desert scene pops into my head. Not the image of a prickly plant patching across the beaches of Florida. The tumbleweed iconic to the West ... READ MORE
Category: Clubs & Volunteers, Coasts & Marine, Community Volunteers, Conservation, Invasive Species, Natural Resources, Recreation, UF/IFAS, UF/IFAS Extension
"It was a bold man who first ate an oyster," said writer and satirist Jonathan Swift. Historically in many parts of Florida, oysters were once harvested and consumed, but today those areas are few and far between. The compounding issues of degrading ... READ MORE
Category: Clubs & Volunteers, Coasts & Marine, Conservation, Natural Resources, UF/IFAS Extension, UF/IFAS Research, Water
Appearance: The gopher tortoise is a moderate-sized, terrestrial turtle, averaging 23–28 cm (9–11 in) in length. The species is identified by its stumpy, elephantine hind feet and flattened, shovel-like forelimbs adapted for digging. The ... READ MORE
Category: 4-H & Youth, Conservation, Natural Resources
by Mark E. Hostetler If you were to look at Florida from an airplane, you would see urban environments expanding into natural areas. Thousands of people are moving into Florida each year. To make room for people moving to Florida, vast areas ... READ MORE
Category: Conservation, Natural Resources, Wildlife
If you hear a loud buzz coming from trees in the daytime, the noise is most likely caused by cicadas. These buzzing critters make their presence known by leaving their brown exoskeletons on tree trunks and shrubs. Cicadas can be found throughout ... READ MORE
Category: Conservation, Natural Resources
By Samantha Grenrock UF/IFAS Communications When it comes to urban planning, sometimes a bird in hand is not worth two in the bush. Researchers with the University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences have created an online ... READ MORE
Category: 4-H & Youth, Conservation, Horticulture, Natural Resources, Wildlife
The diamondback terrapin (Malaclemys terrapin) is the only turtle in the world believed to live exclusively in brackish water. It is found in tidal marshes on the Atlantic and Gulf Coasts from Massachusetts to Texas. The diamondback terrapin ... READ MORE
Category: Coasts & Marine, Conservation, Natural Resources, Wildlife
If you're familiar with the gopher tortoise (Gopherus polyphemus) you've probably seen or heard about their characteristic burrows. Gopher tortoises dig their burrows in well-drained, sandy soils throughout the southeast. These burrows average ... READ MORE
Category: Conservation, Natural Resources, Wildlife