Category: Conservation

Reassessing Meatless Monday: A Scientific Perspective on the Role of Meat in Sustainable Diets

by Bridget Stice and Jasi RomeroAvatar photo
November 3, 2025

By Bridget Stice, UF/IFAS Extension Polk Meatless Monday campaigns urge the public to skip meat one day a week to "improve health and protect the planet". While reducing excessive consumption of any food can be beneficial, blanket campaigns ... READ MORE

Category: Agribusiness, Agriculture, Conservation, Crops, Farm Management, Health & Nutrition, Livestock, Natural Resources, Pests & Disease, SFYL Hot Topic, Turf, UF/IFAS, UF/IFAS Extension, UF/IFAS Research, , Water, Wildlife
Tags: Agriculture, Beef, Bstice, Featured, Livestock, Meat, Polk County, Polk County FL, Polkco, SFBF, Sustainability
turtles on a branch, on a lakeshore

Are There Snakes in Our Lakes? Here’s What UF/IFAS Experts Say

by Shannon Carnevale
August 6, 2025

You may have seen media reports about the various snakes found in Florida’s water bodies. This may be overwhelming or even scary to consider. However, while it’s not unusual to see a snake near water, University of Florida Institute of Food ... READ MORE

Category: Conservation, Natural Resources, Water, Wildlife
Tags: Living With Wildlife, Naturally Florida Podcast, Shannon Carnevale, UF IFAS Extension Internship, Wildlife
Black snake on a hedge.

Celebrate World Snake Day with Naturally Florida

by Shannon Carnevale and Lara MilliganAvatar photo
July 16, 2025

Celebrate World Snake Day with Naturally Florida July 16 is World Snake Day!  Florida is home to an incredible diversity of native snakes—many of which play important roles in maintaining healthy ecosystems. Learning about snakes in Florida ... READ MORE

Category: Conservation, Home Landscapes, Home Management, Natural Resources, Pests & Disease, Wildlife
Tags: Living With Wildlife, Polk County, Shannon Carnevale, Snakes

What’s Your Game Plan? Habitat and Game Management Workshop

by Shannon Carnevale
June 18, 2025

Do you own or lease land in Central Florida? Are you interested in improving your property for native wildlife or hunting? Then our upcoming What’s Your Game Plan? workshop is for you! Led by the UF/IFAS Natural Resources Extension in Polk ... READ MORE

Category: Agribusiness, Conservation, Forests, Natural Resources, Recreation, Wildlife
Tags: Florida Wildlife, Natural Resources, Polk County, Shannon Carnevale, Turkey, Turkeys

Know Your Beef – The Myths of Meatless Mondays

by Bridget Stice and Jasi RomeroAvatar photo
May 12, 2025

Every Monday, some groups urge Americans to skip meat in the name of “helping the planet.” But here’s the truth: U.S. beef production is NOT the environmental problem it’s often made out to be. These campaigns rely on global averages ... READ MORE

Category: Agribusiness, Agriculture, Conservation, Crops, Farm Management, Livestock, Natural Resources, Pests & Disease, SFYL Hot Topic, Turf, UF/IFAS, UF/IFAS Extension, UF/IFAS Research, Water, Wildlife
Tags: Agriculture, Beef, Bstice, Featured, Livestock, Polk County, Sustainability

Bellini Preserve Bioblitz – City Nature Challenge 2025

by Shannon Carnevale
March 21, 2025

Participate in the City Nature Challenge BioBlitz The City Nature Challenge is a global celebration of biodiversity—and you can be part of it right here in Polk County. From April 25–28, 2025, community members across the region will join ... READ MORE

Category: Conservation, Natural Resources, Recreation
Tags: BioBlitz, Central Florida, City Nature Challenge, Conservation, Invasive Species, Polk County, Shannon Carnevale

Florida’s Carnivorous Plants, a spooky new episode from Naturally Florida!

by Shannon Carnevale and Lara MilliganAvatar photo
October 22, 2024

In this episode, we’re diving into one of the state’s most fascinating plant groups: carnivorous plants. These spooky species have adapted to capture prey in some of Florida’s most nutrient-poor environments. We’ll talk about how they ... READ MORE

Category: Conservation, Natural Resources, Water
Tags: Carnivorous Plants, Naturally Florida Podcast, Podcast, Spooky Season

Atala Butterflies and Coontie Cycads: Signs of Damage and How to Protect the Butterflies

by Anne Yasalonis
September 10, 2024

There have been Atala butterflies sightings in and around Polk County, and while there is much information on the butterfly and its history of near extinction, it is important for homeowners and landscape managers to be on the lookout when ... READ MORE

Category: Conservation, Home Landscapes, Wildlife
Tags: Anne Yasalonis, Atala, Atala Butterfly, Ayasalonis, Butterflies, Central Florida, Florida-Friendly Landscaping, Florida-Friendly Plants, Flowers, Gardening, Jschelb, Polkgardening, Polkmg, UF/IFAS, UF/IFAS Polk County, Wildlife

Florida Pesticide Licenses: Right-of-Way

by Luis Rodriguez Rosado
June 6, 2024

Florida is one of the most regulated states concerning pesticide applications. Florida has 13 different pesticide licenses with over 20 categories. This makes it difficult for applicators to understand what license is the one they need for a ... READ MORE

Category: Conservation, Natural Resources, Pests & Disease, Professional Development, Recreation, UF/IFAS, UF/IFAS Extension, Water, Wildlife
Tags: Pesticide License, Pesticide_applicator, Pesticide_protection, Right-of-way, UF/IFAS, UF/IFAS Polk County

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