Category: Conservation

2026 Spring Southwest Florida Small Farmer Network (SWFLSFN) Meeting Recap: Florida Organic Production

by Luis Rodriguez Rosado, Jessica M. Ryals, David Outerbridge, Allie Williams and Jennifer Hagen

June 12, 2026

Southwest Florida Small Farmers Network (SWFSFN) The Southwest Florida Small Farmers Network (SWFSFN) is a group of UF/IFAS agents in the Southwest Region that connects growers with resources focused on diversified, sustainable farming. We ... READ MORE

Category: Agribusiness, Agriculture, Conservation, Crops, Events, Farm Management, Horticulture, UF/IFAS, UF/IFAS Extension, UF/IFAS Teaching
Tags: Polksmallfarms, Small Farms, Southwest Florida Small Farms Network, Southwest Small Farmers Network, UF/IFAS

Polk County “City Nature Challenge” 2026

by Shannon Carnevale
March 26, 2026

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 24–26, 2026, community members across the region will join ... READ MORE

Category: Coasts & Marine, Conservation, Forests, Invasive Species, Natural Resources, Recreation, Wildlife
Tags: BioBlitz, Citizen Science, City Nature Challenge, Inaturalist, Polk County, Shannon Carnevale

Florida’s state bird is not the flamingo … at least, not yet!

by Shannon Carnevale and Lara Milligan

March 9, 2026

If you scroll through social media this week, you might think Florida already has a brand new state bird. A lot of posts say the flamingo has officially taken the crown. But hold on. That is not true, yet! So, the northern mockingbird is still ... READ MORE

Category: Conservation, Natural Resources, Wildlife
Tags: Lara Milligan, Living With Wildlife, Naturally Florida Podcast, Shannon Carnevale

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

by Bridget Stice and Jasi Cairns

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

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

Celebrate World Snake Day with Naturally Florida

by Shannon Carnevale and Lara Milligan

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 Cairns

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 Milligan

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

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