Beyond the Classroom: My Experience Interning with UF/IFAS Extension Sarasota County


June 15, 2026

  My name is Evelyn Spencer, and I worked as an Environmental Education and Outreach Intern in the fall of 2025 and spring of 2026 with the UF/IFAS Extension Sarasota County Sustainability Program. I graduated in May 2026 from the ... READ MORE

Category: Professional Development, UF/IFAS, UF/IFAS Extension, Work & Life
Tags: Careers, Internship, Pgm_Sustain, Professional Development, Sarasota County Extension, Sustainability
Caution sign with green lake in background

Blue-Green Algae Are Blooming


June 8, 2026

Here in Florida, we are no strangers to algae. It occurs naturally in both saltwater and freshwater ecosystems. Our warm climate, ample sunlight, and slow-moving, shallow waters provide excellent habitats for many algal species. If you have ... READ MORE

Category: Coasts & Marine, Florida-Friendly Landscaping, Natural Resources, UF/IFAS, UF/IFAS Extension, Water, Work & Life
Tags: Algae, Algal Bloom, Blue-green Algae, Cyanobacteria, Florida-Friendly Landscaping, Harmful Algae, Pgm_Water, Sarasota, Sarasota County, Water Quality

Suncoast Florida Drought Update: What It Means for Your Landscape, Water Supply, and Fire Risk

Forest Hecker, Florida-Friendly Landscaping™ Community Educator for Sarasota County's UF/IFAS Extension and Sustainability Department.
June 4, 2026

How Bad Is the Current Drought? Since the end of our rainy season in early fall, rainfall totals across west-central Florida have dropped dramatically. Local meteorologists report this has been one of the driest fall–winter periods in over ... READ MORE

Category: Florida-Friendly Landscaping, Home Landscapes, Natural Resources, Water
Tags: Drought, Fire, Landscape, Landscaping, Pgm_HortRes, Pgm_Water
An image of a group of people standing together in front of a large oak tree after a class.

Meet Kristen Sturgeon: A Florida Master Naturalist Success Story

Avatar photo
June 3, 2026

Blog co-authored by Mary Ellen Boelhower, Florida Master Naturalist Program (FMNP) graduate Meet Kristen Sturgeon Meet Kristen Sturgeon, an Environmental Specialist III with Sarasota County Parks, Recreation, and Natural Resources. In this ... READ MORE

Category: Community Volunteers, Conservation, Natural Resources, Professional Development, UF/IFAS Extension, Water, Wildlife, Work & Life
Tags: Florida Master Naturalist Program, Fmnp-in-srq, Nature, Pgm_EcoNR, Volunteers
Two orchid bees in the foreground with a firebush in the background

Precious Pollinators: Green Orchid Bee


May 28, 2026

Euglossa dilemma: Florida's Brilliant New Orchid Bee If you've spotted a dazzling, iridescent green bee darting through your garden, you may have encountered one of Florida's most fascinating recent arrivals — the Green Orchid Bee (Euglossa ... READ MORE

Category: Florida-Friendly Landscaping, Home Landscapes, Wildlife, Work & Life
Tags: FFL, Florida-Friendly Landscaping, Horticulture, Landscape, Landscaping, Pgm_Chemicals, Pgm_HortRes, Wildlife
A bin of UFBest peaches. Yellow and red plump fruit.

Suncoast Grown and Gathered: May Stone Fruit! Peaches and Plums in Abundance?


May 27, 2026

At the Sarasota County UF/IFAS Extension Office, we've been cultivating a Food Forest to showcase the most productive, unique, and often underutilized fruits and crops suited to our distinctive southwest Florida climate. Through this ... READ MORE

Category: Agriculture, Crops, Florida-Friendly Landscaping, Fruits & Vegetables, Home Landscapes, Horticulture, Work & Life
Tags: FFL, Florida-Friendly Landscaping, Garden, Horticulture, Landscape, Landscaping, Pgm_HortRes
potential shoppers walk along a sidewalk in a downtown business district, as potted plants frame a business doorway and a bike leans against a storefront window. [credit: uf/ifas, javier edwards]

Please Welcome Our Newest Green Business Partner: Sarasota Alliance for Historical Preservation


May 21, 2026

We want to wish a hearty welcome to our newest Green Business Partnership member: Sarasota Alliance for Historical Preservation. About the Green Business Partner Key information about our newest partner, as shared by the company. Sarasota ... READ MORE

Category: Conservation
Tags: Business Recycling, GBP, Green Business, Green Business Partnership, Historical Preservation, Pgm_Waste

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