Written by: Michelle Marinangel and Casey McCabe In 2025, we celebrate Earth day’s 55th anniversary with the theme “Our Power, Our Planet.” This year’s theme calls us to actions that harness renewable energy resources to build a sustainable ... READ MORE
Category: Conservation
Blog co-authored by Mary Ellen Boelhower, Florida Master Naturalist Program (FMNP) graduate Florida Master Naturalist Program (FMNP) helps young professionals round out their skills Biologist Chelsea Dinon lives to go cave diving in Florida’s ... READ MORE
Category: Conservation, Natural Resources, Professional Development, Water, Wildlife, Work & LifeBlog co-authored by Mary Ellen Boelhower, Florida Master Naturalist Program (FMNP) graduate Meet Suzy Nolan, Volunteer Extraordinaire Indianapolis native Suzy Nolan grew up hiking and observing nature, but it wasn’t until the travel ... READ MORE
Category: Community Volunteers, Conservation, Natural Resources, Professional Development, UF/IFAS Extension, Work & Life
You may have heard the phrase "leave the leaves" before. It was first coined by the National Wildlife Federation, then popularized by the Xerces Society. After that, many other groups followed suit. Before we dive into what that phrase means, ... READ MORE
Category: Conservation, Farm Management, Florida-Friendly Landscaping, Home Landscapes, Horticulture, Lawn, Natural Resources, UF/IFAS Extension, Wildlife
All across the state, many disgruntled denizens adjusted their clocks this past Sunday, March 9, to accommodate daylight savings time. While this lets us have longer days, a historically helpful tool for farming...it can be a bit disruptive ... READ MORE
Category: Agriculture, Conservation, Florida-Friendly Landscaping, Fruits & Vegetables, Home Landscapes, Lawn, Natural Resources, UF/IFAS Extension, Wildlife![a tangle of fishing line, plastic beads and other plastic waste on a beach. [credit: unsplash.com, soren funk]](https://blogs.ifas.ufl.edu/sarasotaco/files/2025/03/2025_Water_microplasticsBeach01_unsplashSorenFunk_CROP1650x470TINY.png)
We're hearing a lot about microplastics in the news, but what exactly are they and what can I do to reduce the impact of microplastics in our environment? Well, first, what are they? Microplastics are defined as plastic particles no larger ... READ MORE
Category: Conservation, Health & Nutrition, Water![photo illustration of resource conservation, with green earth globe set against backdrop of lush, green vegetation. [credit: pixabay.com, satheesh sankaran]](https://blogs.ifas.ufl.edu/sarasotaco/files/2024/07/2024_Waste_gbpBannerGreenEarthVegn_pixabaySatheeshSankaranCROP1650x470TINY.png)
The James Griffith Salon opened Aug. 1, 1988, in Venice as an AVEDA Concept Salon. Next came their partnership with The Gasparilla Inn & Club in Boca Grande, opening a second salon, and then expanding with a third location in Sarasota in ... READ MORE
Category: Conservation
Though the goal is to conserve water in the home, we can be conscious of the water used in the production of our favorite foods and beverages, even if the local footprint doesn't have a direct impact on the water resources in our region. When ... READ MORE
Category: Agriculture, Conservation, Florida-Friendly Landscaping, Fruits & Vegetables, Health & Nutrition, Natural Resources, Water![assorted microplastics shown resting on two fingertips, with a pile of microplastics in the background. [credit: uf/ifas, tyler jones]](https://blogs.ifas.ufl.edu/sarasotaco/files/2025/02/2017_Waste_microplasticCloseupFingers01_ifasTylerJonesCROP1650x470TINY.png)
You might have heard about "microplastics," a term that has been in the news in recent years. But, do you know what microplastics are? What damage they can cause? Or, how to help lessen the impacts? We've got you covered. Microplastics ... READ MORE
Category: Conservation, Water
In 2020, The Charles and Margery Barancik Foundation awarded Sarasota County and the Sarasota Housing Authority (SHA) a grant to support housing affordability through energy efficiency. The grant helped to expand our Energy Upgrade program by ... READ MORE
Category: Conservation