Category: Recreation

How to Foster an Identity as a Planet Steward

by Michelle Marinangel
September 2, 2026

James Clear’s acclaimed book Atomic Habits is one of the most widely read and frequently recommended modern books on habit formation. It features stories and research that support how to implement successful habit changes and resulting desired ... READ MORE

Category: Conservation, Natural Resources, Professional Development, Recreation, Work & Life
Tags: Climate, Climate Solutions, Healthy Living, Personal Development, Pgm_Sustain, Stewardship, UF/IFAS Extension Sarasota County
someone dressed as a tree out in a park with a family

Agents of Discovery Goes to the Beach! South County Parks and Preserves in April and May

by Katherine Clements
March 27, 2026

Agents of Discovery Goes to the Beach! This time around, Agents of Discovery will be live our first beach park to have a mission! Put on your Special Agent gear and head on down to North Jetty Park in Nokomis to explore nature like never before! ... READ MORE

Category: 4-H & Youth, Coasts & Marine, Conservation, Natural Resources, Recreation, Relationships & Family, Water, Wildlife
Tags: Agents Of Discovery, AgentsOfDiscovery, AoD, Beach, Family, Family Friendly, Gaming, Nature, Pgm_EcoNR, Youth
Person dressed in tree costume outdoors with an adult and two children looking at them

Agents of Discovery: Complete Four Special Missions by Jan 01 for a Field Agent Prize!

by Katherine Clements
November 25, 2025

What is Agents of Discovery? Agents of Discovery is an award-winning educational mobile game that turns the great outdoors into an interactive learning experience. Turn your next park visit into a mission and explore nature like never before! ... READ MORE

Category: 4-H & Youth, Conservation, Natural Resources, Recreation, Relationships & Family, UF/IFAS Extension, Wildlife
Tags: Agents Of Discovery, AgentsOfDiscovery, AoD, Family, Family Friendly, Nature, Parks, Pgm_EcoNR, Youth
photo of tree canopy seen from below, looking up at trees and sky

Nature and Health: Take a Child Outside Week Promotes Connecting Youth with Nature

by Katherine Clements and Zahir Ringgold CordesAvatar photo
October 1, 2025

"Nature-Deficit Disorder" Prompts Greater Focus on Getting Children Outside “Take a Child Outside Week” occurs annually from September 24th - 30th, initiated by the North Carolina Museum of Natural Sciences as an effort to raise awareness ... READ MORE

Category: 4-H & Youth, Conservation, Natural Resources, Recreation, Relationships & Family, UF/IFAS Extension, Water, Wildlife
Tags: Family, Health, Nature, NatureAndHealth, Pgm_EcoNR, TACO, Take A Child Outside
Emma Pistole, with the Nature Coast Biological Station, holds a snook caught in the Gulf of Mexico April 12, 2017.

Snook of Florida: The Common Snook – Ecology and Regulations

by Armando Ubeda
August 28, 2025

The common snook (Centropomus undecimalis) is a captivating species that inhabits a variety of coastal and estuarine environments. There are five species of snook in Florida, but the common snook, also known as robalo or linesider, is the largest, ... READ MORE

Category: Coasts & Marine, Conservation, Natural Resources, Recreation, Water, Wildlife
Tags: Common Snook, Fishing, Fishing Regulations, Pgm_Marine, Snook
Person dressed in tree costume outdoors with an adult and two children looking at them

Agents of Discovery: Special Agents Play Mission — Venice Area Audubon Rookery

by Evelyn Spencer and Katherine Clements
June 30, 2025

First Missions are Live! This month, Venice Area Audubon Rookery was transformed into Sarasota County’s first Agents of Discovery mission location! Agents of Discovery is an interactive, location-based mobile app featuring games and challenges ... READ MORE

Category: 4-H & Youth, Natural Resources, Recreation, Relationships & Family, Water, Wildlife
Tags: AgentsOfDiscovery, Ecology, Exploration, Families, Family, Health, Nature, Nature And Health, NatureAndHealth, Pgm_EcoNR, Youth

Putting on the (Bio)Blitz

by Jackie Lebouitz and Mike D'Imperio
September 13, 2024

Last month, UF/IFAS Extension Sarasota County offered its first ever Dipnets and Donuts: Pond BioBlitz event. It was a great success, with several species spotted in our ponds at Twin Lakes Park. Participants worked in groups and used dipnets ... READ MORE

Category: Conservation, Events, Florida-Friendly Landscaping, Forests, Natural Resources, Recreation, UF/IFAS Extension, Water, Wildlife
Tags: Biodiversity, Citizen Science, Ecology, Environment, Inaturalist, Pgm_Chemicals, Pgm_Water, Survey
Oak leafroller caterpillar on plant

Springtime Caterpillars

by Jackie Lebouitz
March 21, 2024

It's officially spring, and almost like clockwork, several seasonal caterpillars have begun to emerge from our trees...and may have found their way onto our walls, benches, and well, just about everywhere. While their presence may be a nuisance ... READ MORE

Category: Florida-Friendly Landscaping, Forests, Home Landscapes, Natural Resources, Pests & Disease, Pests & Disease, Recreation, UF/IFAS Extension, Wildlife
Tags: Caterpillar, Echo Moth, Inchworm, Integrated Pest Management, Leafroller, Management, Pest, Pgm_Chemicals, Spring, Tussock

Subscribe For More Great Content

IFAS Blogs Categories