Category: Professional Development

Welcome Our New Commercial Horticulture Program Specialist

by Jackie Lebouitz
April 10, 2026

At UF/IFAS Extension Sarasota County, we work closely with residents, volunteers, and professionals on a wide range of topics in horticulture, with a focus on promoting plant health through best management practices (BMPs) in the landscape ... READ MORE

Category: Florida-Friendly Landscaping, Home Landscapes, Horticulture, Lawn, Pests & Disease, Pests & Disease, Professional Development, Turf, UF/IFAS Extension
Tags: Business, Commercial, Featured, Garden, Greenhouse, Growers, Horticulture, Nursery, Pgm_Chemicals, Plants, Professional

Meet Dr. Mary Davis: A Florida Master Naturalist Success Story

by Zahir Ringgold Cordes and Katherine Clements

April 6, 2026

Blog co-authored by Mary Ellen Boelhower, Florida Master Naturalist Program (FMNP) graduate Meet Dr. Davis This is Dr. Mary Davis, a retired PhD Ecologist and Sarasota County volunteer. She is also a Florida Master Naturalist Program graduate. ... READ MORE

Category: Community Volunteers, Conservation, Natural Resources, Professional Development, UF/IFAS Extension, Water, Wildlife, Work & Life
Tags: Florida Master Naturalist Program, FMNP, Fmnp-in-srq, Nature, Pgm_EcoNR, Volunteers

Hands-On Learning: My Experience as a UF/IFAS Extension Sarasota County Intern

by Evelyn Spencer
September 25, 2025

Hi all! My name is Evelyn Spencer and I worked as one of the Environmental Education & Outreach Interns for Summer 2025 with UF/IFAS Extension Sarasota County. I am currently enrolled at USF's Patel College of Global Sustainability ... READ MORE

Category: Conservation, Natural Resources, Professional Development, UF/IFAS Extension, Wildlife, Work & Life
Tags: Community, Intern, InternSarasotaLife, Internship, Nature, Pgm_EcoNR

Meet Kylie Wilson: A Florida Master Naturalist Program Success Story

by Katherine Clements
September 25, 2025

Meet Kylie Wilson: Sarasota's Spectacular Shorebird Superstar! Kylie is one of those rare breeds- a native Sarasotan. We've had a few of them now in our Florida Master Naturalist Program (FMNP) courses at UF/IFAS Extension Sarasota County. Even ... READ MORE

Category: Conservation, Natural Resources, Professional Development, UF/IFAS Extension, Water, Wildlife, Work & Life
Tags: Florida Master Naturalist Program, FMNP, Fmnp-in-srq, Master Naturalist, Pgm_EcoNR

2025 UF/IFAS Extension and Sustainability Sarasota County Internship Experience

by Erin Nadel and Sarah Davis

September 3, 2025

Are you interested in a career within the life sciences? Sustainability? Environmental education? Do you want a supportive workspace with opportunities for professional development and growth? Then an internship with UF/IFAS Extension Sarasota ... READ MORE

Category: 4-H & Youth, Agriculture, Camp, Clubs & Volunteers, Conservation, Curriculum, Natural Resources, Professional Development, UF/IFAS Extension, Work & Life
Tags: 4H, Environment, Intern, Pgm_4H, UF/IFAS Extension Sarasota County

Training for Impact: 2025’s Energy Upgrade Program Evolves

by Casey McCabe
August 28, 2025

A Short History of the Energy Upgrade Program The Energy Upgrade program was established in 2012 to educate homeowners in Sarasota County on energy and water efficiency. In 2016, based on community research, the program expanded to include ... READ MORE

Category: Community Volunteers, Home Management, Money Matters, Professional Development
Tags: Assistance, Energy, Energy Efficiency, Learn, Pgm_Sustain, Professional Development, Sustainability, Training

Meet Eli Bodor: A Florida Master Naturalist Program Success Story

by Katherine Clements
August 26, 2025

Meet Eli Bodor, an aspiring conservationist and entomologist. Originally from Tampa, Eli has lived in Sarasota since the age of seven. In April 2024, Eli registered for a Florida Master Naturalist Program (FMNP) class. Read on to learn how ... READ MORE

Category: Conservation, Forests, Natural Resources, Professional Development, UF/IFAS Extension, Water, Wildlife, Work & Life
Tags: Florida Master Naturalist Program, FMNP, Fmnp-in-srq, Master Naturalist, Pgm_EcoNR

Meet Zahir Ringgold Cordes: A Florida Master Naturalist Program Success Story

by Katherine Clements and Evelyn Spencer

July 17, 2025

Meet Zahir, From Fashion to Passion Although having a lifelong passion for the environment, Zahir initially studied fashion design until an eye-opening gap semester traveling to Fiji, Australia, and New Zealand. It was there that she was ... READ MORE

Category: Conservation, Natural Resources, Professional Development, UF/IFAS Extension, Water, Wildlife, Work & Life
Tags: Environmental Education, Florida Master Naturalist Program, FMNP, Fmnp-in-srq, Pgm_EcoNR

Meet Margaret Monti: A Florida Master Naturalist Program Success Story

by Katherine Clements
June 20, 2025

Blog co-authored by Mary Ellen Boelhower, Florida Master Naturalist Program (FMNP) graduate Florida Master Naturalist Courses Inspire a Life of Volunteerism and Nature Immersion Like many Florida residents, Margaret Monti is a transplant. ... READ MORE

Category: Community Volunteers, Conservation, Natural Resources, Professional Development, UF/IFAS Extension, Wildlife, Work & Life
Tags: Conservation, Course, Ecology, Florida Master Naturalist Program, FMNP, Fmnp-in-srq, Learn, Nature, Pgm_EcoNR, Wildlife

Meet Bob Frank: A Florida Master Naturalist Program Success Story

by Katherine Clements
May 20, 2025

Blog co-authored by Mary Ellen Boelhower, Florida Master Naturalist Program (FMNP) graduate Meet Bob Frank, Conservation Ambassador Amateur photographer Bob Frank spent his career as a college professor in Ohio before retiring to Florida ... READ MORE

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