Category: Work & Life

Meet Suzy Nolan: A Florida Master Naturalist Program Success Story

by Katherine Clements
March 21, 2025

Blog 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
Tags: Conservation, Course, Ecology, Florida Master Naturalist Program, FMNP, Fmnp-in-srq, Learn, Nature, Pgm_EcoNR, Wildlife

Replanting Our Communities: Celebrate Arbor Month 2025 with Native Trees

by Forest Hecker and Ashley Ellis

March 13, 2025

Hurricanes have left lasting scars on our landscapes in recent years, and Arbor Month 2025 offers us an opportunity to heal and rebuild by replanting the trees that are so essential to our communities. We are grateful to the Florida Forest Service ... READ MORE

Category: Florida-Friendly Landscaping, Forests, Home Landscapes, Work & Life
Tags: Event, FFL, Florida-Friendly Landscaping, Horticulture, Landscape, Landscaping, Pgm_HortRes, Storm, Wildlife

What Is That Lawn Ornament? Native Purple Powerhouse, Lyreleaf Sage!

by Forest Hecker
March 12, 2025

Welcome to our Lawn Ornament blog series, where we explore the plethora of micro-plants that can help create a biodiverse, predominantly green, yet also delightfully colorful lawn that requires much less maintenance than a traditional grass ... READ MORE

Category: Florida-Friendly Landscaping, Home Landscapes, Lawn, Work & Life
Tags: FFL, Florida-Friendly Landscaping, Garden, Horticulture, Landscape, Landscaping, Lawn, Nature, Pgm_HortRes

What Can We Do To Reduce Microplastics In Our Home

by Maria Portelos-Rometo
March 12, 2025

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
Tags: Health, Microplastics, Pgm_FCS, Plastic, Pollution, Recycle, Water

What Is That Lawn Ornament? Blue Toadflax and Bay Lobelia — Two No-Mow March Standouts!

by Forest Hecker
March 11, 2025

Category: Florida-Friendly Landscaping, Home Landscapes, Work & Life
Tags: FFL, Florida-Friendly Landscaping, Horticulture, Landscape, Landscaping, Lawn, Pgm_HortRes

Water Footprint at the Grocery

by Valeria Yon
February 28, 2025

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
Tags: Pgm_Water, Water Footprint

Suncoast Grown and Gathered: February Papaya! A Fruitful Florida Native!

by Forest Hecker
February 20, 2025

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 suited to our distinctive southwest Florida climate. ... READ MORE

Category: Work & Life

Reading the Leaves: What Your Landscape Is Telling You

by Ashley Ellis and Forest Hecker

January 31, 2025

Reading the Leaves: What Your Landscape Is Telling You As a University of Florida’s Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences (UF/IFAS) horticulture agent based in Southwest Florida, I often encounter homeowners, Master Gardener Volunteers, ... READ MORE

Category: Florida-Friendly Landscaping, Home Landscapes, Horticulture, UF/IFAS Extension, Work & Life
Tags: Florida Friendly, Master Gardener Volunteer, Native Plants, Pgm_HortRes

FMNP in Sarasota: Uplands Course Survives Hurricane Milton!

by Zahir Ringgold Cordes
January 3, 2025

What is the Florida Master Naturalist Program? The Florida Master Naturalist Program (FMNP) is an adult education curriculum that promotes awareness and understanding of Florida’s natural world for citizens, teachers, tour guides, and volunteers. ... READ MORE

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

Meet a Master Gardener Volunteer: Rooted in Passion, Blooming in Service

by Ashley Ellis
December 30, 2024

Meet a Master Gardener Welcome to our "Meet a Master Gardener Volunteer" blog series, where we spotlight the dedicated individuals who make a significant impact in our community through their passion for horticulture and education. In this ... READ MORE

Category: Community Volunteers, Florida-Friendly Landscaping, Home Landscapes, Horticulture, Natural Resources, UF/IFAS, UF/IFAS Extension, Wildlife, Work & Life
Tags: Florida Friendly, Master Gardener Volunteer, Pgm_HortRes

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