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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
Field of Lyreleaf Sage with Tiger Swallowtail

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
Mangrove background, Bahama Swampbush and native Swampbush in foreground with an assortment of hummingbirds found in Florida.

Florida’s Best Hummingbird Plant? Native Endangered Swampbush!

by Forest Hecker
February 10, 2025

A year ago, I was attending the Chocolate Festival at Fairchild Tropical Botanic Garden. Overwhelmed by the crowd, I took a short walk into the "lowlands" of the garden—an area I rarely explore unless searching for the resident crocodile. But ... READ MORE

Category: Florida-Friendly Landscaping, Home Landscapes, UF/IFAS Extension, Wildlife
Tags: FFL, Florida-Friendly Landscaping, Garden, Horticulture, Landscape, Landscaping, Nature, Pgm_HortRes, Wildlife

Plants at Their Peak: Virginia Creeper

by Forest Hecker
January 22, 2025

Virginia Creeper (Parthenocissus quinquefolia) is a plant of striking beauty and ecological value, but its reputation varies dramatically depending on where it grows. In its native range across North America, it often goes unappreciated ... READ MORE

Category: Florida-Friendly Landscaping, Home Landscapes, Natural Resources
Tags: FFL, Florida-Friendly Landscaping, Horticulture, Landscape, Landscaping, Nature, Pgm_HortRes, Wildlife
An image of a group of several people of all ages standing together and smiling in two rows.

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
An image of children and an adult standing at the edge of river, looking at white birds on the other side of the river through binoculars.

Looking Back on LIFE: A Successful Year for Sarasota County’s Award Winning Youth Education Program

by Zahir Ringgold Cordes
July 1, 2024

Malala Yousafzai, youngest Nobel Peace Prize recipient and youth advocate for the power of education and equal opportunity for girls, famously said, "The world is shaped by the dreams and ambitions of its young minds." As we work to address ... READ MORE

Category: 4-H & Youth, Coasts & Marine, Conservation, Natural Resources, Water, Wildlife
Tags: Conservation, Environment, LIFE Program, Nature, Pgm_EcoNR, Youth Development, Youth Education
A collection of 3 images of a tortoise, a softshell turtle sticking its long neck out, and a cooter freshwater turtle eating floating aquatic vegetation.

Wild Sarasota: Turtle Talk

by Zahir Ringgold Cordes
May 17, 2024

Have you ever wondered what makes a turtle different from a tortoise? These fascinating creatures are often confused due to their similar appearances. Read on to learn how to distinguish between the two, and to understand how you can help protect ... READ MORE

Category: Conservation, Forests, Natural Resources, Water, Wildlife, Work & Life
Tags: Animals, Conservation, Environment, Gopher Tortoise, Nature, Pgm_EcoNR, Turtles, Wild Sarasota, Wildlife
Atala caterpillars on Coontie

A Florida-Friendly Landscaping™ Tale of Survival and Resurgence (Part II): Atala Butterflies

by Forest Hecker
January 24, 2024

Countless species of flora and fauna have been lost in what is now being labeled as the Anthropocene extinction event. Fortunately, two local species have not only escaped from the brink of extinction but have rebounded as humans have improved ... READ MORE

Category: Conservation, Florida-Friendly Landscaping, Home Landscapes, Wildlife
Tags: Atala, Coontie, FFL, Florida-Friendly Landscaping, Horticulture, Landscaping, Nature, Pgm_HortRes, Wildlife

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