Hurricanes can have significant impact to wildlife, including pushing them to the brink of extinction. But sometimes, they can actually help wildlife thrive and cause a population boom. Strange impacts can happen, like American flamingos ... READ MORE
Category: UF/IFAS, UF/IFAS, UF/IFAS Research, Wildlife
Florida is a fire-adapted landscape. That means fire is a natural and beneficial part of the ecosystem with many plants and animals evolved to rely on fire. It is not uncommon for natural areas managers to use controlled, planned wildland fire ... READ MORE
Category: AGRICULTURE, , Disaster Preparation, Forests, HOME LANDSCAPES, Natural Resources, SFYL Hot Topic, UF/IFAS, UF/IFAS Communications, UF/IFAS Extension, UF/IFAS Extension, Work & Life
One of the Natural Area Training Academy’s (NATA’s) core courses, “Managing for Diversity Across Florida’s Unique Landscapes,” just concluded. We discussed non-native and invasive plants, which brought up several questions regarding ... READ MORE
Category: Blog Community, Conservation, Invasive Species, Natural Resources, UF/IFAS, UF/IFAS, UF/IFAS Extension, Wildlife
Bats are an important part of our ecosystem in Florida, as the only major predator of night-flying insects. To ensure bats continue providing natural pest control, all bats in Florida are protected. Bat roosts are provided extra protection during ... READ MORE
Category: 4-H & Youth, AGRICULTURE, Conservation, HOME LANDSCAPES, Natural Resources, SFYL Hot Topic, UF/IFAS, UF/IFAS, UF/IFAS Communications, UF/IFAS Extension, UF/IFAS Extension, Wildlife, Work & Life
The purpose of this publication is to inform homeowners, developers, environmental horticulture Extension agents, and city officials about potential considerations to make urban landscapes more eco-friendly and aesthetically pleasing. Regarding ... READ MORE
Category: 4-H & Youth, Conservation, Florida-Friendly Landscaping, HOME LANDSCAPES, Lawn, Natural Resources, UF/IFAS Extension, Water, Wildlife
We are excited to announce that our 2025 Annual Report is officially live on the Natural Areas Training Academy website! We will discuss some highlights below, but be sure to check out the full report, especially for specific information on ... READ MORE
Category: Conservation, Forests, Invasive Species, Invasive Species, Natural Resources, Professional Development, Recreation, UF/IFAS, UF/IFAS, UF/IFAS Extension, Water, Wildlife
This is National Invasive Species Awareness Week, which was established to raise awareness about invasive plants and animals and the damage they cause to the environment, our economy, and in some cases threats they pose to public health. There ... READ MORE
Category: AGRICULTURE, Blog Community, Natural Resources, Professional Development, UF/IFAS, UF/IFAS Communications, UF/IFAS Extension,
I recently blogged about how we could construct urban communities that conserve biodiversity. On private lands marked for development, one strategy to conserve biodiversity is to build a conservation development (CD). CD is an approach to the ... READ MORE
Category: Conservation, Forests, Invasive Species, Natural Resources, UF/IFAS Extension, Water, WildlifeAs chair of the department in Wildlife Ecology and Conservation, Dr. Eric Hellgren’s attention was drawn to the not-so unusual twittering made by his desk phone one blustery January morning. But—little did he know that by answering that ... READ MORE
Category: , UF/IFAS Research, Wildlife
The Florida Master Naturalist Program is making a Difference The future of Florida’s natural world will depend on public engagement and demand for the protection of our amazing natural resources both for our current benefit and for the ... READ MORE
Category: Blog Community, , Natural Resources, UF/IFAS, UF/IFAS Extension