For centuries, wildfire has played a vital role in shaping our natural areas, creating a cycle of growth and decay. Prescribed fire mimics the cycle of natural fire in a controlled manner, proving to be an essential tool for land managers to ... READ MORE
Category: Natural Resources, UF/IFAS Extension
Florida is a popular tourist destination, averaging over 140 million visitors annually. Approximately half of visitors go to a natural area as part of their vacation. Many Florida residents also recreate locally in natural areas. Across the ... READ MORE
Category: Natural Resources, UF/IFAS Extension
What is Biodiversity? Biodiversity is an abbreviation of the term “biological diversity”. It encompasses the variety of life on Earth, including genetic, species, and ecosystem variation. New species are being discovered every year, including ... READ MORE
Category: Natural Resources, UF/IFAS Extension
Are you a nature enthusiast or simply interested in learning more about Florida's amazing ecosystems, the plants and animals that live there, and the conservation issues they face? Are you an educator or ecotour guide looking to expand upon ... READ MORE
Category: Clubs & Volunteers, Coasts & Marine, Conservation, Events, Forests, Home Landscapes, Invasive Species, Natural Resources, Professional Development, Recreation, SFYL Hot Topic, UF/IFAS Extension, Water, WildlifeThe Natural Areas Training Academy (NATA) had another successful year of supporting natural areas managers with professional development opportunities to conserve Florida’s natural resources. NATA offers courses on practical, field-oriented ... READ MORE
Category: Natural Resources, UF/IFAS ExtensionAs of November 2024, we’re excited to welcome Hannah as the newest member of NATA. Hannah is stepping into the role of Training Coordinator, taking over from Jessica, who has moved on to new opportunities. We would like to take a moment to ... READ MORE
Category: Natural Resources, UF/IFAS Extension
I'm sometimes asked why I created the Florida Master Naturalist Program (FMNP), which has been offering courses since 2001 and has awarded in excess of 25,000 FMNP graduate certificates since. The simple answer to that question is that my interests, ... READ MORE
Category: Coasts & Marine, Conservation, Forests, Invasive Species, Natural Resources, Recreation, UF/IFAS Extension, Water, Wildlife
Powerful coastal storms can be highly destructive to built environments, including modified shorelines. This is particularly true when nature's natural defenses, such as oyster reefs, mangroves, and tidal marshes are replaced with turfgrass ... READ MORE
Category: Coasts & Marine, Conservation, Natural Resources, Professional Development, UF/IFAS Extension, Water, Wildlife
As we enter a new year, it is often worthwhile to reflect on challenges and successes from the previous year while also looking forward to the opportunities that lie ahead. During 2024, the Florida Master Naturalist Program (FMNP) completed ... READ MORE
Category: Natural ResourcesAre you a graduate of the Florida Master Naturalist Program (FMNP)? You might be interested to know that during 2023-24 we released newly revised and updated versions of our three FMNP core courses: Coastal, Freshwater, and Upland Systems. ... READ MORE
Category: , Natural Resources, Professional Development, UF/IFAS Extension