Category: Conservation

Bogged down by non-native plant guides

by Natural Areas Training Academy, Dr. Shelly Johnson and Hannah Bokor

April 29, 2026

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
Tags: Managing For Diversity Across Florida's Unique Landscapes, NATA, NATA Core Courses, Natural Areas Training Academy, Shelly Johnson, UF/IFAS Extension

Bat roosts in Florida are protected as of April 16th

by Dr. Shelly Johnson
April 23, 2026

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
Tags: Bats, Chiroptera, Conservation, Exclusions, IFAS Extension, Maternity Colony, NATA, Natural Areas Training Academy, Natural Resources, Shelly Johnson, Wecdept, Wildlife, Wildlife Ecology And Conservation

Natural Areas Training Academy 2025 Report

by Natural Areas Training Academy and Dr. Shelly Johnson

April 23, 2026

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
Tags: NATA, Natural Areas Training Academy, Shelly Johnson, UF/IFAS Extension

Cues to Care: Are city landowners willing to create ecological landscapes?

by hostetm
April 8, 2026

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
Tags: Conservation, Environmental Landscaping, Sustainable Development, Urban Wildlife

In Terms of Conserving Biodiversity – How Functional is a Conservation Development?

by hostetm
February 18, 2026

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, Wildlife
Tags: Conservation, Green Development, Sustainable Development

Florida Master Naturalist Program Courses beginning April 2025

by martinmain
March 27, 2025

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, Wildlife
Tags: FMNP, FMNP Blog, Https://www.facebook.com/@OfficialFMNP/, UF/IFAS Extension, WEC Department, Wildlife Ecology And Conservation

The purpose of the Florida Master Naturalist Program

by martinmain
February 26, 2025

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
Tags: Conservation, FMNP, Natural Resources

Learn about living shorelines – a natural defense against coastal erosion

by martinmain
February 4, 2025

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
Tags: Florida Master Naturalist Program, FMNP, FMNP Blog, Https://www.facebook.com/@OfficialFMNP/, UF/IFAS Nature Coast Biological Station, UF/IFAS Wildlife Ecology And Conservation

Florida Master Naturalist Program News: Florida’s Resident and Migratory Ospreys

by martinmain
March 8, 2024

Although some may suggest Florida doesn’t have seasons, this is far from the truth. Florida’s seasons influence profound changes in the plants and wildlife that occur here. The month of March means spring is officially here, which means ... READ MORE

Category: Coasts & Marine, Conservation, Forests, Invasive Species, NATURAL RESOURCES, Professional Development, Recreation, UF/IFAS Extension, , Water, Wildlife
Tags: Conservation, Environment, Florida Master Naturalist, Nature, Wildlife

Florida Master Naturalist Courses – Learn about Florida!

by martinmain
June 7, 2023

Florida’s natural world is an amazing place. Florida is known for beautiful beaches and coastal waters, but Florida nature has much more to offer. Nearly 200 species of birds are known to nest in Florida and more than that number visit or ... READ MORE

Category: Coasts & Marine, Conservation, Forests, Invasive Species, NATURAL RESOURCES, Professional Development, Recreation, Water, Wildlife
Tags: Conservation, Florida Master Naturalist Program, Natural Resources

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