Category: Wildlife

Bogged down by non-native plant guides

by Natural Areas Training Academy
April 13, 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, Events, Invasive Species, Invasive Species, Natural Resources, Pests & Disease, Pests & Disease, 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

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
NATA logo in front of boardwalk

Natural Areas Training Academy 2025 Report

by Natural Areas Training Academy
March 30, 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

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

Why Birds Hit Windows — And How We Can Help

by hostetm
February 8, 2026

By Mark Hostetler and Elle Henson Glass windows are one of the most common causes of bird mortality in North America. Especially during the migration season, millions of birds are flying around buildings and unfortunately many hit windows. ... READ MORE

Category: Blog Community, UF/IFAS, UF/IFAS Extension, Wildlife
Tags: Backyard Wildlife, Bird Migration, Bird-friendly Windows, Conservation, UF/IFAS Extension, Urban Birds
White Ibis birds in a wetland.

Florida Master Naturalist Program Courses beginning April 2025

by martinmain
March 25, 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
A banner of the Florida Master Naturalist Program logo to the left of a flying Roseate Spoonbill.

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

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