Category: UF/IFAS Extension

A fire burning on the ground among pine trees and grass.

Stay Informed About Wildfires

by Dr. Shelly Johnson and Natural Areas Training Academy
April 28, 2026

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
Tags: Natural Areas Training Academy

Bogged down by non-native plant guides

by Natural Areas Training Academy, Dr. Shelly Johnson and Hannah Bokor
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, 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 9, 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

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

by Mark Hostetler
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 and Dr. Shelly Johnson
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

Learn about Invasive Species: Florida Master Naturalist Program

by martinmain
February 25, 2026

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,
Tags: Conservation, Environment, Extension, Florida, Florida Master Naturalist Program, Invasive Species, Natural Resources

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

by Mark Hostetler
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 Mark Hostetler
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

Inspiring Future Ecologists

by Natural Areas Training Academy and Dr. Shelly Johnson
August 15, 2025

Understanding the complexity of nature is not an easy task. Ecologists examine interactions among plants, animals, and the surrounding environment. We had the exciting opportunity to host a workshop, “Explore Biodiversity: Become an Ecologist”, ... READ MORE

Category: 4-H & Youth, Natural Resources, UF/IFAS Extension
Tags: Florida Youth Naturalist Program, NATA, Natural Areas Training Academy, Shelly Johnson

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