A Large Mass of Seaweed is Heading to Florida; Will It Impact the Florida Panhandle?
It sounds like one of those Sci-Fi thrillers where there is a giant asteroid heading to Earth and we need a special team led by Bruce Willis to save the planet. But in this case it is not a large rock, but a large mass of seaweed. And the threat is not a...
A Sea of Grass; Part 1 – The Grasses
Many in the Florida panhandle are aware of the importance of seagrasses to estuarine ecology. They have heard this many times before and have heard how important it is to protect them. Some are aware that they are important as a nursery for many commercial...
Multi-County Private Well and Water Quality Workshop
Private well system in Florida. Image: C. Wofford, UF/IFAS Photography As a private well owner, you are responsible for ensuring that your water is safe to drink. What do you know about where well water comes from? Do you know how well water can become contaminated?...
Turkeys in the Sunshine State
Florida is home to 2 subspecies of the wild turkey, the Eastern and the Osceola. One might think turkeys in Florida live at the beach. However, Turkeys prefer forested habitats such as hardwoods, pines, and cypress swamps. Their diet, depending on time of year and...
Reducing Health Advisories in Our Coastal Waters; Part 4 Maintaining Your Sewage System
It seems odd that we would be talking about maintaining your sewer system; that was a selling point to convert from septic. But there are things we do that can cause clogs in the lines that initiate what we call Sanitary Sewage Overflows (SSOs). These...
Wildflowers 101
Planting Wildflowers A Florida native wildflower is a flowering herbaceous species that had grown wild in the state’s natural ecosystems in the 1560s when Florida’s first botanical records were created. Planting native wildflowers in Florida benefits natural...
Recreate Responsibly
Spring break is upon us and this often includes trips to the beach. Encountering dolphins and other marine life in the wild can be a once-in-a lifetime experience. There are a few simple guidelines that you can follow to prevent human/wildlife conflict while...
Reducing Health Advisories in Our Coastal Waters; Part 3 How Sewage Treatment Works
Part of the 2019 UF IFAS social media survey across Florida found that many Floridians understood how septic systems worked, but fewer understood how sewer systems functioned. This article is going to try and tell you the basics of how sewage treatment...
NISAW 2023: Final Wrap Up
Over the course of the last week, we have been discussing invasive species issues from across the panhandle. The primary purpose was to provide information for local decision makers to develop management plans for these species. The second was to educate...
NISAW: Working Across Boundary Lines: Because Invasive Species Do Not Recognize Your Posted Sign
Ken Langeland, left, and Martha Monroe, University of Florida environmental educators, examine an invasive tallow tree on Paynes Prairie near Gainesville, Thursday 10-19. They're part of a team of researchers from UF's Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences and...