Can We Eradicate Cogongrass from the Panhandle Barrier Islands?
Most of us have heard of invasive cogongrass (Imperata cylindrica). It arrived in the early part of the of the 20th century near Mobile Alabama and has spread across the lower southeast. It is an aggressive growing grass with serrated leaves and silica...
Assessing the Status of Diamondback Terrapins in the Florida Panhandle 2022 Update
Introduction The diamondback terrapin (Malaclemys terrapin) is the only resident brackish water turtle in the United States. Ranging from Massachusetts to Texas. This estuarine turtle spends much of its time in coastal wetlands such as marshes and...
Can We Eradicate the Invasive Beach Vitex?
If you read the introduction article to this series you would know that yes – based on comments from Dr. Simberloff, we can. But your best chance at doing so is when the species is early in its invasion of the area – Early Detection Rapid Response (EDRR). ...
Can We Eradicate Invasive Species?
I recently attended an invasive species conference, and this topic came up. It seems strange that it would but those who work in the invasive species world have this in the back of our heads a lot. I mean in a lot of cases we do not bring the word up when...
Dealing with the Armadillo
Florida has a love-hate relationship with this animal. Some find them cute and adorable, others find them a pest and a nuisance, either way there is no ignoring this guy. They are everywhere and yes – they can make a mess of your lawn and garden. So,...
Beach Vitex – Did We Get It All?
The quick answer… No So, why write this? For two reasons… To let everyone know how the battle against this invasive plant in the panhandle is goingTo encourage everyone along the coast to keep searching, reporting, and removing it. Can you actually eradicate an...
How Are the Terrapins Doing in 2022?
Since 2005 we have been tracking and monitoring diamondback terrapins in the Florida panhandle. For those of you who are not familiar with the animal, it is a turtle in the family Emydidae. Emydid turtles include what we call “pond turtles” and also...
Private wells: Protect your water quality
The sanitary well cap (blue metal plate on well casing) and concrete pad on top of a grout seal help protect well water from surface contaminants. The spigot on the well cap is solely for sampliing purposes and is a requirement in this specific area of NE Jackson...
Mistflower (Conoclinium coelestinum)
October is the premier wildflower month in the Panhandle. Nighttime temperatures drop, days shorten, pollinators emerge, and many native plants explode into flower. Of all the native fall-flowering Panhandle wildflowers, maybe the most striking is currently in full...
The American Robin
In the southeast it marks the beginning of Fall. The American Robin (Turdus migratorius) is found throughout North America. They spend their spring and summer months in the northern states but as the winter temperatures approach, they migrate to the southern gulf...