Searching for Mangroves in the Florida Panhandle
In 2005 I was leading a field trip with high school students in a salt marsh on Santa Rosa Island near Pensacola Beach. As we explored a brackish water creek, we came across a three-foot red mangrove tree, prop roots and all. To say we were surprised and excited...
April is Safe Digging Awareness Month
Call 811 before you dig. No one wants a weekend project to be the cause of Internet, phone and cable outages. Worse yet, what if someone gets hurt from contact with natural gas or electrical lines? That’s why it is so important to have buried utilities in the yard...
The Swallow-tailed Kites are Back
I was having dinner with my family on a cool March evening when one said “I have not seen any Swallow-tailed Kites yet. We usually see them this time of year”. To which I replied, “I saw one today!” – and I had. It was March 23, a very windy afternoon, and I saw it...
Stem to Stern (Northwest Florida November 2, 2023)
Organized and sponsored by Florida Sea Grant, the "Stem to Stern" workshop in November 2023 at the Emerald Coast Convention Center marked a significant gathering in marine conservation and management. This event drew together legal experts, representatives from the...
Beach Wildlife Walk – Late Winter
Though this is titled late winter, it did not feel like winter on this walk. The air temperature was 75°F. There was a blanket of fog over the beach, and it felt slightly humid and sticky, but with a cooler feel than we have in summer. It is true...
Test Your Well Water Once a Year to Help Ensure It’s Safe to Drink
Private well system in Florida. Image: UF/IFAS, C. Wofford About 2.5 million Floridians rely on private wells for home consumption, which includes water for drinking, cooking, and personal hygiene. Private wells are not regulated by the EPA Clean Water Act, and well...
Private Well and Water Quality Workshop
Join us for our upcoming multi-county private well and water quality workshop. As a private well user, you are responsible for ensuring that your water is safe to drink. We will cover how private wells and septic systems work, proper maintenance, steps to help ensure...
Tis the Season…
It is March and spring is in the air. Since we were kids, we all knew that spring was the time of flowers, nests, and new birth. And now it is here. Our first experience with the season was the pollen. Many plants mass broadcast pollen across...
Panhandle Outdoors Live: Woodlot Management
Live From Oyster South Pt. 2
Day 2 of the Oyster South Symposium was the final day of presentations and the trade show, but it is also the day of the Shuck and Tell closing ceremonies. Another grey sky day greeted us, but the symposium was still full of oyster enthusiasts and farmers. Day 2’s...