NISAW 2024 – Cuban Treefrog
National Invasive Species Awareness Week WERE YOU AWARE THAT THE INVASIVE CUBAN TREEFROG HAS MADE IT TO THE FLORIDA PANHANDLE? Maybe… Some of you have been following this story in this newsletter, some of you may have attended our workshop in Panama City in September...
NISAW 2024 – Cogongrass
National Invasive Species Awareness Week ARE YOU AWARE THAT THE INVASIVE COGONGRASS HAS MADE ITS WAY TO OUR COASTAL AREA? Many may be familiar with this noxious weed but that is because it has been a problem in agricultural and timber lands for many decades now. ...
NISAW 2024 – Beach Vitex
National Invasive Species Awareness Week ARE YOU AWARE OF THE INVASIVE DUNE PLANT CALLED BEACH VITEX? I would say most are not. Though the plant was known over a decade ago, the education/outreach on this species has not been equal to the effort of...
NISAW 2024 – Red Lionfish
National Invasive Species Awareness Week ARE YOU AWARE OF THE RED LIONFISH? Yes… I would say most of you are. When the red lionfish (Pterois volitans) first began to appear along the shores of the Florida panhandle there was a great effort to make locals aware of the...
NISAW 2024 – Introduction
National Invasive Species Awareness Week Each year scientists, resource managers, science educators take some time in February to make the public aware of the invasive species issue. Over the last few decades, I believe this has happened. News articles,...
Oyster Predators in the Florida Panhandle
Even though oysters have a hard shell that even humans have a hard time opening, they do have natural predators in our waters that can easily slurp up a couple dozen. Your usual oyster slurping suspects include oyster drills, blue crabs, and fish (such as the black...
Seasonality of Prescribed Burning Workshop
Have you been stuck in the routine of winter burns? Do you miss getting burns in because you run out of burn days? Are you interested in starting or improving prescribed burn efforts on your property? If so, join us for a day of learning, networking, and discussions....
Winter Wildlife Part 2 – Bald Eagles
Six months ago, they were predicting a colder than normal winter. In January that seemed to be the case. We had multiple fronts with high winds and temperatures dropping into the 20s. But February has been different. As I type this, it is 62°F...
The Florida Master Naturalist Program
Kayaking over seagrass beds and stingrays, hiking among pitcher plants, boating past diving ospreys, and meeting hundreds of fascinating, like-minded people—these are just some of the great experiences I've had while teaching the Florida Master Naturalist Program....
Tagging Wildlife Part 2 – Leatherback Sea Turtles
The leatherback sea turtle is the largest of the five species that have been found in the northern Gulf of Mexico. With a carapace (top shell) length between 6-7 feet and weighing between 800-1000 pounds it is truly a magnificent creature. Any encounter...