The Cuban Treefrogs are Coming
In the invasive species world, we talk of “Early Detection Rapid Response” (EDRR). These are invasive species that are currently not in our area, or are in very low numbers, but pose a potential threat. One of these is the Cuban treefrog. As the name...
Weekly “What is it?”: Coastal Plain Honeycombhead & Gulf Coast solitary bee
Coastal plain honeycombhead blooms through the summer on local beaches. Photo credit, Bob Pitts, National Park Service Over my years of leading people on interpretive trail hikes, I have learned it is particularly important to know the names of whatever happens to be...
Warm Season Wildlife Plots Serve Many Purposes
Many Panhandle hunters and outdoor enthusiasts invest a good bit of time, money, and sweat into growing cool season food plots to feed and attract various wildlife. I count myself among you. However, if you want to maximize your property’s wildlife and...
Fall Snake Encounters
As many of you know, I do programs with snakes and receive a lot of calls about them. But in recent weeks I have seen an increase in the number of calls and the number of encounters inside of homes. Though most of the home invasions have been in the garage, one...
Discovering Dissolved Oxygen
We all know how important oxygen is to all life. It is an element with the atomic number of 8, meaning it has eight protons and eight electrons. It has an atomic mass of 16 indicating that it also has eight neutrons. Oxygen is a gas at room...
Mountains of Jellyfish
In recent weeks there have been reports of large masses of jellyfish along the Gulf Coast. I have actually heard people state “I would rather be in the water with 100 sharks than 100 jellyfish”. Maybe that is true from some. Honestly, it seems...
Our Native Saturniid Moths
It certainly appears that I am on an insect kick of late based on the content of my last three newsletter articles. Honestly though, when I think about it, bugs definitely rank near the top of my list for mystery and intrigue in the natural world. When we begin to dig...
The Pensacola Bay Horseshoe Crab Hunt 2022
This is an amazing animal – the horseshoe crab (Limulus polyphemus). A relic of an age before the dinosaurs, they have been plowing the sediments of our marine and estuarine waters for over 400 million years. They are thick armored tanks, shaped like...
Buggin’ Out! When the Outdoors Comes Indoors
AUTHOR: ETHAN CARTER - Regional Agriculture Specialist; Northwest District While many people enjoying hiking and exploring the outdoors, coming home to find unexpected bugs in the house is much less enjoyable. There are several key factors that generally lead insects...
Bad Cat Classic 2022 -Catfishing and Bream Tournament
Father and son team in 2021 Bad Cat Classic. The Bad Cat Classic will be hosted on August 27, 2022 by the Holmes County by UF/IFAS Extension Holmes County. The Bad Cat Classic is a bream and catfishing tournament with the mission to get youth on the water, spending...