Wildlife on Our Barrier Islands in August
It has been a few months since we have posted an article on the changing wildlife over the course of a year on our barrier islands. I took the month of June off and just could not schedule a hike in July. But it is now August, and we DID get out this...
Mangroves in the Western Panhandle
Mangroves in the northern Gulf of Mexico are a relatively new thing for most coastal counties. Some residents are aware they are arriving and are not concerned. Some are aware and are actually excited about it. Some are aware and are concerned. Some are not...
North Florida’s Springs
There is just SO much water in Florida. Besides the tremendous amount of rain and 1,350 miles of coastline and beachfront, there are endless bays, bayous, creeks, rivers, and streams. In this state, it is extraordinarily difficult to live more than a few miles from a...
Dirty Jobs Abound in the Natural World
Most of us have had the displeasure of hurrying to our car, late for some appointment, climbing in, only to be assaulted by...sniff-sniff...the overpowering stench of doggy poo on a shoe. I can handle many of nature’s nasty smells pretty well but this one nearly gags...
What is Salinity?
Part of our job at Extension is to help enhance science literacy. Often we write about natural history topics of interest to community that focus on interesting wildlife or an environmental issue or on topic we think the public should know more about. These articles...
The Pensacola Bay Scallop Search
Scallops… We used to find them here. I have heard stories of folks who could fill a 5-gallon bucket with them in about 30 minutes right by Morgan Park. An old shrimper told me that back in the day when shrimping in Santa Rosa Sound they often found scallops along...
Panhandle Outdoors Live! at St. Joseph Bay Rescheduled for September 28th
The University of Florida/IFAS Extension faculty are reintroducing their acclaimed “Panhandle Outdoors LIVE!” series. Conservation lands and aquatic systems have vulnerabilities and face future threats to their ecological integrity. Come learn about the...
Wild Game can be Nutritious, Delicious and Safe
I often get questions about eating wild game by new hunters. Questions like: Is it safe to eat? How do you process it? How nutritious is it for my family? Does it taste good? A group of agents and specialists joined forces and created 4 new publications to...
Ling of the Florida Panhandle – or Should I Say Cobia of the Florida Panhandle
This fish is a classic example of why scientists use scientific names. There are numerous common names for this species and multiple ones even in the Gulf region. Ling, Cabio, Lemonfish, Cubby Yew, Black kingfish, Black salmon, Crabeater, and Sergeant fish...
Finding Rare Animals
One of the programs I focus on as a Sea Grant Extension Agent in Escambia County is restoring the health of our estuary. One of the projects in that program is increasing the encounters with estuarine animals that were once common. Currently I am focused on...