Chiggers
Chiggers, also known as ‘red bugs’ are the larvae of mites in the family Trombiculidae. If you’ve ever got an infestation after being in the woods, you’re familiar with the intense itching and reddish welts they cause. In some parts of the world, they are able to...
Spotted Seatrout Harvest Closed February
Source: myfwc.com Reminder: Spotted seatrout harvest is closed in the Western Panhandle Management Zone the entire month of February. New regulations were put into place last year reducing bag limits and closing harvest during February in the Western Panhandle...
EDRR Invasive Species of the Month – Cuban Treefrog
EDRR Invasive Species Cuban Treefrog (Osteopilus septentrionalis) Define Invasive Species: must have ALL of the following – Is non-native to the area, in our case northwest Florida Introduced by humans, whether intentional or accidental Causing either an...
Groundhog or Gopher?
Groundhog Day is celebrated every year on February 2, and in 2021, it falls on Tuesday. It’s a day when townsfolk in Punxsutawney, Pennsylvania, gather in Gobbler’s Knob to watch as an unsuspecting furry marmot is plucked from his burrow to predict the weather for the...
Senate Bill 712 Aims to Further Protect Florida’s Water Resources
Senate Bill 712 ‘The Clean Waterways Act’ was signed into Florida law on June 30, 2020. The purpose of the bill is to better protect Florida’s water resources and focuses on minimizing the impact of known sources of nutrient pollution. These sources include septic...
Oyster Reef Mapping in the Pensacola Bay System, how is oyster reef mapping done?
Santa Rosa County R.E.S.T.O.R.E. has funded the SRC Oyster shell recycling program and the Pensacola, East and Blackwater Bays Intertidal and Subtidal Oyster Reef mapping and Assessment projects. The Nature Conservancy is managing the oyster reef mapping and...
“Dirty Dozen” Invasive Species – Japanese Climbing Fern
Continuing our monthly series of invasive species articles - this week we look at the first of the "Dirty Dozen". The Dirty Dozen are the 12 worst, most problematic, established invasive species within the Six Rivers CISMA - as decided by the members of the Six...
Guest Columnist Cathy Hardin: The trials and joys of trees
Trees often are low on priority lists – unless you had tree damage as a result of Hurricane Sally. However, you might be surprised to learn that trees played a beneficial, if somewhat behind the scenes, role for good this year and every year. And celebrating the good,...
EDRR Invasive Species of the Month – Eurasian Milfoil
EDRR Invasive Species Eurasian Milfoil (Myriophyllum spicatum) Define Invasive Species: must have all of the following – Is non-native to the area, in our case northwest Florida Introduced by humans, whether intentional or accidental Causing either an environmental or...
Stormwater Ponds 101
Prior to joining UF IFAS Extension, I spent three years as a compliance and enforcement field inspector with the local Florida Department of Environmental Protection (FDEP) office. It was a crash course in drinking water regulation, wetlands ecology, stormwater...