2020 Year of the Turtle – Diamondback Terrapins
In my time educating the public about Florida turtles I have found that most Floridians have not heard of diamondback terrapins. They have heard of, and seen turtles, but are not sure what the names of the different species are and are not familiar with the term...
Crawfish!
"You get a line, I'll get a pole, we'll go down to the crawdad hole, honey, baby, mine"...there are lots of great zydeco songs singing the praises of crawfish (aka crayfish, crawdads, mudbugs). They are in season now, and while crawfish festivals all around the...
Embrace the Gulf 2020 – the Nemeratean Worms
As we embrace the marine life of the Gulf of Mexico during this year of “Embracing the Gulf”, we are currently hooked on worms. In the last article we talked about the gross and creepy flatworms. Gross because they are flat, pale in color, only have a mouth so they...
Urbanization and MS4s in Stormwater
Urbanization—the process of conversion from forests, grasslands, or agricultural fields to predominantly residential, commercial, and industrial settings—can cause profound changes to the pathways that rainfall takes to become streamflow. This landscape conversion...
Gopher Tortoises
In architecture, a “keystone” is the top, central block in an arch structure, the one that holds the entire building up. Without it, the bricks around it collapse. With it, there is nothing stronger. So, when you hear an animal referred to as a “keystone” species, it...
2020 Year of the Turtle – map turtles
Map turtles (Graptemys) are pretty common across much of the eastern and midwest areas of the United States. Not so much in Florida. There are only two species, and they are only found in the panhandle. However, the range for those two species is mostly in Florida...
Share the Shore with Nesting Seabirds and Shorebirds!
Black Skimmers and Least Terns, state listed species of seabirds, have returned along the coastal areas of the northern Gulf of Mexico! These colorful, dynamic birds are fun to watch, which can be done without disturbing the them. What is the difference between a...
Weekly “What is it?”: Pitcher Plants
If you live in northwest Florida or southeast Alabama and have never laid eyes on our wild native carnivorous plants, it is about time! April and early May are the best time to see them in bloom. We have six species of pitcher plants (Sarracenia), the most common...
Embrace the Gulf 2020 – flatworms
Okay, this is a gamble. I began this series to celebrate the year of the Gulf of Mexico - “Embracing the Gulf 2020”. The idea was to write about the habitats, creatures, economic impacts, and issues surrounding the “pond” that we live on. I did a few introductory...
The Spiderwort
The spiderwort is a pretty little plant that most people have encountered in their yards or on roadsides. In cattle or hay pastures, it is considered a weed because cows won’t eat it, and its high moisture content can ruin hay harvests. In a home landscape, though, it...