2020 Year of the Turtle – chicken turtles
Bet you have never heard of these? Chicken Turtles? But they exist! And the reason you probably have not heard of them is because, unlike so many other turtles, they do not spend a lot of time in the water. Chicken turtles are fans of the ephemeral ponds, these are...
New List Provides Assistance Options for Florida Coastal Businesses
Florida Sea Grant is maintaining a curated list of disaster assistance options for Florida’s coastal businesses disrupted by COVID-19. The list contains links to details about well- and lesser-known options and includes “quick takeaway” overviews of each assistance...
Embrace the Gulf 2020 – the jellyfish
I’d like to be a jellyfish… cause jellyfish don’t pay rent… They don’t walk and they don’t talk with some Euro-trash accent… Their just simple protoplasm… clear as cellophane They ride the winds of fortune… life without a brain These lyrics from Jimmy Buffett’s song...
The Incredible Floridan Aquifer
As Florida residents, we are so fortunate to have the Floridan Aquifer lying below us, one of the most productive aquifer systems in the world. The aquifer underlies an area of about 100,000 square miles that includes all of Florida and extends into parts of Alabama,...
For a Unique Landscape Native, Give Needle Palm a Try!
There aren’t a lot of quality landscape plant options that fit the description nearly every homeowner desires: native, low-maintenance, slow-growing, pest free, drought tolerant while tolerating wet soils, loving both sun or shade, and green year-round. Needle Palm...
Now is the Time to Address Aquatic Weeds
Even though the calendar says we are only a few weeks into spring, recent weather has been more like summer. The early arrival of sustained warm weather has water temperatures in local ponds high enough that aquatic vegetation growth has really taken off. This early...
2020 Year of the Turtle – box turtles
These are some of the more familiar Florida turtles we have. Working with youth, I often hear them called “snapping turtles” because (a) these are the most common turtles they encounter, and (b) snapping turtles are the only name they know 😊 I myself had a...
Embrace the Gulf 2020 – the sponges
We began this series on the Gulf talking about the Gulf itself. We then moved to the big, more familiar – maybe more interesting animals, the vertebrates – birds, fish, etc. In this edition we shift to the invertebrates – the “spineless” animals of the Gulf of...
Getting Rid of Chinese Tallow Trees
Chinese Tallow, also known as the Popcorn Tree, was introduced in the US over 200 years ago. Ben Franklin sent seeds over in 1772. Although Franklin was blamed for the invasion in the U.S. Gulf Coast, scientists performed genetic testing and have concluded that the...
Wildlife Food Plots: Chufa for Wild Turkeys
Wildlife management continues to be an area of growing interest on our local farms and ranches and has the potential to generate significant additional income to the farm enterprise. It is also an opportunity to practice good stewardship of the natural resources that...