Keeping “Zombie Deer” Out of Florida
“Zombie Deer” have been making headlines lately. What are “zombie deer”? They are deer with chronic wasting disease or CWD. CWD is a progressive, neurological disease that is similar to BSE or Mad Cow Disease. It is believed to be caused by a prion (an abnormal...
Embrace the Gulf 2020 – the reptiles
When you think of reptiles you typically think of tropical rainforest or the desert. However, there is at least one member of the three orders of reptiles that do live in the sea. Saltwater crocodiles are found in the Indo-Pacific region as are about 50 species of...
2020 Year of the Turtle – Sea Turtles
This is one of the most beloved animals on the planet… sea turtles. Discussions and debates over all sorts of local issues occur but when sea turtles enter the discussion, most agree – “we like sea turtles”, “we have nothing against sea turtles”. There are nonprofit...
Where can you have your well water tested to ensure it is safe to drink?
Residents that rely on private wells for home consumption are responsible for ensuring the safety of their own drinking water. The Florida Department of Health (FDOH) recommends private well users test their water once a year for bacteria and nitrate. Unlike...
Embrace the Gulf 2020 – The Fish
If you ask a kid who is standing on the beach looking at the open Gulf of Mexico “what kinds of creatures do you think live out there?” More often than not – they would say “FISH”. And they would not be wrong. According the Dr. Dickson Hoese and Dr. Richard...
2020 Year of the Turtle – the snapping turtles
There are a couple of things you learn when working with youth in turtle education. 1) ALL turtles are snapping turtles 2) Snapping turtles are dangerous I grew up in a sand hill area of Pensacola and we found box turtles all of the time. We had one as a...
Celebrate Florida Arbor Day
This week, we celebrate Florida’s Arbor Day. “What?” you may say—“Isn’t Arbor Day in the spring?” Well, yes and no. National Arbor Day is celebrated in the spring (April 24 this year), usually within a day or two of Earth Day. However, because of the wide range of...
Enhancing Your Winter Wildlife Plots with Hard Mast Trees
One of the keys to bagging a deer or mess of squirrels or just enjoying an afternoon viewing wildlife is to locate their preferred food source. In the Panhandle, this often means finding a natural stand of oaks or other mast producing trees. However, the concept of...
Embrace the Gulf 2020 – The Gulf Basin
Standing on one of our local beaches, the Gulf of Mexico appears to be a wide expanse of emerald green and cobalt blue waters. We can see the ripples of offshore waves, birds soaring over, and occasionally dolphins breaking the surface. But few of us know, or think,...
Embrace the Gulf 2020 – Introduction
It’s an amazing place really – the Gulf of Mexico. Covering over 598,000 square miles this almost a complete circle of water and home to some interesting geological features, amazing marine organisms, some of busiest ports in the United States, offshore mineral...