What’s Up with the Red Tide in the Panhandle?
Red Tide has been a persistent presence in the Panhandle since September and responsible for many reported fish kills and respiratory distress in some people. Over the past week, red tide was still present in low to medium concentrations in or offshore of Escambia...
Fall Color Without Popcorn Trees
As the trees begin to turn various shades of red, many people begin to inquire about the Popcorn trees. While their autumn coloration is one of the reasons they were introduced to the Florida environment, it took years for us to realize what a menace Popcorn trees...
It’s Bat Week! Did You Know Bats Eat Insect Pests?
The week prior to Halloween is officially designated as National Bat Week. In honor of this event, it’s worth considering some of the benefits bats provide to us. Did you know there is a species of bat that lives nowhere in the world but within our state? It’s called...
Maintaining Dissolved Oxygen Levels in Your Pond to Reduce Fish Kills
Farm ponds of all shapes and sizes are common in rural Northwest Florida. They are built for a number of reasons such as irrigation, water management, boating, fishing, wildlife viewing, livestock watering, and food production. Each of these uses guides the way the...
Silent Night It Is Not!!! Cicadas Sing the Evening Away.
Autumn evenings in the panhandle are usually beginning to reflect the official change of seasons with cooler air and a slight lessening of the raucous din created by insects and birds. The recent early-fall hurricanes have brought the area a wide breath of hot, humid...
A Pretty Problem: Invasives Which Bloom in Autumn
Autumn is usually considered the season of colors in the natural parts of north Florida, and other locations in North America. This tonal attribute is commonly credited to the foliage changes as the growing season ends. Maples, sweet gums, hickory and many others make...
Tree Triage: Deciding how to deal with downed and damaged trees after a storm
It has been more than two weeks since devastating Hurricane Michael landed hard on the coast of Florida. Central-Panhandle counties from the Gulf to the Alabama line are in full recovery mode, struggling to return to normal after many days without power and clean...
The Wacissa River: Clear and Wild
Being off the beaten path has many advantages. In the case of a spring-fed river, it translates to less pressure from human use and a great opportunity for those who do visit to experience the “real Florida”. The Wacissa River, located in the southern half of...
What’s Up With the Rattlesnakes?
In the past week, three eastern diamondback rattlesnakes were encountered near the Ft. Pickens area on Pensacola Beach. The first was at a condominium unit near the park gate where construction work was occurring, the second was found swimming in the surf of the Gulf...
Who is the Creature That Causes Red Tide: Information on Karenia brevis
When I was in high school we were required to take a semester of communism during our senior year - the idea was to "know the enemy". That is what we plan to do here... But, the enemy is a microscopic plant. Its name is Karenia brevis. It is one of about 10...