Our Magnificent Miner; the gopher tortoise
Just a decade ago, few people would have known what a gopher tortoise was and would have hard time finding one. But today, because of the protection they have been afforded by the state, they are becoming more common. This is certainly an animal you might see...
Restoring the Health of Pensacola Bay, What Can You Do to Help? – Bioaccumulation of Toxins
What is bioaccumulation of toxins? Our bodies come in contact, and produce, toxins every day. The production of toxins can result during simple metabolism of food. However, our bodies are designed with a system to rid us of these toxins. Toxins are processed...
Restoring the Health of Pensacola Bay, What Can You Do to Help? – A Florida Friendly Yard
We have been posting articles discussing some of the issues our estuaries are facing; this post will focus on one of the things you can do to help reduce the problem – a Florida Friendly Yard. The University of Florida IFAS developed the Florida Friendly Landscaping...
Backyard Shiitake Mushrooms: a Tasty and SAFE DIY Project
Have you ever eaten a wild mushroom and then wondered afterwards if you might have made a mistake? If you are prone to forage outdoors for tasty treats from nature, I’ll bet you have. The problem is, unless you are harvesting one of a few “foolproof” species of edible...
Hurricanes and floods: Meeting the resource needs of private well owners
As hurricane season is upon us again, I wanted to share the results of work that UF/IFAS Extension staff did with collaborators from Virginia Tech and Texas A&M University to help private well owners impacted by Hurricanes Irma and Harvey last year. This work...
An Intimidating Fish They Call the Stingray
It is now late May and in recent weeks I, and several volunteers, have been surveying the area for terrapins, horseshoe crabs, and monitoring local seagrass beds. We see many creatures when we are out and about; one that has been quite common all over the bay has been...
The Air Potato Challenge
By L. Scott Jackson and Julie B. McConnell, UF/IFAS Extension Bay County Northwest Florida’s pristine natural world is being threaten by a group of non-native plants and animals known collectively as invasive species. Exotic invasive species originate from other...
Restoring the Health of Pensacola Bay, What Can You Do to Help? – Sediments
In the mid 1990’s, the Bay Area Resource Council was created. This multi-county (Escambia and Santa Rosa) organization included local scientists and decision makers to help better understand the health of Pensacola Bay, develop a plan for restoration, and work...
The Crown Conch – A Slow Predator of the Estuary
In recent weeks, volunteers and I have been surveying local estuaries counting terrapins, horseshoe crabs, and monitoring seagrass. One animal that has been very visible during these surveys is the relatively large snail known as the crown conch (Melongena corona). ...
Storm Season is Right Around the Corner, Let’s Be Ready
Storm Season is Right Around the Corner, Let’s Be Ready Ray Bodrey, UF/IFAS Gulf County Extension Director Hurricane season technically begins on June 1st and ends November 30th. However, storm season may reach us in the Panhandle as early as Memorial Day weekend. As...