What is the El Niño?
In our last article about the red tides we discussed how the strange weather of 2015 caused some changes in the natural world around Pensacola Beach - mainly, it got warmer. Though climate change is happening, and we just had a major summit on the topic in Paris, the...
Twelve Days of a Nature Christmas
Tis the season… the days are shorter, the lines at the stores are longer, and everyone is busy getting ready. This newsletter is about natural resources and nature – so I was thinking about how we could all enjoy the spirit of this holiday for the wildlife and for our...
When Will the Red Tide End?
This is a question I have been asked several times in the last week. As most of you know the red tide that has been occurring off the panhandle the last few months is still around. Dead fish were reported on Pensacola Beach again the weekend of Dec 12-13 and a few...
Owls – Florida’s Remarkable Nocturnal Birds of Prey
Some of my favorite creatures are owls, and as you can see by the quotes below, owls have captivated humans across the ages. And thorns shall come up in her palaces, nettles and brambles in the fortresses thereof: and it shall be an habitation of dragons, and a court...
Box Jellies in the Gulf of Mexico?
Yep, but do not get to alarmed just yet… it is not the same species as the famous one from Australia. That said… who is this new invader to our waters and is it of concern? According to NOAA and the University of California at Berkeley there are between 20-50 species...
It’s Thanksgiving… That Means Time for “Turkeyfish”
Everyone knows there are “sea horses”, “sea cows”, “catfish”, and “dogfish” but a ”turkeyfish”? Is there such a thing as a “turkey fish”? Well yes there is!… its scientific name is Pterois volitans but most know it as the LIONFISH. Yep, our old friend the lionfish....
Springs of the Western Panhandle
The Panhandle Outdoors LIVE team, with Extension Agents from eight counties, hosted an outdoor field day on August 26, 2015. Twenty-three participants from over eight counties in Florida attended the event and traveled to three local springs: Vortex, Ponce de Leon,...
2015 Peanut Butter Challenge
Next time you are the grocery store, consider purchasing an extra jar or two of peanut butter and donating it to your local Extension office as part of the annual Peanut Butter Challenge. The Challenge is a food collection drive of peanut butter from within each of...
Panhandle Outdoors LIVE! Hikes the Aucilla Sinks Trail
Hernando de Soto and his party crossed the Aucilla River sometime in October of 1539 and celebrated Christmas in what is now Tallahassee. Many things in Florida have changed since de Soto passed this way, but when the 2015 Panhandle Outdoors LIVE! tour hiked the...
Wild about Deer: Game Processing Workshop
When hunting, food safety begins in the field. The goal is to have safe meat for you and your family to eat. Here are a few ways to keep your food safe: Shot placement – that’s right. Food safety begins with an accurate shot. Your goal should be to prevent the...