I like to highlight public places to see plants, and besides our own amazing Master Gardener Volunteer Demonstration Garden on Harborview Road, and the Nature Park in Punta Gorda, the History Park in Punta Gorda is another place to enjoy beautiful, well-cultivated landscapes. During a recent visit to the History Park I found a wonderful…
As the Sea Grant Extension Agent in Escambia County, one of my program areas is to help restore a healthy estuary. To do this we focus on educating the public how to improve water quality, restore habitat, and manage invasive species, but we also focus on how to monitor fish and wildlife. The fish and…
The 2022 Atlantic Hurricane Season begins June 1. Are you ready? Maybe you think you’re ready—you’ve got some bottled water and canned goods to last a few days. Maybe you plan to get those things, just as soon as you hear the next hurricane will really make landfall near you. But if you’ve been in a grocery store lately,…
When you read the word “bee,” what comes to mind? Is it an image of a honeybee? If so, you are in the company of most people. Not many would argue the sweet benefits of this insect. However, for me, I picture the clumsy, round bumblebee. I can sometimes identify with these bees as they…
When rain falls on a forest, some of that water eventually flows into water bodies like rivers, wetlands, and aquifers. Scientists call this flow of water forest water yield, and how much water yield is produced depends on several factors. University of Florida scientists wanted to know how different features of Florida’s forests influence water…
As a child in Buenos Aires, Argentina, Carlos “Charlie” Messina knew he wanted to help people produce food worldwide, while also preserving the environment. But learning about agriculture in a big city wasn’t easy. Fortunately, his father is an agronomist, and Messina found dad to be a fountain of knowledge. Riding around with him, Messina…
Photo above shows a male Evarcha culicivora. (Image provided by Lisa Taylor, UF/IFAS)For a creature that – legs and all – might be no larger than a pencil eraser, spiders continue to surprise researchers with their cognitive abilities. Lisa Taylor, a University of Florida entomologist, has spent her career studying arachnids. She says understanding how…
You’re most likely to notice termites during their swarming activity, but colonies infesting trees and structures are active year-round in Florida. This puts properties at risk for costly damages and trees vulnerable to high winds. A look at this online interactive distribution map determines if species are established in your community.Scientists at the University of…
Recently, the aphid species Sinomegoura citricola was discovered on mango fruit in a suburban area of Palmetto, Florida. Native to Asia, this aphid pest has previously only been recorded once prior, on citrus in California. As a highly polyphagous pest, they have been recorded feeding on over 80 host species including but not limited to: mango, avocado,…
Did you know that Florida is home to several species of native cacti? Its true! The prickly pear cactus (Opuntia spp.) produces edible fruit with flowers that bloom a variety of warm-toned colors. These cacti also serve as important nutrient resources for a variety of animals and pollinators including native and non-native bees, butterflies, and moths.…
The Howard T. Odum Florida Springs Institute (FSI) has found an alarming invasion of Blue tilapia that has replaced the native fish population in Silver Springs State Park based on a recent survey.
In 2019, Blue tilapia made up 25% of the fish biomass in Silver Springs but as of July this year numbers jumped to 86%.
According to Dr. Knight, “Native fish species are…
Recently, USDA-APHIS added 195 sections across Florida in Charlotte, Collier, Glades, Hendry, and Lee counties to the citrus black spot (CBS) quarantine list. Citrus black spot is a disease is caused by the fungal pathogen, Guignardia cirtricarpa (Anamorph: Phyllosticta citricarpa). Thriving in subtropical climates, it’s current distribution is fairly widespread with observations reported across several continents.
Hard spot…
