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On today’s episode, we will do a deep dive into the topic ofstorm surge. What is storm surge? What are the impacts of storm surge to us and our natural systems? We will also help you understand the risk of stormsurge where you live.
Episode script reviewed by Lauren Wolf, Holly Abeels, andArmando Ubeda.
Episode recording reviewed by Stephen Mullens.
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This episode is part 1 of our summer hurricane series! Today, we're talking about how hurricanes form, why they spin, and what the "categories" mean when we talk about storms.
Also, we would like to extend a huge THANK YOU to Stephen Mullens, a fellow faculty member at the University of Florida, for reviewing our episode content for accuracy. Stephan is an expert in forecasting and impacts related to hurricanes and thunderstorms.
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Green anoles are some of Florida’s most familiar—and most overlooked—neighbors.
In this episode of Naturally Florida, we revisit our very first show from 2020 to explore what makes these little lizards so unique, how they interact with the introduced Cuban brown anole, and what you can do to help them thrive in your own backyard.
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How You Can Help:
Sources for this Episode:
If you enjoyed this episode, please consider sharing it with a friend who might enjoy learning about Florida's natural areas and the wild things that live here!
If you're active on iNaturalist, consider joining our iNaturalist project, Naturally Florida's Listener Observations, here: https://www.inaturalist.org/projects/naturally-florida-s-listener-observations
Happy Lakes Appreciation Month!
This month, we dive into water quality and what it really means for freshwater systems. You'll hear a lot of scientific jargon this month, but we tried to define everything as we used it. This will help you talk to your local watershed, river, or lake managers!
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In this episode, we explore the unique ecology of scrub habitat in Florida. What is a scrub? Where are they located?How are they different from similar ecosystems? How does fire play a role in scrub habitats? What threats do scrub habitats face? What can you do about it? We cover this and more in this episode of Naturally Florida.
Learn More:
• Florida Natural Areas Inventory: Scrub - https://www.fnai.org/PDFs/NC/Scrub_Final_2010.pdf
• Topographpic map, elevation, terrain - https://en-ca.topographic-map.com/map-x1rv5k/Polk-County/
• Calamintha bee (Shannon mentioned in episode) - https://www.floridamuseum.ufl.edu/science/discover-nest-northern-range-blue-calamintha-bee/
• Scrub and High Pine - https://programs.ifas.ufl.edu/florida-land-steward/forest-resources/upland-forest-ecosystems/scrub-and-high-pine/
• Common Woody Plants of Florida Scrub Ecosystems- https://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/publication/FR373
• Florida Scrub - https://crocdoc.ifas.ufl.edu/publications/msrpmap/floridascrub/
How You Can Help:
• Florida scrub is globally rare and incredibly unique, supporting plants and animals found nowhere else. Speak up and advocate for the preservation of the special natural lands. Needs some inspiration, check out the GladysE. Douglas Preserve story.
• Fire is essential in scrub habitats —without it, the ecosystem collapses and species disappear. Be sure to support and advocate for prescribed fires in your area.
• Scrub may look barren, but it’s a biodiversity hotspot—an ecological gem hiding in plain sight. See if you can find a scrub habitat near you to visit!
Sources for this Episode:
• Florida Natural Areas Inventory: Scrub - https://www.fnai.org/PDFs/NC/Scrub_Final_2010.pdf
• Scrub and High Pine - https://programs.ifas.ufl.edu/florida-land-steward/forest-resources/upland-forest-ecosystems/scrub-and-high-pine/
• Common Woody Plants of Florida Scrub Ecosystems- https://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/publication/FR373
If you enjoyed this episode, please consider sharing it with a friend who might enjoy learning about Florida's natural areas and the wild things that live here!
If you're active on iNaturalist, consider joining our iNaturalist project, Naturally Florida's Listener Observations, here: https://www.inaturalist.org/projects/naturally-florida-s-listener-observations
In this episode, we'll discuss the three different species of mangroves found in Florida, their northward migration, and the critical role they play in our coastal ecosystems. We'll also share practical actions you can take to help protect these vital habitats.
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Vultures can be seen throughout Florida, whether soaring in the air or feeding on the ground, visitor or resident, we have all encountered vultures in Florida. We actually have two species of vultures in Florida, the black vulture and the turkey vulture. While they may seem clumsy and not the most attractive birds, they play a critical role in our ecosystem. Learn how to tell these two species apart and the importance of these birds to our natural world.
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Sources:
If you enjoyed this episode, share it with a friend who might enjoy learning about Florida's natural areas and the wild things that live here!
If you're active on iNaturalist, join our iNaturalist project, Naturally Florida's Listener Observations, here: https://www.inaturalist.org/projects/naturally-florida-s-listener-observations
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On today's episode, you'll hear about a few of our non-native lizards and learn about the complexity of when a species may or may not be called invasive.
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While much of the country waits until late April to celebrate Arbor Day, Florida marks the occasion several months sooner. Our subtropical climate makes it safe—and even beneficial—to plant trees during the cooler, drier winter months (with proper irrigation). By doing this now, young saplings have time to develop strong root systems before facing the intense heat and storms of the summer season. Perhaps you recently attended an Arbor Day event, or took home a tree to plant in your yard. This episode explores Florida Arbor Day and tips for caring for your tree.
Learn more:
Economic Contributions of Urban Forestry in Florida in 2017 - https://ccmedia.fdacs.gov/content/download/94000/file/FLUrbanForestry_Infographic.pdf
Wind and Trees: Lessons Learned from Hurricanes (Mentioned by Shannon) - https://hort.ifas.ufl.edu/woody/documents/FR173.pdf
How You Can Help:
Plant a tree! Watch this video to learn how: https://youtu.be/HXdlsJ451b8?si=uy9JFBluX-HjeJCp&t=37
Prune your maturing or mature trees, to ensure they are storm resistant and healthy.
Go to https://www.treesaregood.org/findanarborist to find a certified tree expert to help maintain your trees.
Sources for this Episode: http://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/pdffiles/FR/FR17400.pdf
http://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/fr173
https://blogs.ifas.ufl.edu/polkco/2017/09/08/471/
http://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/fr175
Arbor Day 2024 ‑ History & Facts | HISTORY
Planting and Establishing Trees – Gardening Solutions
https://www.treesaregood.org/findanarborist
If you enjoyed this episode, please consider sharing it with a friend who might enjoy learning about Florida's natural areas and the wild things that live here!
If you're active on iNaturalist, consider joining our iNaturalist project, Naturally Florida's Listener Observations, here: https://www.inaturalist.org/projects/naturally-florida-s-listener-observations
THANK YOU to all our loyal listeners that completed our annual podcast survey! If you missed out, no worries, you can give us feedback anytime on our website or try again next year starting in the Fall when we launch our survey again.
In this episode, we explore the world of oysters. What are they? What do they do? What happens when they die? Eastern oysters play a critical role in Florida’s estuarine habitats, supporting hundreds of species big and small. Learn all about oysters and how you can support them in this episode.
Learn More:
• Eastern Oyster - https://www.fisheries.noaa.gov/species/eastern-oyster
• Eastern Oyster Biology - https://myfwc.com/research/saltwater/mollusc/eastern-oysters/biology/
• Oyster Reef Habitat - https://www.fisheries.noaa.gov/national/habitat-conservation/oyster-reef-habitat
How You Can Help:
• Consider installing a vertical oyster garden off your dock, or paint one to hang as décor in your home as a talking point for family and friends. Reach out to your local Florida Sea Grant Agent to find out if you have VOG efforts in your county.
• Keep eating oysters! By consuming oysters, you are supporting the oyster industry and the restoration efforts throughout Florida utilizing recycling oyster shell for living shoreline projects and more!
Sources for this Episode:
• TBEP Oyster Habitat Suitability Index (HSI) - https://tampabay.wateratlas.usf.edu/oyster-habitat-suitability/
• Historical ecology with real numbers: past and present extent and biomass of an imperiled estuarine habitat - http://www.oyster-restoration.org/wp-content/uploads/2012/07/zuErmgassen_etal_historical_ecology_2012.pdf •What is a bivalve mollusk? https://oceanservice.noaa.gov/facts/bivalve.html
• Oyster Shell Recycling Pilot Program - https://pinellas.gov/programs/oyster-shell-recycling-pilot-program/
If you enjoyed this episode, please consider sharing it with a friend who might enjoy learning about Florida's natural areas and the wild things that live here!
If you're active on iNaturalist, consider joining our iNaturalist project, Naturally Florida's Listener Observations, here: https://www.inaturalist.org/projects/naturally-florida-s-listener-observations
On today's episode we're talking turkey - the wild turkey, that is! Learn all about Florida's wild turkey species, their biology, and even bust a myth or two.
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Sources:
In this episode, we’re diving into one of the state’s most fascinating plant groups: carnivorous plants. These spooky species have adapted to capture prey in some of Florida’s most nutrient-poor environments. We’ll talk about how they trap their meals, their role in the ecosystem, and where you can spot these unique plants across the state.
Learn More:
• Pinellas Predatory Plants - https://youtu.be/gG0XNhSnSvQ?si=_27ONm-oA3pNOHH6
• Carnivorous Plants - https://gardeningsolutions.ifas.ufl.edu/plants/ornamentals/carnivorous-plants/
• Carnivorous plants – novel natives with showy flowers - https://www.flawildflowers.org/2022-spring-bloom-report/
• Carnivorous Plants – Both Rare and Well Done – Along the Apalachicola – UPDATED - https://blog.wfsu.org/blog-coastal-health/2022/04/carnivorous-plants-both-rare-and-well-done-along-the-apalachicola/
• Florida’s Carnivorous Plants - https://ifasbooks.ifas.ufl.edu/p-1728-floridas-carnivorous-plants.aspx
How You Can Help:
• Do Not Poach them! Many of the species are state or federally threatened, due to illegal harvesting from the wild and the destruction of their wetland habitats. Seeds or plants can be purchased from reputable nurseries and seed sources. Many species available for purchase are native to Florida and can be grown in rain gardens or in sunny spots.
• Support habitat restoration and maintenance through prescribed fire. In Florida, many of these species are also fire dependent, like the ecosystems they grow in – yes, even the wetlands!
• Build memories with these species – seek them out, learn about them with your friends and family - https://www.flawildflowers.org/2022-spring-bloom-report/
Sources for this Episode:
Pinellas Predatory Plants - https://youtu.be/gG0XNhSnSvQ?si=_27ONm-oA3pNOHH6
• Carnivorous Plants - https://gardeningsolutions.ifas.ufl.edu/plants/ornamentals/carnivorous-plants/
• Carnivorous plants – novel natives with showy flowers - https://www.flawildflowers.org/2022-spring-bloom-report/
• Carnivorous Plants – Both Rare and Well Done – Along the Apalachicola – UPDATED - https://blog.wfsu.org/blog-coastal-health/2022/04/carnivorous-plants-both-rare-and-well-done-along-the-apalachicola/
• Florida’s Carnivorous Plants - https://ifasbooks.ifas.ufl.edu/p-1728-floridas-carnivorous-plants.aspx
If you enjoyed this episode, please consider sharing it with a friend who might enjoy learning about Florida's natural areas and the wild things that live here!
If you're active on iNaturalist, consider joining our iNaturalist project, Naturally Florida's Listener Observations, here: https://www.inaturalist.org/projects/naturally-florida-s-listener-observations
Pollinators are the unsung heroes of Florida’s ecosystems, supporting the reproduction of our flowering plants in urban, suburban and natural areas. Pollinator populations are declining, and organizations are urging people to take action to support pollinators in their areas of influence. There is a lot of buzz around the topics of pollinators these days, but who are they? What are they doing? Where do they go? Find out this and more in today’s episode.
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How You Can Help:
Sources for this Episode:
If the title of this episode sounds familiar, you must be a Creedance Clearwater Revival fan like Shannon is!
Well, CCR might have actually been singing about seeing the rain but on today's episode of Naturally Florida, we're talking about smelling the rain. Rather, more accurately, we're talking about the smell before the rain, also known as Petrichor.
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Sources:
Saw palmetto (Serenoa repens) is an iconic plant of Florida, often dominating the understory of pine flatwoods habitats. Not only is saw palmetto endemic to Florida and the southeastern U.S., but it has also been referred to as a keystone species! A plant as a keystone species? YES!
Keystone Species - a species on which other species in an ecosystem largely depend, such that if it were removed the ecosystem would change drastically.
For most of the year, saw palmetto fronds stand proud and upright showcasing their unique fan-shaped leaves with long, stiff, pointed leaflets and spikey leaf stems. They reflect the sun’s rays with their waxy coated, muted green and sometimes yellow leaves. From far away, saw palmetto may seem to serve little benefit to the environment other than taking up a lot of space. Upon closer inspection, saw palmetto create their own little world for numerous wildlife species big and small.
Learn More:
Parsing Through the Palmettos (blog by Lara): https://blogs.ifas.ufl.edu/pinellasco/2018/02/13/palmettos/
Fire Effects Information System – Species: Serenoa repens https://www.fs.usda.gov/database/feis/plants/shrub/serrep/all.html
The Diversity of Insects Visiting Flowers of Saw Palmetto (Arecaceae): https://www.jstor.org/stable/23268495
How You Can Help:
Protect saw palmetto where you can (your yard, speak up if plans to remove at local park/neighborhood)
Report poachers by calling your local non-emergency number or the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission Wildlife Alert Hotline
Plant saw palmetto where you can. You can find a native plant nursery near you: https://www.fann.org/
Support prescribed burning financially or through letters of support to your elected officials
Sources for this Episode:
The Diversity of Insects Visiting Flowers of Saw Palmetto (Arecaceae): https://www.jstor.org/stable/23268495
Pollination Biology of Saw Palmetto (Serenoa repens) in Southwestern Florida: https://palms.org/wp-content/uploads/2016/05/vol47n2p95-103.pdf
The Quarterly Journal of the Florida Native Plant Society: Palmetto. The Palmetto Issues, Volume 33: Number 3 > 2016: https://www.fnps.org/assets/pdf/palmetto_issues/Palmetto_33-3.pdf
The marsh rabbit is a medium-sized rabbit with short, rounded ears, and small feet. It is similar in appearance to the more familiar eastern cottontail rabbit but without the white color of their tail. The marsh rabbit is found in the southeastern United States from southeast Virginia (in the Dismal Swamp), along the east coast to eastern Alabama, and the Florida peninsula and the islands along the coast of Florida. There is a subspecies of the marsh rabbit, which is endangered and only found in (endemic to) the lower Florida Keys. Marsh rabbits live near freshwater and brackish marshes and wet prairies and can even be found in flooded agricultural fields. The main threat to marsh rabbits is habitat loss from human development and fragmentation. Their population also declines due to hurricanes and coastal flooding. This is especially true for the Lower Keys Marsh Rabbit. The Lower Keys Marsh Rabbit population has been declining since at least the 1960s because of the loss and degradation of suitable habitats because of human development. The Lower Keys Marsh Rabbit was once common throughout the Lower Florida Keys (the Lower Florida Keys begins at Big Pine Key and ends at the island of Key West) but is now only found on 13 islands. Sea level rise has been projected to seriously threaten the population and its ability to survive on these islands. The threat of sea level rise has grown because these coastal ecosystems cannot migrate inland due to human development and infrastructure, often called coastal squeeze. Learn More:
Lower Keys Rabbit: https://myfwc.com/wildlifehabitats/profiles/mammals/land/lower-keys-rabbit/
Lower Keys Marsh Rabbit: https://www.fws.gov/species/lower-keys-marsh-rabbit-sylvilagus-palustris-hefneri
Marsh Rabbit: https://myfwc.com/wildlifehabitats/profiles/mammals/land/marsh-rabbit/
This or That? Eastern Cottontail or Marsh Rabbit: https://youtu.be/maFhVuEC6jU
How You Can Help:
Get involved with your local city or county leaders and elected officials. Advocate for low impact development, green infrastructure and living shorelines where possible.
Keep your cat indoors and do not support feeding of feral cat populations.
Practice sustainable tourism when visiting the Florida Keys or anywhere in Florida. Check out Car Free Key West (https://www.carfreekeywest.com/), Florida Green Lodging (https://floridadep.gov/osi/green-lodging), and the Florida Friendly Fishing Guide Certification Program (https://www.flseagrant.org/fisheries/florida-friendly-fishing-guide-certification-program/)
Sources for this Episode:
Impacts of a half century of sea-level rise and development on an endangered mammal: https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/gcb.12024
Population Estimation and Monitoring of an Endangered Lagomorph: https://www.jstor.org/stable/41418016
Lower Keys Rabbit: https://myfwc.com/wildlifehabitats/profiles/mammals/land/lower-keys-rabbit/
In this episode, we explore the mosquitoes of Florida, covering everything from mosquito biology, types of mosquitoes, mosquito surveillance and control, and ways you can yourself from these important, but sometimes pesky insects.
Learn More:
How You Can Help:
Sources for this Episode:
Special thanks to Alissa Berro, Section Manager, Public Works, Pinellas County for assistance in the script writing of this episode.
If you enjoyed this episode, please consider sharing it with a friend who might enjoy learning about Florida's natural areas and the wild things that live here!
If you're active on iNaturalist, consider joining our iNaturalist project, Naturally Florida's Listener Observations, here: https://www.inaturalist.org/projects/naturally-florida-s-listener-observations
In this episode, we explore the mosquitoes of Florida, covering everything from mosquito biology, types of mosquitoes, mosquito surveillance and control, and ways you can yourself from these important, but sometimes pesky insects.
Learn More:
How You Can Help:
Sources for this Episode:
Special thanks to Alissa Berro, Section Manager, Public Works, Pinellas County for assistance in the script writing of this episode.
If you enjoyed this episode, please consider sharing it with a friend who might enjoy learning about Florida's natural areas and the wild things that live here!
If you're active on iNaturalist, consider joining our iNaturalist project, Naturally Florida's Listener Observations, here: https://www.inaturalist.org/projects/naturally-florida-s-listener-observations
