Sugarcane farmers in Florida have historically burned their fields prior to harvest. This pre-harvest burning removes the leaves and tops, making harvesting and processing easier. Growers also says that the burning reduces the need for applications of pesticides. But, the smoke and ash created by the burning emit pollutants that can pose threats to health.

The South Florida Water Management District’s Governing Board recently voted to substantially increase the amount of water quality monitoring that’s conducted in the Northern Everglades watersheds, and in Lake Okeechobee and the Caloosahatchee River. The board voted unanimously to increase the number of monitoring stations from 161 to 243, and increase the frequency of sampling from monthly to twice a month.

Over the last several months we’ve featured a number of remarkable live music performances on the show ranging from hip-hop and soul to indie rock, bluegrass, blues and even spoken word. We’ll listen back to selections from some of our favorite recent performances from musicians Dara Carter and Dee Goodson as well as the bands Broken Waves , the Swamp Rats and April Lee Fields Story & Song .

There are now more than 200,000 people in Florida who have received their Medical Marijuana Registry identification cards , and about 10,000 new patients are signing up every week. The state currently has 14 license holders, and that number is set to grow as state regulators approved licenses for eight more firms. As of April of this year, there were 85 dispensaries across the state, but the current number is higher because new dispensaries are being opened every week across the state.

Bob H. Lee spent more than three decades as a Florida game warden, and in his second book , he collects stories from across Florida of fellow officers tracking poachers, chasing illegal fishing operations, and mounting a rescue after a jet crashes in the Everglades.

Back in June of last year we sat down with the co-creators of a new TV show called Family Pictures USA . They were in town scouting for locations, and ideas, for an episode set right here in Southwest Florida. Then, later that year they hosted two photo sharing events: one in Immokalee in Collier County, and the other in Harlem Heights in Lee County. During those events people from all walks of life brought in their photo albums and shared stories about their families, and their histories.

Back in the mid 90s the Florida panther population was down to somewhere around 25 big cats, and inbreeding was becoming a serious problem. So, in an effort to increase genetic diversity, the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission introduced eight pumas from Texas, which belong to the same species as the Florida panthers. Now, new research from the University of Florida has found that the experiment was a success.

The Fort Myers Symphonic Mastersingers has served as the region’s premiere choral ensemble for nearly two decades. The chorus performs a broad spectrum of works ranging from classical masterpieces to premiere performances of new contemporary works. We’ll meet the ensemble’s new artistic director Shannon Arnold and get a preview of what’s in store for the 2019-2020 season.

The disproportionately higher cost of prescription drugs in the U.S. compared to prices in other countries is not just an issue for individual patients. It also takes a toll on state and federal tax dollars in the form of government programs like Medicare and Medicaid .

Southwest Florida is in some ways on the front lines of the global battle against harmful algal blooms. On yesterday’s show we met an ethnobotanist who has spent decades, along with his team of world class researchers, exploring the possible connections between the toxins produced by blue-green algae and neurodegenerative disorders like ALS and Alzheimer’s. He was in town attending a water summit because as he described it this part of Florida faced a “toxic vice” last year when the freshwater