Naturally Florida

By Shannon Carnevale and Lara Milligan

What's Naturally Florida about?

Naturally Florida is a podcast about Florida's natural areas and the wild things that live here.

This podcast is brought to you by UF/IFAS Extension's Natural Resources programs in Polk and Pinellas Counties.

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Naturally Florida episodes:

06.17.2024
A Frond-ly Discussion About Saw Palmetto
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...
05.20.2024
Surviving the Squeeze: The Lower Keys Marsh Rabbit
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...
04.15.2024
PART 2: Mosquito Season is Coming!
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: UF/IFAS Document about mosquito repellents (Table...
04.15.2024
PART 1: Mosquito Season is Coming!
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: UF/IFAS Document about mosquito repellents (Table...
03.18.2024
Florida's Pink Birds
Today's episode is all about Florida's pink birds, including the iconic roseate spoonbill and American flamingo. Learn More: Read the NPR article we discussed about Hurricane Idalia and Flamingo sightings. View iNaturalist observations of Flamingos since 2020 How to Help: Don't...
02.19.2024
Scent-sational Skunks of Florida
In this episode, we explore the two species of skunks found in Florida. A mammal that is so unique, it recently divided from a subfamily of the weasel to become its own family, a stinky one! There is a lot...
01.15.2024
Florida's Venomous Snakes
How do you feel about snakes? Not a fan? Well, while we believe snakes are friends, not foes, we recognize it may be comforting to know that the vast majority of snakes in Florida are non-venomous and largely cannot hurt...
12.18.2023
Florida's Floating Sea-Potatoes ... the Manatee!
Manatees are Florida’s gentle giants and are a sight to behold. They are state and federally protected species under the Marine Mammal Protection Act of 1972, the Endangered Species Act of 1973, and the Florida Manatee Sanctuary Act of 1978...
11.20.2023
Florida Black Bears
Florida black bears have been in the news, frequently, this year! On today's episode, we chat about the Florida black bear's diet, behavior, and biology, and provide some tips for co-existing with our resident bears. Learn More: Living with the Florida...
10.16.2023
Bloom, there it goes!
THANK YOU to all of our loyal listeners! Has this podcast made a difference in your life? The survey is now closed, but we look forward to hearing from you again next fall! If you have comments or topics...
09.18.2023
PodBLAST - The Impact of Fireworks
THANK YOU to all of our loyal listeners! Has this podcast made a difference in your life? The survey is now closed, but we look forward to hearing from you again next fall! If you have comments or topics...
08.22.2023
Sounds of Summer - Calling Frogs
In this episode, we continue our exploration of the sounds of summer. This episode’s focus is all about commonly heard frogs in Florida. We have 33 species of frog in the state. More often heard than seen, this episode features...
07.17.2023
Ticks and Tickborne Illness in Florida
The creepiest, crawliest, grossest of arachnids, in our opinion, are ticks. And no, we don't feel bad calling them gross! Tick-borne illnesses can wreak havoc on people's lives and there is still so much we don't know about them. On...
06.20.2023
Sounds of Summer - Singing Insects
What comes to mind when you think of summer? Hot. Beaches. No school. What about singing insects? No? Perhaps not, but we’re sure you’ve heard the sounds of summer. Nobody sounds the alarm for summer weather like our native cicadas....
05.23.2023
Three Common Snakes in Residential Areas
On today’s episode, you’ll learn about three non-venomous snake species common to residential areas in Florida. Slithering into a neighborhood near you, these common snake species are found all over Florida. Learn More: Red Cornsnake: https://www.floridamuseum.ufl.edu/florida-snake-id/snake/red-cornsnake/ Black Racer:...
04.17.2023
When You Think of Pines, I Hope You Think of Pinecones
We have all probably interacted with pine cones in some way, whether we collected them to start a bon fire, rolled them in peanut butter to create a bird feeder, or avoided them during pollen season. Pine trees produce...
03.20.2023
The Truth About Iconic Florida
When people think of Florida and visiting the sights, what do they think of? For most people, it’s some combination of alligators, flamingos, manatees, and sea turtles with a sprinkling of Disney World, Kennedy Space Center, and the beaches. This...
02.20.2023
Creating Wildlife Havens
You’ve probably heard that habitat destruction is a common cause of population declines for many wildlife species. It’s critical for us to do what we can in our yards, neighborhoods and communities to help support wildlife by providing food, water,...
01.23.2023
Winter in the Sunshine State
People don’t often think of Florida when they think of winter, but there is actually a lot that happens in the natural world. There are migrations happening, leaves falling, and much more! In this episode, we will explore the exciting...
01.22.2023
Naturally Florida Trailer
Welcome to Naturally Florida, a podcast about Florida's natural areas and the wild things that live here. Submit comments and topic suggestions to our website, www.naturallyfloridapodcast.com This podcast is brought to you by UF/IFAS Extension, an Equal Opportunity Institution. --- Send in a...
12.19.2022
End of the Year Q&A
In this episode of Naturally Florida, Shannon answers a few Listener questions! She'll tackle a light-hearted Florida Christmas classic, "Why do iguanas fall out of trees when it gets cold?" as well as shed some light about "good or bad"...
11.21.2022
Highlighting a Keystone Species: The Gopher Tortoise
The gopher tortoise is not only a keystone species, but also an endemic species, making it special and important to the overall function of the ecosystems where it is found. In this episode we will explore the life of the...
10.17.2022
It's Spooky Season, Let's Chat About Bats
Mummies, Ghosts, and Goblins – oh my! This spooky season, we're chatting about Florida’s bats! Thirteen species of bats call Florida home, yearround, and several more migrate in from the north or south at certain times of year. These amazing flying...
09.26.2022
All About Lightning
The state of Florida is famous for its sunshine, beaches, and summertime fun. However, as Floridians, we know that summer also means thunderstorms, and thunder doesn’t happen without lightning. In this episode, we will explore the basic science of lightning and...
08.16.2022
All About Owls
In our last episode, we discussed how rodenticides, also known as rat poisons, can have a negative impact on our birds of prey. Today, we’ll be talking about Florida’s five resident owl species and how to identify them by the...
07.18.2022
Rat Poisons and Wildlife: What’s the Big Deal
Nobody likes pests, hence why pesticides were invented. Rodenticides are a specific type of pesticide used to control rats and mice, but they can have impacts throughout the food chain if not used correctly. In this episode, we will explore...
06.21.2022
Microplastic Pollution ... What Is It?
Plastic pollution has been a known problem for decades, but more recently researchers have been focusing on this idea of microplastics, that is plastic particles about 5mm in size or smaller. Where do microplastics come from? What are the threats?...
05.17.2022
Toads as Big as Your Head! Cane Toads in Florida
Cane toads are well known for posing a threat to our pets. They are one of many invasive animal species we have here in Florida. In this episode you will learn all about this invasive toad species, how it became...
04.19.2022
Coyotes are here to stay!
Coyotes have been in Florida since the 1970s but still feel like a relatively new species for many. In this episode, Shannon and Lara explore the latest research, facts, findings, and realities of living with coyotes. Learn more: Florida Fish and...
03.21.2022
Special Interview with Dr. Scott Angle, UF Sr. Vice President of Agriculture and Natural Resources
The University of Florida's Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences (UF/IFAS) is a federal-state-county partnership dedicated to developing knowledge in agriculture, human and natural resources, and the life sciences. Join Lara and Shannon as they interview Dr. J. Scott Angle,...
02.22.2022
Words Matter: When and How to Use the Words Invasive Species
Florida is a hotspot for nonnative and invasive species, but there hasn't been a consistent way to talk about these species until now. In this episode, we explore the various words biologists, park rangers, the public, and news media use...
01.25.2022
Is It Getting Hotter in Our Cities? It's the Urban Heat Island Effect!
Florida is known for being hot in the summer, but Florida cities are even hotter. Energy from the sun gets absorbed by buildings and paved areas (like roads) which makes the whole urban area significantly hotter than natural areas. This...
12.21.2021
American White Pelicans, Florida's Other Snowbird
American white pelicans are one of the largest birds in North America with wingspans up to 9.5 feet across. These majestic birds migrate to Florida for winter feeding grounds, before retreating north and west for the breeding season. Floridians may...
11.23.2021
Florida on Fire: Prescribed Fire in the Sunshine State
In this episode, we explore fire in Florida, what ecosystems burn and why, the history and current state of fire in Florida, and some neat adaptations found in plants and animals of fire-depended ecosystems. Learn more: Fire and Habitat - https://sfyl.ifas.ufl.edu/archive/hot_topics/environment/fire_habitat.shtml ...
11.12.2021
Annual Survey - We need your help!
Fill out our SUPER SHORT survey, here: https://ufl.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_bEf5YoxkFv87GIu Hey, Naturally Florida Listeners! We need your help! As Extension agents, we need to report on our effort and impact over the year. We would LOVE to include some of the things we're hearing...
10.20.2021
Birds and Their Houses: Cavity Nesters in Florida
Birds come in all shapes, sizes, and colors. They play a critical role in our ecosystems, keeping insect populations in-check, serving as a valuable prey item for our larger mammals, and helping to disperse seeds! Just like people, birds need...
09.20.2021
(Part 2) Florida's Most Recognizable Reptile: the American Alligator
This episode is the second half of our discussion on the American alligator. This episode will focus on busting common myths and highlighting key ways we can learn to coexist with this critically important species. Learn more: Watch an 8ft+ alligator...
09.20.2021
(Part 1) Florida's Most Recognizable Reptile: the American Alligator
Florida is known for having alligators, a fact that brings fear to many visitors and residents. But, alligators are an important species in many of our ecosystems. While we continue to develop the State, our chances of encountering an alligator...
08.24.2021
Trees and People: An intro to urban forestry
Florida is known for a wide variety of ecosystems from the Everglades to its springs, and the beaches to the national forests. While these ecosystems are a major driver for tourism here in the state, Florida is rapidly developing with...
07.15.2021
Cuban Treefrogs, they're more than just a nuisance!
Cuban treefrogs are an invasive species in Florida. In this episode, you'll learn how to identify a Cuban treefrogs and how to humanely euthanize them. By choosing to remove Cuban treefrogs from your yard or neighborhood, you're helping protect local...
06.21.2021
Wait, we have fireflies in Florida?
Fireflies are indeed in Florida; you just have to know where to find them. Fireflies, also known as lightning bugs, avoid areas with high volumes of artificial lights and lots of urban development. In this episode of Naturally Florida, we’ll...
06.21.2021
Where does rain go after it falls?
Florida gets a lot of rain, but our natural water cycle is shifting more towards an urban water cycle as we develop the Sunshine State. In this episode of Naturally Florida, we'll be chatting about the impacts of development on...
06.21.2021
Lara's Favorite Species: The Green Anole
Florida's native green anole (pronounced "uh-nole"), Anolis carolinensis, is Lara's favorite species in all of Florida! In this episode of Naturally Florida, we'll be chatting about what makes the green anole so special and about their nonnative look-alike, the brown...

What's Naturally Florida about?

Download our free app to listen on your phone

Naturally Florida episodes:

A Frond-ly Discussion About Saw Palmetto

Surviving the Squeeze: The Lower Keys Marsh Rabbit

PART 2: Mosquito Season is Coming!

PART 1: Mosquito Season is Coming!

Florida's Pink Birds

Scent-sational Skunks of Florida

Florida's Venomous Snakes

Florida's Floating Sea-Potatoes ... the Manatee!

Florida Black Bears

Bloom, there it goes!

PodBLAST - The Impact of Fireworks

Sounds of Summer - Calling Frogs

Ticks and Tickborne Illness in Florida

Sounds of Summer - Singing Insects

Three Common Snakes in Residential Areas

When You Think of Pines, I Hope You Think of Pinecones

The Truth About Iconic Florida

Creating Wildlife Havens

Winter in the Sunshine State

Naturally Florida Trailer

End of the Year Q&A

Highlighting a Keystone Species: The Gopher Tortoise

It's Spooky Season, Let's Chat About Bats

All About Lightning

All About Owls

Rat Poisons and Wildlife: What’s the Big Deal

Microplastic Pollution ... What Is It?

Toads as Big as Your Head! Cane Toads in Florida

Coyotes are here to stay!

Special Interview with Dr. Scott Angle, UF Sr. Vice President of Agriculture and Natural Resources

Words Matter: When and How to Use the Words Invasive Species

Is It Getting Hotter in Our Cities? It's the Urban Heat Island Effect!

American White Pelicans, Florida's Other Snowbird

Florida on Fire: Prescribed Fire in the Sunshine State

Annual Survey - We need your help!

Birds and Their Houses: Cavity Nesters in Florida

(Part 2) Florida's Most Recognizable Reptile: the American Alligator

(Part 1) Florida's Most Recognizable Reptile: the American Alligator

Trees and People: An intro to urban forestry

Cuban Treefrogs, they're more than just a nuisance!

Wait, we have fireflies in Florida?

Where does rain go after it falls?

Lara's Favorite Species: The Green Anole

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