Naturally Florida

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Link to podcast survey: ⁠https://ufl.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_bEf5YoxkFv87GIu

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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THANK YOU to all of our loyal listeners! Has this podcast made a difference in your life? We would love to know through our annual podcast survey.

Link to podcast survey:

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• 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'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,

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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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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. 

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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.  

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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.

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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

Today's episode is all about Florida's pink birds, including the iconic roseate spoonbill and American flamingo.

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How to Help:

Sources:

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