Naturally Florida

Shannon Carnevale and Lara Milligan
  • 5.0 (68)
  • NATURE
  • UPDATED MONTHLY
Naturally Florida

Naturally Florida is a podcast about Florida's natural areas and the wild things that live here. Naturally Florida's hosts, Shannon Carnevale and Lara Milligan, bring over 25 years of experience in natural resources and conservation to Naturally Florida. Listeners will learn about Florida wildlife, local ecosystems, and conservation issues in the Sunshine State. If you love learning about nature but need to learn on-the-go, this podcast is for you. This podcast is brought to you by UF/IFAS Extension's Natural Resources programs in Polk and Pinellas Counties.

  1. 3 DAYS AGO

    Gobble Gobble, It's Turkey Time!

    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: ⁠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. Learn More: See a turkey swim: Youtube Video from @southernoutlawadventures5106 on youtube.com Learn everything you could ever want to know about turkeys and managing habitat for turkeys, by listening to Wild Turkey Science How You Can Help: Support prescribed fire initiatives in and around your Florida community. Plant forage species in your suburban or rural yard that support turkeys: https://www.nwtf.org/content-hub/7-grasses-and-forbs-you-need-on-your-property Reduce the use of broadcast insecticides in your yard and encourage your neighbors to do the same. Sources: https://blogs.ifas.ufl.edu/sumterco/2022/12/31/wildlife-invasive-species-education-wise-species-profile-wild-turkey/   https://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/Wild_Turkey/overview  https://myfwc.com/wildlifehabitats/profiles/birds/game-birds/wild-turkeys/

    24 min
  2. Florida's Carnivorous Plants

    OCT 21

    Florida's Carnivorous Plants

    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: https://ufl.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_bEf5YoxkFv87GIu 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

    25 min

  3. SEP 16

    The Pollinator Puzzle: Who They Are and How to Help

    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.   Learn More: Insect Pollinators - https://www.fnps.org/plants/pollinators Know your native pollinators - https://www.flawildflowers.org/pollinators/ Pollinator Plants: Florida - https://xerces.org/sites/default/files/2018-05/17-046_03_XercesSoc_Pollinator-Plants_Florida_web-3page.pdf Creating a Native Wildflower Garden in Your Central Florida Yard - https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/creating-a-native-wildflower-garden-in-your-central/id1724213516?i=1000648747914 How You Can Help: Support pollinators in your yard by spreading wildflower seeds and planting a variety of native plants - https://sfyl.ifas.ufl.edu/media/sfylifasufledu/osceola/documents/agriculture/Pollinator-Plants-for-Osceola-County-Urban-Landscapes.pdf Consider leaving a patch of bare, open ground or install a bee house/hotel for nesting - https://content.ces.ncsu.edu/how-to-manage-a-successful-bee-hotel/what-is-a-bee-hotel Create a no-mow area in your yard and leave area unmown November-May - https://blogs.ifas.ufl.edu/orangeco/2022/07/26/no-mow-lawns-in-florida/ Use pesticides as a last resort, learn integrated pest management - https://gardeningsolutions.ifas.ufl.edu/care/pests-and-diseases/pests/management/integrated-pest-management/   Sources for this Episode:  Attracting Bees and Other Beneficial Insects with Florida’s Native Wildflowers -https://www.flawildflowers.org/attracting-bees/ The Importance of Pollinators - https://www.usda.gov/peoples-garden/pollinators Pollinator Syndromes - https://www.pollinator.org/pollinator.org/assets/generalFiles/Pollinator_Syndromes.pdf

    27 min

  4. AUG 19

    I want to know, have you ever smelled the rain?

    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. Learn more: https://blogs.ifas.ufl.edu/escambiaco/2023/08/02/weekly https://www.acs.org/content/dam/acsorg/education/students/highschool/chemistryclubs/infographics/petrichor-the-smell-of-rain.pdf Sources: https://news.mit.edu/2015/rainfall-can-release-aerosols-0114

    18 min

  5. JUL 15

    Pentastomes in Paradise: Invasive Parasite Plaguing Florida’s Snakes

    Snakes play a critical role in our ecosystems, keeping rodent populations in check and supplying birds of prey with an excellent food source. But our snakes are facing a new threat, an invasive parasite, Raillietiella orientalis from Asia and Africa. This worm-like crustacean, believed to have come over with the invasive Burmese Python, is infecting the respiratory system of our native snakes. It is spreading rapidly, and ongoing research is documenting its spread and impact.     Learn More:   Invasive Snake Lungworm: Raillietiella orientalis - https://invasionscience.ufl.edu/media/invasionscienceufledu/images/docs/Disease_-FactSheet_Snake_Lung_Parasite.pdf   Snake Lungworm Alliance and Monitoring - https://invasionscience.ufl.edu/media/invasionscienceufledu/images/docs/SLAM_Brochure.pdf   Parasite spillover: indirect effects of invasive Burmese pythons - https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5773325/     How You Can Help:   Report sightings of dead snakes, especially if pentastomes present (coming out of snake’s mouth) on Snake Lungworm Alliance and Monitoring (SLAM) website: https://invasionscience.ufl.edu/slam/   Researchers are concerned about the possible spread of this parasite through the pet trade. Please report any sick or dying snakes purchased via the pet trade through the SLAM website.   Think before you kill a snake in your yard. Snakes are critical in rodent control and a food source for our birds of prey. You can also consider providing an area of your yard for snake habitat. This would include an area where you let the grass grow tall, establish a brush pile, or stack firewood.   Sources for this Episode:   Invasive Snake Lungworm: Raillietiella orientalis - https://invasionscience.ufl.edu/media/invasionscienceufledu/images/docs/Disease_-FactSheet_Snake_Lung_Parasite.pdf   Snake Lungworm Alliance and Monitoring - https://invasionscience.ufl.edu/media/invasionscienceufledu/images/docs/SLAM_Brochure.pdf   Parasite spillover: indirect effects of invasive Burmese pythons - https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5773325/  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

    18 min

  6. JUN 17

    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 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

    26 min

  7. MAY 20

    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 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/

    26 min

  8. APR 15

    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 of effectiveness at end): https://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/publication/IN419 Mosquitoes & Their Control: Integrated Pest Management for Mosquito Reduction Around Homes and Neighborhoods - https://www.floridahealth.gov/%5C/diseases-and-conditions/mosquito-borne-diseases/_documents/fl-resident-guide-to-mosquito-control-ifas.pdf Mosquito Control Programs - Mosquito Control Programs / Mosquito Control / Business Services / Home - Florida Department of Agriculture & Consumer Services (fdacs.gov) Mosquito-Borne Disease Surveillance - Mosquito-Borne Disease Surveillance | Florida Department of Health (floridahealth.gov) How You Can Help: Follow the 3-D’s: Dump standing water; Dress in loose, light-colored, long sleeves and pants; Defend using a CED recommended repellent. Reach out to your local Mosquito Control District if you’re still having issues with mosquitoes despite efforts to control them around your home: Mosquito Control Programs / Mosquito Control / Business Services / Home - Florida Department of Agriculture & Consumer Services (fdacs.gov) Share this episode or information from this episode with family, friends and colleagues. Sources for this Episode: Mosquitoes - https://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/topics/mosquitoes FDACS Public Health Applicator’s Manual -https://ccmedia.fdacs.gov/content/download/109002/file/Public-Health-Manual-2023.pdf Division of Vector-Borne Diseases - https://www.cdc.gov/ncezid/dvbd/index.html   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

    21 min
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About

Naturally Florida is a podcast about Florida's natural areas and the wild things that live here. Naturally Florida's hosts, Shannon Carnevale and Lara Milligan, bring over 25 years of experience in natural resources and conservation to Naturally Florida. Listeners will learn about Florida wildlife, local ecosystems, and conservation issues in the Sunshine State. If you love learning about nature but need to learn on-the-go, this podcast is for you. This podcast is brought to you by UF/IFAS Extension's Natural Resources programs in Polk and Pinellas Counties.

Information

  • Creator
    Shannon Carnevale and Lara Milligan
  • Years Active
    2021 - 2024
  • Episodes
    47
  • Rating
    Clean
  • Copyright
    © 201782
  • Show Website
    Naturally Florida

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