Naturally Florida Shannon Carnevale and Lara Milligan

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 world of winter in Florida.
Learn more:

Science of Fall Colors - Science of Fall Colors | US Forest Service (usda.gov)
Wildlife Happenings - UFlorida Wildlife Extension at UF/IFAS (ufl.edu)
Do Black Bears Hibernate? - myfwc.com/wildlifehabitats/wildlife/bear/facts/hibernation/
Canada Geese (they're in parts of Florida! Peep that range map): https://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/Canada_Goose/overview

How You Can Help:

Find a local Audubon Chapter - Audubon Near You | Audubon
Plant A Tree - UPlanting and Establishing Trees - Gardening Solutions - University of Florida, Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences (ufl.edu)
Provide Healthy Wildlife Habitat - CIR 1429/UW175: Landscaping Backyards for Wildlife: Top Ten Tips for Success (ufl.edu)

Sources for this Episode:

Science of Fall Colors - Science of Fall Colors | US Forest Service (usda.gov)
Wildlife Happenings - UFlorida Wildlife Extension at UF/IFAS (ufl.edu)
Do Black Bears Hibernate? - myfwc.com/wildlifehabitats/wildlife/bear/facts/hibernation/
Cardinal soundclip: Mike Nelson, XC130967. Accessible at www.xeno-canto.org/130967
Wood duck soundclip: Daniel Lane, XC66141. Accessible at www.xeno-canto.org/66141


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

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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. 


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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" species like queen palms and Carolina laurel cherry, and finally, wrap up with a South Florida conundrum, "What can be done about a nuisance peacock?"

If YOU have a question for Shannon and Lara, you can leave it here: https://forms.office.com/Pages/ResponsePage.aspx?id=-KBNDTFKdk2s5gpiMx4bhAZcX_k6UeBKkWoRGrhGBkVUN0lVVk4wMVgyMUVDVkgxMFpUNjlPS1FRSy4u

Naturally Florida will pull questions from this form for future Q&A episodes, or, may occasionally add a question to a normal episode.

Learn more:

Iguanas in the Landscape: https://sfyl.ifas.ufl.edu/archive/hot_topics/lawn_and_garden/iguanas_landscape.shtml
Queen Palms: https://assessment.ifas.ufl.edu/assessments/syagrus-romanzoffiana/
Carolina Laurel Cherry: https://www.fnps.org/plant/prunus-caroliniana and https://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/publication/ST505
Nuisance Wildlife FAQ - Florida Fish and Wildlife: https://myfwc.com/conservation/you-conserve/wildlife/faqs/

How You Can Help:

Consider sharing this podcast with a friend, this holiday season! Consider what episode they might like best, and she it with them. We would greatly appreciate it! 
If choosing new landscaping, run the species through the IFAS Assessment first -  https://assessment.ifas.ufl.edu
Only hire wildlife trappers who have training and are listed through FWC's wildlife trapper page. See here: https://app.myfwc.com/hgm/nwt/nwtsearch.aspx

Sources for this Episode:

UF IFAS Assessment: https://assessment.ifas.ufl.edu
Florida Invasive Species Council, Invasive Species list: https://floridainvasivespecies.org/plantlist.cfm

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!


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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 gopher tortoise including some basic identification information, population status, biology, and things you can to do help populations in Florida. 

Learn more:

Watch our webinar - https://youtu.be/1QhwxOb0Cb4 
Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission - Gopher Tortoise Program - https://myfwc.com/wildlifehabitats/wildlife/gopher-tortoise/ 
The Gopher Tortoise Council - https://gophertortoisecouncil.org/gopher-tortoise 

How You Can Help:

Add native forage species to your yard - https://myfwc.com/wildlifehabitats/wildlife/gopher-tortoise/help/plant-guide/ 
Find out what to do if you find a gopher tortoise near you (injured, healthy, or deceased) - https://myfwc.com/education/wildlife/gopher-tortoise/tortoise-sightings/ 
Help get them out of the road - Place them on the side of the road in the direction they were heading (Note: Do not place them in water) 

Sources for this Episode:

Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission - Gopher Tortoise Education - https://myfwc.com/education/wildlife/gopher-tortoise/ 
Fire Effects Information System - Species: Gopherus polyphemus - www.fs.usda.gov/database/feis/animals/reptile/gopo/all.html 



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!


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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 mammals, the only mammal with true flight, provide highly valuable pest management services for Floridians.  

So, while you may see some spooky vampire bats this month on TV or in the movies, remember - Florida bats eat insects … they don’t suck blood! 

Learn more: 


(Webinar) Bats of Florida - https://youtu.be/gYhTjbBDqS8 (Taught by Shannon!) 
Read about high-quality bat houses in Florida - https://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/pdf/UW/UW29000.pdf 
Connect with the Florida Bat Conservancy to learn more: https://www.floridabats.org/backyard-bat-houses.html Living with Bats (FWC) - https://myfwc.com/conservation/you-conserve/wildlife/bats/ 

How You Can Help: 

Share what you learned with a friend! Bats are friends, not foe in Florida. Without them, we’d be dealing with so many more nighttime flying pest species. 
Consider leaving natural habitat for bats, like Spanish moss, dead palm fronds and their "boots" and, where possible, snags with cavities.  Installing a bat house! 
Learn more about them, here: https://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/pdf/UW/UW29000.pdf and https://www.floridabats.org/backyard-bat-houses.html 

Sources for this Episode: 


https://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/publication/UW433 
https://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/pdf/UW/UW28900.pdf 
https://myfwc.com/conservation/you-conserve/wildlife/bats/health/histoplasmosis/ 
https://www.whitenosesyndrome.org/static-page/where-is-wns-now 
https://www.usgs.gov/centers/nwhc/science/white-nose-syndrome

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!


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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 thunder, and how you can keep yourself safe this summer. We hope this brief introduction to thunderstorms in Florida will help you feel more informed and prepared for our summer rainy season.

Learn more:

Understanding Lightning: Thunderstorm Electrification - www.weather.gov/safety/lightning-science-electrification
Severe Weather 101: Frequently Asked Questions About Lightning - www.nssl.noaa.gov/education/svrwx101/lightning/faq
Understanding Lighting: Thunder - www.weather.gov/safety/lightning-science-thunder

How You Can Help:

Share what you learned with a friend!
Remember these sayings: "NO Place Outside Is Safe When Thunderstorms Are In The Area!", "When Thunder Roars, Go Indoors!, and "Half An Hour Since Thunder Roars, Now It’s Safe To Go Outdoors!"
Educate yourself and others with these lightning safety tips and resources - www.weather.gov/safety/lightning

Sources for this Episode:

Understanding Lightning: Thunderstorm Electrification - www.weather.gov/safety/lightning-science-electrification
Severe Weather 101: Frequently Asked Questions About Lightning - www.nssl.noaa.gov/education/svrwx101/lightning/faq
Understanding Lighting: Thunder - www.weather.gov/safety/lightning-science-thunder
Clouds – How Do They Form? - www.weather.gov/source/zhu/ZHU_Training_Page/clouds/cloud_development/clouds.htm
Lecture Notes in Electrical Engineering 780, Chandima Gomes (Editor). “Lighting - Science, Engineering, and Economic Implications for Developing Countries”. Springer.



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!

Thunderstorm sound clips licensed from Bidgee, CC BY-SA 3.0 AU, via Wikimedia Commons


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