1. Agricultural and Horticultural Enterprises

3. Natural Resources and Environmental Quality

My husband’s best friend was a nature nerd like me. If I didn’t know what something was, Anthony was the first person I’d send a photo to for identification help. We lost him unexpectedly last year, but he shows up in small ways for us almost daily. After that round of storms blew through the [&#8230;]

<figure id="attachment_39447" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-39447" style="width: 300px" class="wp-caption alignleft"><a href="https://blogs.ifas.ufl.edu/escambiaco/files/2024/05/lion-mane-ant-hand.jpg"><img decoding="async" fetchpriority="high" class="size-medium wp-image-39447 lazyload" src="data:image/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAAAAACH5BAEKAAEALAAAAAABAAEAAAICTAEAOw==" alt="" width="300" height="225" data-src="https://blogs.ifas.ufl.edu/escambiaco/files/2024/05/lion-mane-ant-hand-300x225.jpg"></a><figcaption id="caption-attachment-39447" class="wp-caption-text">A large lion&#8217;s mane mushroom in the woods of south Alabama. Photo credit: Anthony Macwhinnie</figcaption></figure>
My husband’s best friend was a nature nerd like me. If I didn’t know what something was, <a href="https://www.harpermorrismemorialchapel.com/obituary/rev-anthony-macwhinnie-ii">Anthony</a> was the first person I’d send a photo to for identification help. We lost him unexpectedly last year, but he shows up in small ways for us almost daily.
<figure id="attachment_39471" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-39471" style="width: 300px" class="wp-caption alignright"><a href="https://blogs.ifas.ufl.edu/escambiaco/files/2024/05/lion-mane-5.jpg"><img decoding="async" class="size-medium wp-image-39471 lazyload" src="data:image/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAAAAACH5BAEKAAEALAAAAAABAAEAAAICTAEAOw==" alt="" width="300" height="225" data-src="https://blogs.ifas.ufl.edu/escambiaco/files/2024/05/lion-mane-5-300x225.jpg"></a><figcaption id="caption-attachment-39471" class="wp-caption-text">The inside of this maple limb was essentially shredded with rot. The external fungus gave an outward indication of the internal decay. Photo credit: Carrie Stevenson, UF IFAS Extension</figcaption></figure>
After that round of storms blew through the area a couple of weekends ago, we were helping a neighbor remove a large broken maple limb from his front yard. Looking at the fall, it was evident why this particular branch was the first to go. Significant rot had set into the crook of the tree where the branch attached, and the bark inside the downed limb was completely shredded. In addition, a huge white mushroom had grown in the same spot, an obvious indicator of decay. I am admittedly no expert on fungi, so when my husband piped up with, “Oh! That’s lion’s mane,” I was a little surprised he recognized it. Turns out, during time spent in the woods hiking with his buddy over the years, Anthony had pointed it out along trails from here to Tennessee.
<figure id="attachment_39455" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-39455" style="width: 300px" class="wp-caption alignleft"><a href="https://blogs.ifas.ufl.edu/escambiaco/files/2024/05/lions-mane-missouri-dept-of-cons-bearded_tooth_on_tree_04-11-13.jpg"><img decoding="async" class="size-medium wp-image-39455 lazyload" src="data:image/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAAAAACH5BAEKAAEALAAAAAABAAEAAAICTAEAOw==" alt="" width="300" height="233" data-src="https://blogs.ifas.ufl.edu/escambiaco/files/2024/05/lions-mane-missouri-dept-of-cons-bearded_tooth_on_tree_04-11-13-300x233.jpg"></a><figcaption id="caption-attachment-39455" class="wp-caption-text">The individual spines on the lion&#8217;s mane fungus are an identifying characteristic. Photo credit: Missouri Department of Conservation</figcaption></figure>
<a href="https://mdc.mo.gov/discover-nature/field-guide/bearded-tooth">Lion’s mane (Hericium spp.)</a> is one of the larger noticeable and edible mushrooms growing in the urban and wild forests of our area. It’s found in rotting wood of dead (saprophytic) and living trees, and thrives in areas of high humidity. Frequently, it can be seen fairly high up in a living tree, where it is considered more of a parasite. Like many unusual organisms, lion’s mane has lots of other whimsical and descriptive common names, including bearded tooth, old man’s tooth, and hedgehog mushroom. The fruiting body of the mushroom is a large (3-15”) white mass, with rows of hanging toothlike spines. The fungi can live and continue fruiting for 20+ years. They are common in the eastern United States and Asia, but have been listed as endangered in parts of the UK and Europe and cannot be harvested.
<figure id="attachment_39465" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-39465" style="width: 240px" class="wp-caption alignright"><a href="https://blogs.ifas.ufl.edu/escambiaco/files/2024/05/SpicyCumin-LionMane-Mushroom-1064-819x1024-1.jpg"><img decoding="async" loading="lazy" class="size-medium wp-image-39465 lazyload" src="data:image/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAAAAACH5BAEKAAEALAAAAAABAAEAAAICTAEAOw==" alt="" width="240" height="300" data-src="https://blogs.ifas.ufl.edu/escambiaco/files/2024/05/SpicyCumin-LionMane-Mushroom-1064-819x1024-1-240x300.jpg"></a><figcaption id="caption-attachment-39465" class="wp-caption-text">Lion&#8217;s mane mushrooms are often cooked similarly to meat dishes, such as these curried kebabs. Source: https://woonheng.com/spicy-cumin-lions-mane-mushrooms/</figcaption></figure>
Many fungi are dangerously toxic, so I cannot in good conscience suggest that someone eat a mushroom unless they know exactly what they’re looking at. So, mushroom hunt with great care and an expert who knows what they’re doing. If you find a mushroom and are curious about it, the <a href="https://plantpath.ifas.ufl.edu/extension/mushrooms/">UF Plant Pathology lab has a Fungal Herbarium</a> with lots of useful resources. The lab provides help identifying mushrooms, along with fact sheets on popular species and direct contact with a <a href="https://plantpath.ifas.ufl.edu/people/faculty-pages/matthew-smith/">professor specializing in mushrooms</a> in more serious situations. A great guidebook for mushrooms is “<a href="https://ifasbooks.ifas.ufl.edu/p-196-common-florida-mushrooms.aspx">Common Florida Mushrooms</a>,” available online many places including the IFAS bookstore.
I have not personally tried lion’s mane mushrooms, but have heard them described as possessing a seafood/lobster flavor. The younger and fresher the better, as older mushrooms are described as “sour and bitter.” Lion’s mane extract is used to <a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC10675414/">treat anxiety and depression</a>, along with neurodegenerative diseases like Alzheimer&#8217;s and dementia. A recent study at the <a href="https://hts.scripps.ufl.edu/wordpress/files/2024/02/SLAS-FEB2024-Poster-JPena_LionsManeMushroom.pdf">University of Florida Scripps Institute for Biomedical Innovation and Technology</a> looked at the compounds found within the fungus and how they might be applicable to disease treatment. While modern medicine is working on identifying the chemical signatures, this fungal species has been used in Chinese medicine since ancient times. Due to the positive commercial applications of the mushroom, <a href="https://smallfarms.cornell.edu/2015/04/lions-mane/">researchers at Cornell</a> are looking at the viability of farming lion’s mane for food and medical uses.
On a related note, if you notice abnormally dark bark coloration and/or mushrooms growing on trees in your yard, it is wise to have them looked at by an <a href="https://www.treesaregood.org/">arborist</a>. With <a href="https://hort.ifas.ufl.edu/treesandhurricanes/establishing.shtml">hurricane season around the corner</a>, tree limbs exhibiting rot can be a serious hazard.

A large lion’s mane mushroom in the woods of south Alabama. Photo credit: Anthony Macwhinnie
My husband’s best friend was a nature nerd like me. If I didn’t know what something was, Anthony was the first person I’d send a photo to for identification help. We lost him unexpectedly last year, but he shows up in small ways for us almost daily.
The inside of this maple limb was essentially shredded with rot. The external fungus gave an outward indication of the internal decay. Photo credit: Carrie Stevenson, UF IFAS Extension
After that round of storms blew through the area a couple of weekends ago, we were helping a neighbor remove a large broken maple limb from his front yard. Looking at the fall, it was evident why this particular branch was the first to go. Significant rot had set into the crook of the tree where the branch attached, and the bark inside the downed limb was completely shredded. In addition, a huge white mushroom had grown in the same spot, an obvious indicator of decay. I am admittedly no expert on fungi, so when my husband piped up with, “Oh! That’s lion’s mane,” I was a little surprised he recognized it. Turns out, during time spent in the woods hiking with his buddy over the years, Anthony had pointed it out along trails from here to Tennessee.
The individual spines on the lion’s mane fungus are an identifying characteristic. Photo credit: Missouri Department of Conservation
Lion’s mane (Hericium spp.) is one of the larger noticeable and edible mushrooms growing in the urban and wild forests of our area. It’s found in rotting wood of dead (saprophytic) and living trees, and thrives in areas of high humidity. Frequently, it can be seen fairly high up in a living tree, where it is considered more of a parasite. Like many unusual organisms, lion’s mane has lots of other whimsical and descriptive common names, including bearded tooth, old man’s tooth, and hedgehog mushroom. The fruiting body of the mushroom is a large (3-15”) white mass, with rows of hanging toothlike spines. The fungi can live and continue fruiting for 20+ years. They are common in the eastern United States and Asia, but have been listed as endangered in parts of the UK and Europe and cannot be harvested.
Lion’s mane mushrooms are often cooked similarly to meat dishes, such as these curried kebabs. Source: https://woonheng.com/spicy-cumin-lions-mane-mushrooms/
Many fungi are dangerously toxic, so I cannot in good conscience suggest that someone eat a mushroom unless they know exactly what they’re looking at. So, mushroom hunt with great care and an expert who knows what they’re doing. If you find a mushroom and are curious about it, the UF Plant Pathology lab has a Fungal Herbarium with lots of useful resources. The lab provides help identifying mushrooms, along with fact sheets on popular species and direct contact with a professor specializing in mushrooms in more serious situations. A great guidebook for mushrooms is “Common Florida Mushrooms,” available online many places including the IFAS bookstore.
I have not personally tried lion’s mane mushrooms, but have heard them described as possessing a seafood/lobster flavor. The younger and fresher the better, as older mushrooms are described as “sour and bitter.” Lion’s mane extract is used to treat anxiety and depression, along with neurodegenerative diseases like Alzheimer’s and dementia. A recent study at the University of Florida Scripps Institute for Biomedical Innovation and Technology looked at the compounds found within the fungus and how they might be applicable to disease treatment. While modern medicine is working on identifying the chemical signatures, this fungal species has been used in Chinese medicine since ancient times. Due to the positive commercial applications of the mushroom, researchers at Cornell are looking at the viability of farming lion’s mane for food and medical uses.
On a related note, if you notice abnormally dark bark coloration and/or mushrooms growing on trees in your yard, it is wise to have them looked at by an arborist. With hurricane season around the corner, tree limbs exhibiting rot can be a serious hazard.

My husband’s best friend was a nature nerd like me. If I didn’t know what something was, Anthony was the first person I’d send a photo to for identification help. We lost him unexpectedly last year, but he shows up in small ways for us almost daily. After that round of storms blew through the […]

Weekly “What is it?”: Lion’s Mane

I have always had a sweet tooth. While some folks prefer their sweetness in fruit or fruity candy, my go-to has always been chocolate. So, you can imagine my delight upon learning our national meeting for Extension natural resource agents would be held in Hershey, Pennsylvania. I just returned from the meeting last week, and [&#8230;]

<figure id="attachment_39379" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-39379" style="width: 225px" class="wp-caption alignleft"><a href="https://blogs.ifas.ufl.edu/escambiaco/files/2024/05/cocoa-soap-rotated.jpg"><img decoding="async" loading="lazy" class="size-medium wp-image-39379 lazyload" src="data:image/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAAAAACH5BAEKAAEALAAAAAABAAEAAAICTAEAOw==" alt="" width="225" height="300" data-src="https://blogs.ifas.ufl.edu/escambiaco/files/2024/05/cocoa-soap-225x300.jpg"></a><figcaption id="caption-attachment-39379" class="wp-caption-text">Hotel bath soap at the Hershey Lodge is made with (and smells like) cocoa. Photo credit: Carrie Stevenson, UF IFAS Extension</figcaption></figure>
I have always had a sweet tooth. While some folks prefer their sweetness in fruit or fruity candy, my go-to has always been chocolate. So, you can imagine my delight upon learning our <a href="https://web.cvent.com/event/d7756766-0fc2-48a7-ad86-37743091f217/summary">national meeting</a> for Extension natural resource agents would be held in Hershey, Pennsylvania. I just returned from the meeting last week, and got a kick out of all the Hershey kiss-themed décor at our conference center, hotel rooms, and throughout the city. Even the shampoo and soap had cocoa in them!
<figure id="attachment_39383" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-39383" style="width: 300px" class="wp-caption alignright"><a href="https://blogs.ifas.ufl.edu/escambiaco/files/2024/05/cocoa-pod.jpg"><img decoding="async" loading="lazy" class="size-medium wp-image-39383 lazyload" src="data:image/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAAAAACH5BAEKAAEALAAAAAABAAEAAAICTAEAOw==" alt="" width="300" height="225" data-src="https://blogs.ifas.ufl.edu/escambiaco/files/2024/05/cocoa-pod-300x225.jpg"></a><figcaption id="caption-attachment-39383" class="wp-caption-text">Cacao pods growing from a tree located in Hershey Gardens. Photo credit: Carrie Stevenson, UF IFAS Extension</figcaption></figure>
Chocolate is a serious business, though—from its beginnings as a ceremonial drink for the Mayans and Aztecs—to the <a href="https://www.smithsonianmag.com/arts-culture/economics-chocolate-180954224/">multi-billion-dollar industry</a> it is now. Like many products, it literally takes contributions from the whole world to make chocolate. I was rather fascinated to learn the origins of the chocolate-making process while visiting the <a href="https://hersheystory.org/">Hershey Museum</a> and <a href="https://www.hersheygardens.org/">Gardens</a>.
Chocolate starts with the cacao tree (Theobroma cacao) and its beans. While native to the Amazonian region of South America, it can grow in nearly any equatorial region and is now predominantly farmed in West Africa. Cacao farms consist of leafy green trees, so they look more like rainforests than the open fields we are accustomed to in agriculture.
<figure id="attachment_39375" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-39375" style="width: 300px" class="wp-caption alignleft"><a href="https://blogs.ifas.ufl.edu/escambiaco/files/2024/05/Cacao-blossoms-in-the-New-York-Botanical-Garden-Bronx.-Photo-by-Flickr-user-Kerry-Woods.jpg"><img decoding="async" loading="lazy" class="size-medium wp-image-39375 lazyload" src="data:image/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAAAAACH5BAEKAAEALAAAAAABAAEAAAICTAEAOw==" alt="" width="300" height="225" data-src="https://blogs.ifas.ufl.edu/escambiaco/files/2024/05/Cacao-blossoms-in-the-New-York-Botanical-Garden-Bronx.-Photo-by-Flickr-user-Kerry-Woods-300x225.jpg"></a><figcaption id="caption-attachment-39375" class="wp-caption-text">Cacao blossoms exhibiting &#8220;cauliflory&#8221; as they grow directly from the trunk. Taken at the New York Botanical Garden. Photo credit: Kerry Woods, Flickr</figcaption></figure>
Interestingly, the cacao tree grows its flowers directly on the main trunk, exhibiting “cauliflory” just like the <a href="https://blogs.ifas.ufl.edu/escambiaco/2024/03/27/weekly-what-is-it-eastern-redbud/">Eastern redbuds</a> I highlighted a few weeks ago. The tree’s fruit, called pods, are the size and shape of smallish footballs. Inside are the cocoa beans, covered in a <a href="https://www.kew.org/plants/cacao-tree">gelatinous white pulp</a> that is also edible. The pulp has been described as having a “tropical” flavor reminiscent of mango, lychee, or peach, and is used in some places for jams, ice creams, and juices.
<figure id="attachment_39365" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-39365" style="width: 300px" class="wp-caption alignright"><a href="https://blogs.ifas.ufl.edu/escambiaco/files/2024/05/cocoa-butter.jpg"><img decoding="async" loading="lazy" class="size-medium wp-image-39365 lazyload" src="data:image/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAAAAACH5BAEKAAEALAAAAAABAAEAAAICTAEAOw==" alt="" width="300" height="225" data-src="https://blogs.ifas.ufl.edu/escambiaco/files/2024/05/cocoa-butter-300x225.jpg"></a><figcaption id="caption-attachment-39365" class="wp-caption-text">The beginning stages of chocolate making&#8211;from bean to cocoa butter and chocolate liquor. Photo credit: Carrie Stevenson, UF IFAS Extension</figcaption></figure>
Most of us are more familiar with the cocoa beans. Hershey, the 5th largest producer of chocolate in the world, started out using nearly every part of the cacao pod. After the seeds were removed, dried, and crushed for the chocolate-making process, they were separated out into “chocolate liquor” and cocoa butter.
<figure id="attachment_39369" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-39369" style="width: 300px" class="wp-caption alignleft"><a href="https://blogs.ifas.ufl.edu/escambiaco/files/2024/05/cocoa-mulch.jpg"><img decoding="async" loading="lazy" class="size-medium wp-image-39369 lazyload" src="data:image/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAAAAACH5BAEKAAEALAAAAAABAAEAAAICTAEAOw==" alt="" width="300" height="225" data-src="https://blogs.ifas.ufl.edu/escambiaco/files/2024/05/cocoa-mulch-300x225.jpg"></a><figcaption id="caption-attachment-39369" class="wp-caption-text">Early in the history of Hershey&#8217;s chocolate, discarded cacao pods were crushed into mulch and sold to gardeners. Photo credit: Carrie Stevenson, UF IFAS Extension</figcaption></figure>
The liquor is used in the actual chocolate-making process, and cocoa butter has been used over the years for products like soap, lotion, and shampoo. Early in the Hershey company’s history, they crushed the pods into mulch and sold it to gardeners.
<figure id="attachment_39367" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-39367" style="width: 225px" class="wp-caption alignright"><a href="https://blogs.ifas.ufl.edu/escambiaco/files/2024/05/cocoa-can.jpg"><img decoding="async" loading="lazy" class="size-medium wp-image-39367 lazyload" src="data:image/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAAAAACH5BAEKAAEALAAAAAABAAEAAAICTAEAOw==" alt="" width="225" height="300" data-src="https://blogs.ifas.ufl.edu/escambiaco/files/2024/05/cocoa-can-225x300.jpg"></a><figcaption id="caption-attachment-39367" class="wp-caption-text">Early Hershey&#8217;s logos prominently featured a cacao pod. Photo credit: Carrie Stevenson, UF IFAS Extension</figcaption></figure>
Each tree grows about 30 pods per year. According to the Hershey Museum’s <a href="https://hersheystory.org/wp-content/uploads/2015/04/ChocolateMath.pdf">“Chocolate Math” curriculum</a>, each of those pods contains 30-50 beans. To make a pound of chocolate, you need 500 beans—so one average cacao tree will yield approximately 2 pounds of chocolate. With worldwide chocolate consumption hovering around <a href="https://damecacao.com/chocolate-statistics/#million_tons">16 billion pounds</a>, that’s a LOT of trees.
<figure id="attachment_39373" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-39373" style="width: 300px" class="wp-caption alignleft"><a href="https://blogs.ifas.ufl.edu/escambiaco/files/2024/05/Cacao-tree-map-Kew-Gardens-1.png"><img decoding="async" loading="lazy" class="size-medium wp-image-39373 lazyload" src="data:image/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAAAAACH5BAEKAAEALAAAAAABAAEAAAICTAEAOw==" alt="" width="300" height="189" data-src="https://blogs.ifas.ufl.edu/escambiaco/files/2024/05/Cacao-tree-map-Kew-Gardens-1-300x189.png"></a><figcaption id="caption-attachment-39373" class="wp-caption-text">Map of worldwide cacao tree distribution. Diagram courtesy Kew Gardens.</figcaption></figure>
There have been headlines lately about <a href="https://www.jpmorgan.com/insights/global-research/commodities/cocoa-prices">chocolate prices going up</a>. This is due to several factors, but in large part to climate change. While the trees already grow in hot regions, the increase in temperature is also <a href="https://www.climate.gov/news-features/climate-and/climate-chocolate">increasing evapotranspiration rates</a>, drying them out faster. Drought conditions are devastating to these trees. Farmers are trying to adapt by growing the trees in the shade of larger trees or moving production up-slope to slightly cooler mountainsides. This, of course, requires clearing and planting in previously undisturbed rainforest, which can have a huge impact on wildlife and other ecosystem functions. Researchers are also working on <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S2405985422000313">newer varieties of cacao trees</a> that will be able to survive the changing climatic conditions.

Hotel bath soap at the Hershey Lodge is made with (and smells like) cocoa. Photo credit: Carrie Stevenson, UF IFAS Extension
I have always had a sweet tooth. While some folks prefer their sweetness in fruit or fruity candy, my go-to has always been chocolate. So, you can imagine my delight upon learning our national meeting for Extension natural resource agents would be held in Hershey, Pennsylvania. I just returned from the meeting last week, and got a kick out of all the Hershey kiss-themed décor at our conference center, hotel rooms, and throughout the city. Even the shampoo and soap had cocoa in them!
Cacao pods growing from a tree located in Hershey Gardens. Photo credit: Carrie Stevenson, UF IFAS Extension
Chocolate is a serious business, though—from its beginnings as a ceremonial drink for the Mayans and Aztecs—to the multi-billion-dollar industry it is now. Like many products, it literally takes contributions from the whole world to make chocolate. I was rather fascinated to learn the origins of the chocolate-making process while visiting the Hershey Museum and Gardens.
Chocolate starts with the cacao tree (Theobroma cacao) and its beans. While native to the Amazonian region of South America, it can grow in nearly any equatorial region and is now predominantly farmed in West Africa. Cacao farms consist of leafy green trees, so they look more like rainforests than the open fields we are accustomed to in agriculture.
Cacao blossoms exhibiting “cauliflory” as they grow directly from the trunk. Taken at the New York Botanical Garden. Photo credit: Kerry Woods, Flickr
Interestingly, the cacao tree grows its flowers directly on the main trunk, exhibiting “cauliflory” just like the Eastern redbuds I highlighted a few weeks ago. The tree’s fruit, called pods, are the size and shape of smallish footballs. Inside are the cocoa beans, covered in a gelatinous white pulp that is also edible. The pulp has been described as having a “tropical” flavor reminiscent of mango, lychee, or peach, and is used in some places for jams, ice creams, and juices.
The beginning stages of chocolate making–from bean to cocoa butter and chocolate liquor. Photo credit: Carrie Stevenson, UF IFAS Extension
Most of us are more familiar with the cocoa beans. Hershey, the 5th largest producer of chocolate in the world, started out using nearly every part of the cacao pod. After the seeds were removed, dried, and crushed for the chocolate-making process, they were separated out into “chocolate liquor” and cocoa butter.
Early in the history of Hershey’s chocolate, discarded cacao pods were crushed into mulch and sold to gardeners. Photo credit: Carrie Stevenson, UF IFAS Extension
The liquor is used in the actual chocolate-making process, and cocoa butter has been used over the years for products like soap, lotion, and shampoo. Early in the Hershey company’s history, they crushed the pods into mulch and sold it to gardeners.
Early Hershey’s logos prominently featured a cacao pod. Photo credit: Carrie Stevenson, UF IFAS Extension
Each tree grows about 30 pods per year. According to the Hershey Museum’s “Chocolate Math” curriculum, each of those pods contains 30-50 beans. To make a pound of chocolate, you need 500 beans—so one average cacao tree will yield approximately 2 pounds of chocolate. With worldwide chocolate consumption hovering around 16 billion pounds, that’s a LOT of trees.
Map of worldwide cacao tree distribution. Diagram courtesy Kew Gardens.
There have been headlines lately about chocolate prices going up. This is due to several factors, but in large part to climate change. While the trees already grow in hot regions, the increase in temperature is also increasing evapotranspiration rates, drying them out faster. Drought conditions are devastating to these trees. Farmers are trying to adapt by growing the trees in the shade of larger trees or moving production up-slope to slightly cooler mountainsides. This, of course, requires clearing and planting in previously undisturbed rainforest, which can have a huge impact on wildlife and other ecosystem functions. Researchers are also working on newer varieties of cacao trees that will be able to survive the changing climatic conditions.

I have always had a sweet tooth. While some folks prefer their sweetness in fruit or fruity candy, my go-to has always been chocolate. So, you can imagine my delight upon learning our national meeting for Extension natural resource agents would be held in Hershey, Pennsylvania. I just returned from the meeting last week, and […]

Weekly “What is it?”: Chocolate

If you’ve ever peeked over the railings of a bridge spanning an urban stream, walked along the beach, or even paddled in some of our more rural rivers, you know we have a trash problem in our waterways. Northwest Florida is crisscrossed by hundreds of small—and large—water bodies that are downstream of all our cities, [&#8230;]

<figure id="attachment_39311" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-39311" style="width: 225px" class="wp-caption alignleft"><a href="https://blogs.ifas.ufl.edu/escambiaco/files/2024/05/trash-cleanup.jpg"><img decoding="async" loading="lazy" class="size-medium wp-image-39311 lazyload" src="data:image/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAAAAACH5BAEKAAEALAAAAAABAAEAAAICTAEAOw==" alt="" width="225" height="300" data-src="https://blogs.ifas.ufl.edu/escambiaco/files/2024/05/trash-cleanup-225x300.jpg"></a><figcaption id="caption-attachment-39311" class="wp-caption-text">Cub Scouts show off their trash collection during a local cleanup. Photo credit: Carrie Stevenson, UF IFAS Extension</figcaption></figure>
If you’ve ever peeked over the railings of a bridge spanning an urban stream, walked along the beach, or even paddled in some of our more rural rivers, you know we have a trash problem in our waterways. Northwest Florida is crisscrossed by hundreds of small—and large—water bodies that are downstream of all our cities, businesses, homes, and roadways. It’s rare that water bottles, beer cans, and plastic bags are tossed deliberately into the water. More likely, they’re left on playgrounds, fallen out of overflowing garbage cans, or blown out of the backs of trucks. These items are part of an influx of non-point source pollution, which consists of all the contaminants that flow from yards, parking lots, and streets after our rainstorms.
<figure id="attachment_39315" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-39315" style="width: 225px" class="wp-caption alignright"><a href="https://blogs.ifas.ufl.edu/escambiaco/files/2024/05/heron-fishing-line.jpg"><img decoding="async" loading="lazy" class="size-medium wp-image-39315 lazyload" src="data:image/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAAAAACH5BAEKAAEALAAAAAABAAEAAAICTAEAOw==" alt="" width="225" height="300" data-src="https://blogs.ifas.ufl.edu/escambiaco/files/2024/05/heron-fishing-line-225x300.jpg"></a><figcaption id="caption-attachment-39315" class="wp-caption-text">This heron was entangled in fishing line wrapped around a log. Thankfully, we came along in time and were able to free the bird with no visible injuries. Photo credit: Carrie Stevenson, UF IFAS Extension</figcaption></figure>
Many of these stormwater contaminants are invisible to the naked eye, including bacteria, nutrients, and heavy metals. But the trash, we can see. Not only is a terrible eyesore, but incredibly hazardous to wildlife. Entanglement and ingestion of plastic waste results in countless fish, bird, and mammal deaths every year. Tiny pieces of broken down <a href="https://oceanservice.noaa.gov/facts/microplastics.html">microplastics</a> are an emerging and ongoing issue worldwide. It takes 450 years for plastic to decompose, making it an endless problem until it’s removed. Luckily, trash is a relatively low-hanging (or maybe high-floating) fruit of a problem to manage when it comes to removal. While picking up trash is labor-intensive, being the most visible source of pollution makes it one of the easiest to physically extract.
<figure id="attachment_39313" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-39313" style="width: 300px" class="wp-caption alignleft"><a href="https://blogs.ifas.ufl.edu/escambiaco/files/2024/05/trash-trap-2.jpg"><img decoding="async" loading="lazy" class="size-medium wp-image-39313 lazyload" src="data:image/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAAAAACH5BAEKAAEALAAAAAABAAEAAAICTAEAOw==" alt="" width="300" height="225" data-src="https://blogs.ifas.ufl.edu/escambiaco/files/2024/05/trash-trap-2-300x225.jpg"></a><figcaption id="caption-attachment-39313" class="wp-caption-text">A &#8220;Litter Gitter&#8221; deployed in an urban stream in Biloxi, Mississippi. Photo credit: Carrie Stevenson, UF IFAS Extension</figcaption></figure>
Just over the state line, a creative engineer named Don Bates was volunteering at a stream cleanup in Mobile and was frustrated at the endless supply of trash. From this experience, he was inspired to come up with a <a href="https://osprey.world/our-story">more effective solution</a> for removing &#8220;floatables&#8221; in streams. Taking advantage of the steady flow of water, he and his team <a href="https://ampol.net/">adapted booms</a> used to prevent construction debris and oil spills into a floating funnel of sorts, which stops and holds floating trash. In some instances, he added a metal cage to collect the trash for easier removal. The <a href="https://osprey.world/litter-boom">litter boom</a> and patented <a href="https://osprey.world/litter-gitter">Litter Gitter</a>, now sold under his <a href="https://osprey.world/sites">Osprey Initiative brand</a>, have been deployed in 12 states, including locations in Mobile, Biloxi, Pensacola, and Milton.
<figure id="attachment_39331" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-39331" style="width: 300px" class="wp-caption alignright"><a href="https://blogs.ifas.ufl.edu/escambiaco/files/2024/05/litter-gitter-nola.jpg"><img decoding="async" loading="lazy" class="size-medium wp-image-39331 lazyload" src="data:image/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAAAAACH5BAEKAAEALAAAAAABAAEAAAICTAEAOw==" alt="" width="300" height="225" data-src="https://blogs.ifas.ufl.edu/escambiaco/files/2024/05/litter-gitter-nola-300x225.jpg"></a><figcaption id="caption-attachment-39331" class="wp-caption-text">A Litter Gitter doing its job in New Orleans. Photo credit: Osprey Initiative</figcaption></figure>
Locally the <a href="https://www.ppbep.org/what-we-do/programs-and-projects/trash-free-waters-project">Pensacola and Perdido Bays Estuary Program (PPBEP)</a> received a “Trash Free Waters” grant from EPA to install litter booms in Jones and Carpenter Creeks in Escambia County, and Pond Creek in Santa Rosa County. With the help of litter booms and over 200 volunteers, they removed 5,000 pounds of trash in the first two years.
<figure id="attachment_31119" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-31119" style="width: 300px" class="wp-caption alignleft"><a href="https://blogs.ifas.ufl.edu/escambiaco/files/2020/11/kayaker.jpg"><img decoding="async" loading="lazy" class="size-medium wp-image-31119 lazyload" src="data:image/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAAAAACH5BAEKAAEALAAAAAABAAEAAAICTAEAOw==" alt="" width="300" height="225" data-src="https://blogs.ifas.ufl.edu/escambiaco/files/2020/11/kayaker-300x225.jpg"></a><figcaption id="caption-attachment-31119" class="wp-caption-text">Ideally, we can and should prevent trash from entering our waterways, so all can enjoy them safely. Photo credit: Carrie Stevenson, UF IFAS Extension</figcaption></figure>
Long term, the hope is that by collecting data on the types and sources of trash in the creeks will lead to some answers about where much of it originates. With education for the community and discussion with high level distributors and local businesses about reusable containers, the goal is to prevent the entry of this trash into the stream systems in the first place.

Cub Scouts show off their trash collection during a local cleanup. Photo credit: Carrie Stevenson, UF IFAS Extension
If you’ve ever peeked over the railings of a bridge spanning an urban stream, walked along the beach, or even paddled in some of our more rural rivers, you know we have a trash problem in our waterways. Northwest Florida is crisscrossed by hundreds of small—and large—water bodies that are downstream of all our cities, businesses, homes, and roadways. It’s rare that water bottles, beer cans, and plastic bags are tossed deliberately into the water. More likely, they’re left on playgrounds, fallen out of overflowing garbage cans, or blown out of the backs of trucks. These items are part of an influx of non-point source pollution, which consists of all the contaminants that flow from yards, parking lots, and streets after our rainstorms.
This heron was entangled in fishing line wrapped around a log. Thankfully, we came along in time and were able to free the bird with no visible injuries. Photo credit: Carrie Stevenson, UF IFAS Extension
Many of these stormwater contaminants are invisible to the naked eye, including bacteria, nutrients, and heavy metals. But the trash, we can see. Not only is a terrible eyesore, but incredibly hazardous to wildlife. Entanglement and ingestion of plastic waste results in countless fish, bird, and mammal deaths every year. Tiny pieces of broken down microplastics are an emerging and ongoing issue worldwide. It takes 450 years for plastic to decompose, making it an endless problem until it’s removed. Luckily, trash is a relatively low-hanging (or maybe high-floating) fruit of a problem to manage when it comes to removal. While picking up trash is labor-intensive, being the most visible source of pollution makes it one of the easiest to physically extract.
A “Litter Gitter” deployed in an urban stream in Biloxi, Mississippi. Photo credit: Carrie Stevenson, UF IFAS Extension
Just over the state line, a creative engineer named Don Bates was volunteering at a stream cleanup in Mobile and was frustrated at the endless supply of trash. From this experience, he was inspired to come up with a more effective solution for removing “floatables” in streams. Taking advantage of the steady flow of water, he and his team adapted booms used to prevent construction debris and oil spills into a floating funnel of sorts, which stops and holds floating trash. In some instances, he added a metal cage to collect the trash for easier removal. The litter boom and patented Litter Gitter, now sold under his Osprey Initiative brand, have been deployed in 12 states, including locations in Mobile, Biloxi, Pensacola, and Milton.
A Litter Gitter doing its job in New Orleans. Photo credit: Osprey Initiative
Locally the Pensacola and Perdido Bays Estuary Program (PPBEP) received a “Trash Free Waters” grant from EPA to install litter booms in Jones and Carpenter Creeks in Escambia County, and Pond Creek in Santa Rosa County. With the help of litter booms and over 200 volunteers, they removed 5,000 pounds of trash in the first two years.
Ideally, we can and should prevent trash from entering our waterways, so all can enjoy them safely. Photo credit: Carrie Stevenson, UF IFAS Extension
Long term, the hope is that by collecting data on the types and sources of trash in the creeks will lead to some answers about where much of it originates. With education for the community and discussion with high level distributors and local businesses about reusable containers, the goal is to prevent the entry of this trash into the stream systems in the first place.

If you’ve ever peeked over the railings of a bridge spanning an urban stream, walked along the beach, or even paddled in some of our more rural rivers, you know we have a trash problem in our waterways. Northwest Florida is crisscrossed by hundreds of small—and large—water bodies that are downstream of all our cities, […]

Weekly “What is it?”: In-Stream Trash Collection

Management and Conservation of Wildlife

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distinguished teaching scholar and professor emeritus, Department of Wildlife Ecology and Conservation, Gainesville, FL. <a href="https://wec.ifas.ufl.edu/people/wec-faculty/susan-jacobson/">WEC profile</a>

Jacobson, Susan K

Iannone, Basil V.

senior lecturer and director, Florida Natural Resources Leadership Institute, UF/IFAS&nbsp;School of Forest, Fisheries, and Geomatics Sciences <a href="http://sfrc.ufl.edu/people/faculty/dain-jonathan/">profile</a>

Dain, Jonathan

Environment

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The application of scientific and technical principles in the management of natural resources, such as land, water, soil, plants and animals, in order to meet ecological, economic, social and policy objectives. [NALT]

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A Scientific Framework for Managing Urban Natural Areas

Basic Steps to Creating a Conservation Land Trust in Florida

Environmental Deterioration and Conservation in Cuban Agriculture

Improving, Restoring, and Managing Natural Resources in Florida: Sources of Technical Assistance for Urban Homeowners

Improving, Restoring, and Managing Wildlife Habitat in Florida: Sources of Technical Assistance for Rural Landowners

Protecting Natural Areas During Development: Four Spatial Considerations to Maximize their Benefits

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