UF/IFAS Extension
Manatee County
The Manatee County Extension Service is an educational program within county government which brings the resources of the University of Florida to Manatee County to solve local problems, provide educational opportunities, promote economic enhancement and improve the quality of life for all.
Contact
manatee@ifas.ufl.edu
941-722-4524
1303 17th Street West
Palmetto, FL 34221
There is Mush Below our Feet: Common Landscape Mushrooms
As if by magic, overnight, tucked neatly beneath a cap of mulch, or peaking deftly between blades of grass, mushrooms appear in all shapes, sizes, and colors imaginable. What we observe, recognized as mushrooms, are the reproductive spore producing structures of a larger complex fungal organism called mycelium
03/03/2023
Weeping Bottlebrush Poses Invasiveness Risk in Florida
Bottlebrush: Florida Friendly or Foe?
Bottlebrush is a common plant in the landscapes of Florida; you may know it for its showy red blooms that, resembling bottlebrushes, coined the tree’s name. Although it thrives in both south and central Florida, bottlebrush is native to Australia, which is also home of the extremely invasive Australian Pine and Melaleuca tree
02/15/2023
National Ag Day: Growing a Climate for Tomorrow
March 21st is National Agriculture Day, a time to recognize and celebrate the men and women who produce our food, fuel and fiber. Now celebrating its 50th Anniversary, the theme for this year’s Ag Day is “Growing a Climate for Tomorrow”
03/20/2023
Manasota Regional Envirothon 2023
At the annual Manasota Regional Envirothon held in early February, over 140 students on 26 teams representing eight Manatee and Sarasota County high schools competed at Oscar Scherer State Park in Osprey. The Envirothon is an outdoor environmental team competition for high school students, testing their knowledge of aquatics, forestry, soils, wildlife, and this year’s current topic ‘Adapting to a Changing Climate’
02/08/2023
If You Must: Tree Removal FAQ
Trees provide innumerable benefits to our community. I have written about their beauty, their ecosystem services, and their care on several occasions
01/20/2023
Cortez Kind: Celebrating Over 100 Years of Commercial Fishing
41st Annual Cortez Commercial Fishing Festival: The Cortez Kind are Getting Ready to Party with a Purpose!
Every February for the past four decades, people have gathered in one of Florida’s last true fishing villages to celebrate the cultural history of the region and to honor the men and women who supply us with fresh local seafood. The village of Cortez and the Florida Institute for Saltwater Heritage (F
01/17/2023
Planting a Rainbow
Plant a Rainbow
The first green shoot seeking the sun, tendrils grasp, life encircled in each new node, our eyes witness to the verdancy of soil, seed, and sun. Gardening is a vibrant and reaffirming experience
12/29/2022