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Environmental Education

I teach many kinds of environmental programs, including teacher workshops and my Naturally Florida podcast. I also share information through videos, blogs, fact sheets and more.

Nature Podcast

Don’t have time to join a class or webinar? Listen to "Naturally Florida", a podcast about Florida’s natural areas and the wild animals that live here. I work with the Natural Resources Agent in Polk County to create each episode.

A new episode comes out every month, and each one is only 15–25 minutes long—perfect for a car ride. You can subscribe on your favorite podcast app and share it with friends and family!

Teacher Training Workshops

Most schools do not include much environmental education, so I help teachers learn how to bring nature into their lessons. I am a trained facilitator for Project Learning Tree, Project WET and Project WILD.

I can help teachers and other educators add environmental lessons to almost any subject—math, science, writing, and even physical education. If you want to set up a workshop for your staff, contact me at lara317@ufl.edu.

Wildlife Education & Engagement

raccoonPinellas County is the most crowded county in Florida, but we still have amazing parks, preserves, and green spaces. Even our own yards can be great places for wildlife! 

In 2021, we began offering nest box workshops to help create artificial homes for birds that nest in tree cavities. If you’ve been to one of these workshops and want to share an update, you can do that here.

You can learn about the animals around your home by watching past Wildlife of Florida webinars, checking out the Backyard Nature Network Video Series, and consider joining the Neighborhood Natural Area Network. 

Urban Trees

It can be hard to show how important trees are in a busy county like Pinellas. That’s why I created the Traveling Tree Walk program. Community groups can borrow special signs that hang on selected trees. These signs explain the benefits trees provide, such as cleaner air and cooler temperatures. A helpful brochure also explains these “ecosystem services” in more detail.

If you want to host Tree Walk signs at your location, email me at lara317@ufl.edu. You can also see the signs at Brooker Creek Preserve or even create your own Tree Walk!