1-9
Florida manatee deaths jump 30% in 2005
You may have seen or heard about the annual manatee death tally. There were 366 manatees that died in 2005, compared with 276 in 2004. That gives 2005 the second-highest number of deaths on record, right behind 1996 with 415 deaths. Preliminary information from the state-run Fish and Wildlife Research Institute (part of the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission) says the increase in deaths is due to the bad red tides we saw last year.

1-16
Southwest Florida Water Management District Recreation
Last fall, SWFWMD came out with an all-new guide to recreation on its public lands. If you have the time and the hard drive space for it, you can download the almost 15 MB guide in PDF format -- handy to have when you are looking for a new place to explore, with maps and other details. If you don't want to download the guide, request a paper copy. Either way, the new guide is improved over the previous one because it offers more details -- not just natural areas, but sometimes guides to specific trails within the natural areas. Whether you like wildlife watching, off-road biking, hiking, horseback riding or primitive camping, you'll find a few good places to go in this broad region of the state.

1-23
ReefBase: Global Information on Coral Reefs
When it comes to the world's coral reefs, many people turn to NOAA (National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration) for information. NOAA is a great resource, but there's also this site. Here, you can find news about coral reefs around the world, interactive maps showing where coral reefs are (and what problems may be plaguing them), reef information by country, and images and photos of reefs. Although a lot of the information here is technical, this would still be a good site to bookmark if you are a diver, teacher or just interested in reef ecology.

1-30
Imperiled Species Management
Florida panthers, Florida black bears, manatees, sea turtles and northern right whales are all imperiled species. This section, part of the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC), leads you to more information about all these species. Find photos of a leatherback turtle making a nest, get a panther coloring book, see a map of where bears roam, find out how to adopt a whale, order a manatee calendar and more just clicks away from this main page. Although there's not a direct link from this page, you'll also find bald eagle information under the same imperiled species section where you can find information like the location of known nests.

2-6
Florida Panther May Be Relocated
Endangered Florida panthers can't increase their numbers until they have more room where they can live, experts have been saying for a few years, and recent news like this Gainesville Sun article are reviving the idea. Because panthers now have only 5% of the land where they used to live, according to the article, panther biologists are looking at other southeastern states to introduce new populations of the cougar, like Georgia and Arkansas.

2-13
Florida Wetlands Near You
Where are the wetlands in your county? Click on a map of the state of Florida on this University of Florida page to see lakes, rivers, uplands and more. If you see an icon of a heron placed on the map of your county, click on the heron for more information about a specific location where the wetland lies. An extra feature allows you to click on a box to display major roads on the locations of cities in your county, if that helps you orient yourself with the map. Other links at this site will take you to information about different wetlands types, wetlands in the news and how wetlands are being protected.

2-20
Florida Hikes!
Hiker, Florida Trail expert, guidebook author and writer Sandra Friend has a brilliant new blog about hiking at this site. The blog (an abbreviation of the term "Web log") is detailed and includes photos and relevant links about the places she writes about. For example, today's blog encourages hikers to visit Fort DeSoto Park before planned "improvements" interfere with the park's natural beauty. If you're looking for ideas on your next hike or even your next weekend getaway, this blog is a good one to read. Friend's latest book is called "Hiker's Guide to the Sunshine State," the second in the "Wild Florida" series that includes EcoFlorida editor book "30 Eco-Trips in Florida." Also look for an article by Friend in the upcoming Spring 2006 print issue of EcoFlorida.

2-27
Proposed National Forest Land Sale Angers Environmentalists
You may have heard that national forest land may be sold to raise funds for a program that helps build roads and schools near these forests. Timber sales from the forests used to cover the costs of the long-running program, but now forest land itself may be the source of funding. This Daytona Beach News-Journal article provides an explanation and says 973 acres of Ocala National Forest land could be sold.

3-6
The Florida Everglades
This site, part of the National Wildlife Federation Web site, is a nice comprehensive overview of the Everglades. Not only that, but it's fun, too. A virtual tour of the Everglades makes use of postcards to highlight Everglades habitat, wildlife and more. There are also links about hydrology, history and saving water. Tip: the link about growing plants native to the Everglades points to a different page. This site would be good for kids or other people who aren't acquainted yet with the Everglades.

3-13
North Florida Field Office of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service
This is one of those sites that doesn't look too exciting visually but is a good one to reference for information. For important environmental topics affecting northern Florida, turn to this U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service page. (Click here for the southern Florida page.) For updates on endangered and threatened species like Florida scrub jays, Florida panthers, whooping cranes, manatees, sea turtles and others, come here and just follow the links. You'll also find maps that show the path of wood storks, and "storkcams." Other various FWS-related links are here, too.

3-20
Florida Department of Environmental Protection Teacher Professional Development
Here are classes the DEP offers to teachers so they can learn about the environment and environmental science in order to better teach their students. So if you are a teacher or know a teacher, check out this page for links and information about these educator resources.

3-27
Florida paddling clubs list by WaveLength Magazine
The weather is great, and so is the water. If you like to canoe or kayak, you might want to check out local paddling clubs in your area. This site lists several around the state.

4-3
Visit Florida RSS feeds
If you like to travel around the state for any reason -- and you enjoy the newish RSS technology that tells you when Web sites have been updated with new content (like EcoFlorida does) -- then you might want to check out this page. Visit Florida is the state tourism board, and this portion of its Web site offers various RSS links for your RSS reader. (Don't worry; there's a good explanation of what RSS is at this page, if you need one.) From our favorite RSS feed, outdoors & nature, to others like boating & fishing, culture & heritage, family getaways and more, there are several feeds to choose from. You can also subscribe to all of these feeds if you want to get all the Visit Florida updates for your RSS reader. (EcoFlorida's RSS feed is here.)

4-11
Florida's Comprehensive Wildlife Conservation Strategy
Did you know the state has a policy for wildlife? You can read all about it, starting at this page on the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission Web site. The public comment period is over, despite what the page says, but if you want to educate yourself about the state's plans, this page is worth a look. Watch out for large files and dry government-ese!

4-17
Make canoeists and kayakers pay?
This page is an Orlando Sentinel opinion piece about a proposed change by the Florida Boating Advisory Council. Should paddlers have to register their crafts and pay the same fees that motorized boaters do? The reporter writes, "This is nothing but a money grab backed by marine industries and aimed at a segment of the boating community whose impacts on the state's pocketbook and environment are negligible." But some people may think fair is fair -- a boat is a boat. No matter what side you take on the issue, read this article and visit the advisory council's Web site to find out more information.

4-24
Keetch-Byram Drought Index
These last couple of months before the rainy season -- hurricane season -- starts are when conditions are typically ripe for wildfires. According to this page on the Florida Division of Forestry Web site, the counties of Lee, Collier, Glades and Broward are the driest counties in the state, making them vulnerable to fire. Also check out the Florida Division of Forestry's general fire weather forecast page for satellite images, rainfall, humidity and more.

5-1
"Ding" Darling has a vacation waiting for you
Have you visited J.N. "Ding" Darling National Wildlife Refuge on Sanibel Island? If not, think about going soon. Many of the wintertime migratory birds that the refuge is known for have returned to their summer homes by now. But if you visit in May, you'll get to see birds in their juvenile plumage as well as some species nesting. This article on the Miami Herald Web site (free registration with the Web site may be required to access the articles) provides basic information about visiting the refuge. For an even more detailed look, there's the winter 2001 issue of EcoFlorida -- in addition to my book, "30 Eco-Trips in Florida"!

5-8
The next green revolution
Can technology and environmentalism coexist? Or perhaps -- can technology improve the world's environmental problems? This Wired Magazine article proposes, "Americans trash the planet not because we're evil, but because the industrial systems we've devised leave no other choice," and suggests society is changing those "industrial systems" to reflect greater care of the environment. For another Wired article about the environment, check out a "score card" and comparison chart of national and international environmental groups.

5-15
"Quilting Natural Florida" exhibit to open
It's not often you can combine quilting and Florida nature. But the Florida Museum of Natural History in Gainesville on the University of Florida campus is going to open an exhibit of quilts made to display some aspect of Florida nature, on June 10. There are going to be 74 quilts on display, through Sept. 4. Find out more about the exhibit.

5-22
Florida's exotic wildlife
I have been seeing a strange character running around my yard on its hind legs for the past year. I guessed at what it could be, but recently positively identified it as a brown basilisk lizard using this section of the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission site. If you have an unidentified backyard creature, you too might want to check with this page. There is other good information like which non-native species are expanding, and maps of exotic species by county.

6-12
Economic impact of birding & wildlife festival
Those of us interested in nature-based recreation may be interested in this report about how much money was brought into the Titusville area because of last year's Space Coast Birding and Wildlife Festival (PDF file). The report is nicely done, providing 37 pages of details and charts to track the money that festival-goers spent in and around the community. The end result? People brought more than $600,000 into the community. This just shows you that birdwatching and other nonconsumptive outdoors activities do mean business.

6-19
Throwing 'green' summer parties
This article on the CBS Web site was a segment on the Early Show last week. It features tips for giving environmentally friendly parties this summer, courtesy of Danny Seo, author of "Simply Green Parties." Many of Seo's ideas are common sense to a lot of people, such as using what you already have and foregoing items that will just be thrown away after the party. Do you have your own tips for green parties? Feel free to share.

6-26
Summer of Green: Orlando
Where are some environmentally minded summer vacation places to consider in Orlando? That's what Google and Earth Day Network want to help you find with this new feature that shows "green" locations on a map. Click on each listing for a short commercial about that venue -- which may or may not be extremely informative about just why each listing was chosen or why it's considered "green." Looking at the listings for Orlando (the only Florida city to score a spot on the Summer of Green feature), I can think of several other -- perhaps even "greener" -- venues that could have been spotlighted in the area. Although the site seems short on substance, if it's popular enough, perhaps more cities will be added in the future. It's an interesting concept.

7-6
July is Recreation and Parks Month in Florida
Celebrate Recreation and Parks Month with any of several events taking place at Florida state parks, listed here in chronological order. Hiking, biking, birding and paddling are some of the main themes, but there are also races and musical events in store.

7-10
Hikipedia: A free database of hiking trails
Many of you may be familiar with Wikipedia, an online encyclopedia-type site that is written and updated by volunteers. This site operates on the same idea: hikers submit their trail reports for everyone's benefit. It's an interesting idea. You won't find any Florida trails on this site, though -- none has been submitted yet! In fact, the site is so new that only a handful of trails in the Pacific Northwest are posted. Will you be the first to submit a Florida trail?

7-17
Florida birding economics
A few weeks ago, the weekly hot link pointed to the economic impact of the Space Coast Birding and Wildlife Festival. This week's hot link shows further information along those same lines. Bird watching (and wildlife watching) is big business in Florida. According to this page on the Great Florida Birding Trail Web site, birding generates $477 million in retail sales every year. If nothing else encourages people to conserve our natural lands, then maybe that figure will! Find other facts about how birding is beneficial to the economy, and also tips for making your presence as a wildlife watcher known when you visit an area (so the area knows you're spending money there because of the birds!).

7-24
Florida Circumnavigational Saltwater Paddling Trail
Did you know there is a plan to create a paddling trail all the way around the coast of Florida, from the Amelia Island area of the Atlantic Ocean to the Pensacola area of the Gulf of Mexico? Find out all about this trail at this minisite, part of the Florida Department of Environmental Protection's program Greenways & Trails. Five of the 26 segments of the trail already have an online guide and maps -- Panama City, Charlotte Harbor, the Keys, the Space Coast and the Timucuan/Amelia Island area -- so you can get paddling this week! Also look for tips for planning a long-distance paddling trip at this site. To learn more about the beginnings of the circumnavigational trail, check out EcoFlorida's winter 2003 interview with Doug Alderson, who helped chart the Big Bend-area saltwater trail.

7-31
Pinellas County Blueways
This PDF file on the Pinellas County parks Web site shows the canoe and kayak launch sites maintained by this Tampa Bay-area county. A handy map shows the locations referenced by number, so all you'd have to do to find the launch is to refer to the number to see what the launch offers (like parking, a beach or a fee, if any). There are 47 launch sites -- almost one for every week of the year! From Tampa Bay, Lake Tarpon and the Gulf of Mexico, there are lots of blueways to choose from.

8-7
St. Marys River Guide
In keeping with the river/paddling theme of the past couple weeks, here is a page dedicated to the St. Marys River that separates Georgia from Florida in our state's extreme northeast. Here you'll find several maps of the river, along with information about launching watercraft, camping, fishing, water quality, history and phone numbers useful for helping plan your trip or visit to the St. Marys. Do you have any stories to share about the St. Marys?

8-14
Shift into green
This article on the Wired Magazine Web site reviews three vehicles that run on alternative fuel -- something many people are considering now with the rising cost of gasoline. Each vehicle runs on a different type of alternative fuel. Vehicle prices, annual fuel costs and the pros and cons of each are listed. Do you drive a car that uses an alternative energy source? If so, how did you decide on your vehicle?

8-21
St. Vincent Volunteers
Citizen support organizations (CSOs) are vital to many natural areas to raise funds and gather manpower when needed, among other activities. The volunteer organization for St. Vincent National Wildlife Refuge in the Florida panhandle has a simple, attractive Web site where Web surfers can learn about the refuge, find out the latest happenings, see photos not available on the official refuge site, get the local weather and contact the volunteers for more information. This is just one of many good volunteer-run sites that offer an additional way to "know before you go" -- to learn about a natural area ahead of your visit. Do you know some good CSO Web sites? Are you a CSO member? Let the group know by responding to this message.

8-28
Marine Sanctuaries Media
This National Marine Sanctuaries Web site (a division of NOAA) offers a way to look up and buy images from national marine sanctuaries. You can search by sanctuary, photographer or key word to find the right image for whatever project you're working on. (A 12 X 18 photo could set you back $35.) But not only can you get images -- you can get easy-to-find information about the sanctuaries as well. For example, click on the Florida Keys sanctuary listing (which offers 22 photos for sale), and you'll go to a page where you can also access a sanctuary Q&A, news, an ecosystem report card and contact information. It looks as though a newsletter and calendar of events are planned but aren't currently online yet.

10-1
Journey North: Monarch Butterfly Fall 2006
It’s butterfly time! This site tracks the migration of monarch butterflies across North America. With updates every Friday ‘til November -- or until the butterflies reach their winter home in Mexico -- you can see where the butterflies are. Get updates from the migration trail by checking in with this site. And if you’re an educator, you can also get a teacher’s guide that includes geography and science. You can also report your own sightings. Bonus link: An article about butterfly migration from last year in the New York Times.

10-8
Suwannee River Wilderness Trail on National Geographic
You’ve probably heard of the Suwannee River Wilderness Trail, which the state has been planning for a few years now so river explorers can better prepare their trips along the famed Suwannee. This area of the National Geographic Web site has an interactive map of the river trail, showing river camps, historical sites, the location of public lands and more. Follow the river on the map all the way from Georgia to the Gulf of Mexico, passing towns, state parks and other points of interest. Bonus link: The official Suwannee River Wilderness Trail site.

10-15
Solutions for Your Life
The University of Florida’s Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences has this great site geared toward putting those sciences to practical, everyday use. What this means for you and me is tips on everything from Florida lawn care to grilling meat safely to disaster preparedness to interacting with Florida wildlife and more -- even relationships. You’ll find links to all kinds of information gems here, including how to contact your county extension office.

10-21
Regional Conservation Areas
Are you into the plants of southern Florida? This page on the Regional Institute for Conservation Web site lists almost 350 conservation areas in southern Florida. Click on a natural area and get a list of the plants found there (some pages are big and can take a while to load), along with a native/non-native designation and other information about the plant. You can also search for plants by county and by habitat.

11-6
WaterWise -- South Florida Landscapes
Continuing our southern Florida plant info from last week . . . here is a guide for landscaping with wise water use in mind. This South Florida Water Management District page has links to PDFs on various landscaping subjects: palms, grasses and groundcovers, shrubs and more. If you don’t live in southern Florida, contact your regional water management district, which is likely to have landscaping and water-saving tips for your region of the state.