Author Archive

A meaningful career, or a ‘calling’, was invented by Christian reformers 500 years ago, religion professor says

Nov 27, 2023 No Comments by

As a professor, I’m fortunate to teach a course called World Religions for Healthcare Professionals that prepares students for the spiritual and ethical issues they may encounter in their careers. But the class often boils down to life’s big questions: What makes life worth living, and how should we live? How do you find your “calling”? In […]

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8th Annual Okra Occasion Aug 26, 2023 in New Port Richey

Jul 31, 2023 No Comments by

Eighth Annual Okra Occasion Saturday August 26, 2023, 11:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. New Port Richey Public Library  Downtown New Port Richey, Florida, at Main & Madison Less than a festival but more than an ordinary day!  ZERO WASTE EVENT – COME & SEE! Presented by New Port Richey FarmNet & New Port Richey Environmental […]

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GOOD NEWS! 10th Annual Florida Loquat Festival Coming Up!

Mar 05, 2023 No Comments by

GOOD NEWS: 10th ANNUAL FLORIDA LOQUAT FESTIVAL IS COMING UP March 18, 2023 New Port Richey, Florida Frances Ave. Park ~ 6156 Louisiana Avenue, 34653 Ecology Florida and New Port Richey FarmNet with support of the City of New Port Richey, will host the 10th annual Florida Loquat Festival on Saturday, March 18 from 10:00 […]

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Green Guide to the Holidays

Dec 21, 2022 No Comments

An Ecology Florida Feature December 2022  Monica Starr Americans produce considerably more waste during the holiday season. Specifically, from Thanksgiving to New Year’s, we throw away 25% more trash compared to the rest of the year [2]. Last year, I wrote an article explaining various ways to make mindful and sustainable choices. This year, I […]

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Maine Takes the Lead on Food Sovereignty—But Can Florida Catch Up?

Nov 13, 2022 No Comments

 by Lana Chehabeddine November 2022 Maine has officially broken U.S. (food) history, by opening the doors for its consumers to embrace and implement the idea behind ‘the right to food’. You may be thinking, “but doesn’t this exist already”? The answer is not so black and white. Typically, state and local regulations prevent consumers from […]

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Protect the Keys

Oct 06, 2022 No Comments

An Ecology Florida Feature  October 6, 2022 by Monica Starr The Florida Keys is a marine protected area that includes productive seagrass beds, mangrove forests and over 6,000 species of marine life [1]. North America’s only coral barrier reef is often subject to activities including snorkeling, fishing, sailing, scuba diving, kayaking and boating. The 120-mile-long […]

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Monarch Butterflies Added to the Endangered Species Red List

Aug 21, 2022 No Comments

Ecology Florida August 2022  by Monica Starr The monarch butterfly embarks on an annual migration which can reach up to 2,800 miles from southeast Canada to central Mexico [1]. These beautiful insects have two pairs of orange-red wings with black veins and distinguishing white spots along the edges. The males have black dots along the […]

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Citrus Greening Still Impacting Farmers in Florida

Jul 15, 2022 No Comments

July 2022  An Ecology Florida Feature by Monica Starr As the end of citrus season approaches here in the state of Florida, the U.S. Department of Agriculture has estimated a record-low harvest. Compared to the previous growing season, the production of oranges, grapefruit and other specialty crops is already down about 22% [1]. This season, […]

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Giant African Snail Infestation in Pasco County 

Jul 13, 2022 No Comments

It was confirmed on June 23rd that a Giant African land snail was present in Pasco County. The recent snail sighting was discovered by a Master Gardener in the New Port Richey area near Massachusetts Avenue and Rowan Road [1]. This first snail confirmed was nearly eight inches long which is about the maximum size […]

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Fleet Farming in Orlando

Jun 01, 2022 No Comments

by Monica Starr  June 2022  Fleet Farming is an Orlando-based non-profit urban agriculture project that transforms lawns into productive micro farms and gardens. Creating localized food systems in areas without access to fresh produce, it converts underutilized lawn space to edible gardens at schools, community centers, and affordable housing units. Besides addressing food-security issues, Fleet […]

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