Author: EcologyFlorida

  • Red Tide Rises Again: The 2021 Story

    Red Tide Rises Again: The 2021 Story

    by Monica Starr An Ecology Florida Feature If you are a Florida resident, you have heard about the harmful algae blooms taking over the gulf beaches this summer. These blooms of algae consist of small marine microorganisms known as Karenia brevis [1]. Most recently, these dangerous organisms have flourished in the Tampa Bay area, creating…

  • Brevard County Oak Tree Removal: A Controversial Plan

    Brevard County Oak Tree Removal: A Controversial Plan

    by Monica Starr On Thursday night, Brevard County officials explained their upcoming plans to remove roughly 30 oak trees on Rockledge Drive. Starting as early as August 18th, this removal process will began and it comes with reimbursements to the residents to plant new trees on this scenic road if they would like. These reimbursements…

  • Manatee Deaths Soar in Florida

    Manatee Deaths Soar in Florida

    by Monica Starr The state of Florida has described the high number of manatee deaths an “unusual mortality event.” These herbivorous marine mammals can often be found in the central and south Atlantic coast of Florida. The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission or the FWC has reported nearly 650 manatee deaths from January 2021…

  • Florida Energy Milestone

    Florida Energy Milestone

    by Monica Starr Transitions to cleaner energy sources are the future of corporations everywhere. Indiantown Florida is a village in Martin County, located just north of West Palm Beach. Last week, the Florida Power and Light plant in Indiantown demolished the last coal chimney in the entire state. The chimney stood nearly 500 feet tall…

  • Florida Loquat News #41 – June 2021

    Florida Loquat News #41 – June 2021

    Florida Loquat News The Newsletter of The Florida Loquat Festival Celebrating Florida’s Urban Fruit No. 41 June 25, 2021 Published by Ecology Florida and Friendship Farms & Fare https://www.ecologyflorida.org/   Here is Your Summer issue of the Florida Loquat News Big Success for 2021 Loquat Beer Ecology Florida and New Port Richey FarmNet received a generous…

  • Hurricane Season 2021 in Florida: What to Expect

    Hurricane Season 2021 in Florida: What to Expect

    by Monica Starr  June 2021  With summer comes hurricane season in states like Florida where there is over 1,300 miles of coastline. That being said, it is being predicted that this year might be threatening to people living in this area, particularly in some of the larger metropolitan areas. It was recently predicted by Colorado…

  • Editorial: Mangrove Restoration Efforts in South Florida

    Editorial: Mangrove Restoration Efforts in South Florida

    by Monica Starr The south Florida organization MANG recently partnered with the Brevard Zoo in order to begin coastal restoration work. MANG began in Fort Myers by brothers that work to restore ecosystems by planting mangrove trees across the state of Florida. They are currently working with the Brevard Zoo team and their efforts to…

  • Florida Loquat Festival Returns! Mini-Festival 2021

    Florida Loquat Festival Returns! Mini-Festival 2021

    2021 Florida Loquat Festival “Back to the Future” A Mini-Festival Maintaining A New Port Richey Tradition Good news for loquat fans in the Tampa Bay Region.  The Florida Loquat Festival will return in March, 2021. This year, the celebration of our distinctive local fruit will occur over a two week period at a variety of…

  • Guest Article: Oshi Shola and My Food Journey

    Guest Article: Oshi Shola and My Food Journey

    My Food Journey Jesse Haskins Whether my parents intended or not (probably not), I built my cultural identity around food. I grew up loving my maternal grandmother’s rice dishes. She recognized this as fundamental to her Jewish-Afghanistan heritage. I remember being particularly fond of her “oshi shola” recipe, a recipe of which I still have…

  • Ecology Florida Announces New Vice President

    Ecology Florida Announces New Vice President

    Ecology Florida has elected Jesse Haskins to serve as vice president.  Jesse Haskins is an attorney who dedicated his law practice to strengthening our local food systems. He offers legal services to small scale agricultural enterprises. Jesse Haskins is excited about serving as vice president of Ecology Florida because of the organization’s emphasis on local food systems. Ecology…