Florida Land Steward

Florida Land Steward Calendar and News

To sign up for weekly email updates, which include the latest calendar of events, news and a link to the quarterly Florida Land Steward newsletter, send an email to cdemers@ufl.edu.

If you know of an event or news brief that should be included on this page or the news blog please send an email with the news information or event name, date, location, and contact information to cdemers@ufl.edu.

Ongoing Initiatives and Programs
ENROLL IN THE ONLINE FOREST LANDOWNER ACADEMY

Are you new to forestry and land management? Need a good primer on forest management concepts and next steps? Hard to fit travel for tours and workshops in your busy schedule? Need a course in a self-paced format that you can take on your own time? This course is for you! Forest landowners, and others in need of forest management information, are encouraged to enroll in this self-paced, online course to connect with forest management experts at the University of Florida and receive quality core educational content on forestry and multiple-use stewardship concepts.

The 7 course modules cover a variety of topics on understanding your forest resources, developing your management plan, timber management, marketing forest products, other forest enterprises such as pine straw and hunting leases, wildlife management, and planning for the future. Each module includes recorded video from the field or virtual classroom, links to references, and an assessment where you can apply what you’ve learned to your land or situation and begin or continue planning and making contacts. The cost of the course is $150. Those completing the course will earn a University of Florida Certificate of Completion.

Enroll in the Forest Landowner Academy today:
https://ifas-sfrc-for.catalog.instructure.com/courses/for-fla

Questions about the course can be directed to Chris Demers, cdemers@ufl.edu, (352) 846-2375.

CHECK OUT THE NEW PROFOREST “PODFOREST” PODCAST

Immerse yourself in the world of forestry through extension as ProForest coordinator Dr. Tyler Carney hosts guests to talk about all things forestry. Listeners can join each episode to listen to a new guest and learn about different forestry topics. Curated for private forest landowners but interesting to all, this podcast was created as an Extension product of the University of Florida’s Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences (UF/IFAS).

Learn more about the PodForest podcast and listen to available episodes..

FLORIDA WOMEN LANDOWNERS ASSOCIATION (FWLA)

Our goal is to provide opportunities for collaboration and education for all generations of women landowners in Florida. We share land stewardship resources through in-person events and virtual networking related to land ownership including farms, ranches, forests, recreation, and wildlife. Whether you have 1 acre or 1,000 – we are here for you. Keep posted on FWLA news and activities on their Facebook page!

LANDOWNER ASSISTANCE AVAILABLE FROM QUAIL FOREVER BIOLOGISTS

Quail Forever is a non-profit organization dedicated to upland habitat conservation through habitat improvements, public access, education, and conservation advocacy. We are excited to have Farm Bill Biologists in Florida providing technical assistance to landowners interested in improving the health of their land for wildlife, clean water, and other important natural resources. Biologists are available to assist landowners through the application process for USDA Natural Resource Conservation Service (NRCS) Farm Bill programs.

Florida Quail Forever Biologist positions are supported through partnership with USDA NRCS Working Lands for Wildlife Framework and in cooperation with the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission. Our focus is Northern Bobwhite quail and upland habitats. Technical assistance to private landowners includes answering wildlife management questions, working with landowners to identify habitat objectives and develop wildlife habitat management plans, and connecting them to resources and applicable programs.

Those interested in assistance can reach out to either of our Florida Quail Forever Biologists: Nicole Itzkowitz, nitzkowitz@quailforever.org based in Kissimmee (Central Florida including Lake, Sumter, Seminole, Orange, Brevard and Osceola counties) or Katie Maddox, kmaddox@quailforever.org based in Quincy (Gadsden, Leon, Jackson, Calhoun, Liberty, Wakulla, Jefferson, Madison and Hamilton counties). If you do not see your county listed, please contact the biologist closest to you.

PRESCRIBED BURN ASSOCIATIONS AND PRESCRIBED BURN ASSISTANCE AVAILABLE FROM TALL TIMBERS RESEARCH STATION, ALACHUA CONSERVATION TRUST, AND ATTACK-ONE FIRE MANAGEMENT SERVICES

These organizations are available to meet onsite with landowners to discuss their goals and assist with prescribed burn prescription and implementation.

Tall Timbers Research Station is funded by a Longleaf Legacy Landscape project to provide fire consultation and assistance with planning, and implementation to private landowners in the Florida Panhandle from Pensacola to Lake City and in west Georgia as far north as the Chattahoochee Fall Line (Columbus, GA). For more information contact Jeremy Martin at (850) 333-4776, or JMartin@talltimbers.org. Jeremy is also the coordinator for the Northwest Florida Prescribed Burn Association: Private Lands Prescribed Fire Project - Tall Timbers

Alachua Conservation Trust has a prescribed fire specialist available to assist private landowners with burn planning in Alachua, Baker, Bradford, Clay, Columbia, Flagler, Gilchrist, Hamilton, Levy, Marion, Putnam, St. John’s, Suwannee, Union, and portions of Citrus, Lake, Sumter, and Volusia Counties. Contact Barry Coulliette at barry@alachuaconservationtrust.org, 904-838-8591. Barry is also the Coordinator for the North Florida Prescribed Burn Association.

Attack-One Fire Management Services, Inc. is grant-funded to assist private landowners who have current or previous NRCS contracts with prescribed fire consultation, planning and implementation throughout North Florida, Georgia and Alabama. For private landowners with previous NRCS contracts to qualify, the property must include Longleaf Pine and / or have active Gopher Tortoise habitat present. For more information contact: Kevin Carter (850) 926-6534, kevin@attack-one.com For additional information see http://www.attack-one.com

ONLINE PRESCRIBED FIRE TRAINING COURSE AVAILABLE ON UF/IFAS EXTENSION CANVAS CATALOG
This course is designed to provide individuals with knowledge and resources to better accomplish their land management goals and to cultivate fire-educated communities. Topics include: Basic Fire Knowledge, How to Implement Prescribed Fire, Air Quality & Smoke, Fire Liability & Risk Reduction, Wildlife Management, Forest Management, and more. This course is free and for educational purposes only. It is not a professional certification course. See Prescribed Fire Training | CESRxFire for more details and to enroll.

UNIVERSITY OF FLORIDA FIRE UNIVERSITY PODCASTS

The UF Disturbance Ecology and Ecological Restoration (DEER) Lab has launched a podcast named Fire University in a podcast network called Natural Resources University. The network features four science-based podcasts with leading scientists in each topic area. Topics include Deer University focused on white-tailed deer biology and management, Habitat University focused on the science of wildlife habitat management, Pond University focused on delivering the latest science about managing fishing ponds and aquatic ecosystems, and Fire University which delivers the latest research and science on fire ecology and related wildlife and forest management.

The Natural Resources University (NRU) podcasts are available at: https://naturalresourcesuniversity.libsyn.com/

The Fire University Podcasts are available at: https://fireuniversity.libsyn.com/

WILD TURKEY SCIENCE PODCAST
Wild Turkey Science is a podcast hosted by Dr. Marcus Lashley at the University of Florida and Dr. Will Gulsby at Auburn University. The podcast is science-based and features in-depth discussion about wild turkey research and how it relates to managing your wild turkey population. Check out the Wild Turkey Science podcast here.

These podcasts are all available on all the major podcast platforms and people can follow them @UFDEERLab and @NRUniversity where additional content related to natural resource management is posted. For more information contact Dr. Marcus Lashley, (352) 846-0870, marcus.lashley@ufl.edu

HURRICANE PREPARATION AND RECOVERY GUIDES FOR FLORIDA AGRICULTURAL PRODUCERS AND LANDOWNERS

The USDA Southeast Climate Hub with other USDA agencies and university Extension experts, have developed a set of guides for Florida agricultural producers. The guides are each tailored to a specific agricultural commodity and designed to help produces prepare for and recover from hurricane events.

The guides are available on the USDA Southeast Climate Hub Website. Of interest to forest landowners is the Pine Forest Landowners Guide.

SOMETHING BUGGING YOUR TREES? - CHECK OUT THE FOREST HEALTH DIAGNOSTICS FORUM

Hosted by a group of forest and tree health specialists with Southeastern universities and agencies, we are here to help identify pests and diseases in your forest or your backyard, and to recommend a solution, if appropriate. Join the group and report your tree health issue!

Visit the new Forest Health Diagnostic forum on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/groups/SouthernTreeHealthDiagnostics/

GOT AN INVASIVE SPECIES PROBLEM?

Go to floridainvasives.org for information, assistance and partnership opportunities. Get information on all invasive taxa at UF/IFAS Invasive Species Programs

FLORIDA FOREST SERVICE HOSTING SIMPLE SMOKE SCREENING TOOL ONLINE

A user-friendly smoke plotting tool is now available on the Florida Forest's Fire Tools and Downloads webpage.

HELP WITH EASTERN DIAMONDBACK RATTLESNAKE STATUS ASSESSMENT
The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) has been petitioned to list the eastern diamondback rattlesnake as a threatened or endangered species. They are now working on a Species Status Assessment (SSA), which they plan to have a draft of in the fall of 2023. This Assessment will be used for all decisions associated with the Endangered Species Act (ESA), including whether a species should be listed as endangered/threatened or not. The assessment allows for State and partner engagement in the science used to base ESA decisions. This is an opportunity to let USFWS know how many eastern diamondback rattlesnakes we are seeing in Florida.

The National Council on Air and Stream Improvement (NCASI) has an online survey where you can submit observations of eastern diamondbacks. Please be sure to observe snakes from a safe distance and don’t attempt to kill them.
LOOKING FOR INFORMATION ON A PARTICULAR TOPIC? AskIFAS!

Check the vast array of extension publications available through UF/IFAS on the AskIFAS publication site: http://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/ Wow, there’s a publication about that?

NEED A LOAN TO FUND CONSERVATION PROJECTS? CHECK OUT THE USDA FARM SERVICE AGENCY'S GUARANTEED CONSERVATION LOAN PROGRAM

The USDA Farm Service Agency (FSA) guarantees loans to promote conservation practices on farms and ranches that help protect natural resources. The goal of FSA’s Conservation Loan (CL) program is to provide access to credit for farmers who need and want to implement conservation measures on their land, but do not have the “up front” funds available to implement these practices. For more information see this Conservation Loan Program Fact Sheet. Also see this table summarizing FSA farm loan opportunities.

The Conservation Contract Program is a program for eligible landowners that protects important natural resources and other sensitive areas while providing a debt management tool. A conservation contract is available to people with Farm Service Agency (FSA) direct loans secured by real estate. These individuals may qualify for a reduction of their FSA indebtedness in exchange for a conservation contract with a term of 50, 30 or 10 years. The conservation contract is a voluntary legal agreement that restricts the type and amount of development that may take place on portions of the landowner’s property. Contracts may be established on marginal cropland and other environmentally sensitive lands for conservation, recreation and wildlife purposes. For more information see this Conservation Contract Program Fact Sheet.

The FSA provides several types of farm loans. For more information on these opportunities, see the Florida FSA Website or contact your local FSA office to speak with a local representative.

FLORIDA LAND STEWARD PARTNERS WEB MAP TOOL

Use this web tool to identify resources at a local watershed scale. The map is at this link: http://viewer.apps.pflcc.databasin.org/v1/index.html. More about Florida Landscape Web Map Tool and how to use it.

CONSIDER A GIFT IN SUPPORT OF THE UF/IFAS FLORIDA LAND STEWARD PROGRAM

The mission of the UF/IFAS Florida Land Steward Program is to help and encourage private landowners to actively manage their land resources for long-term environmental, economic, and social benefits. This program is largely supported by partners and donors. If this program has made a difference in your land stewardship efforts please consider a gift. Support the UF/IFAS Florida Land Steward Program here. Thanks!

Upcoming Events and Webinars

East Florida | West Florida | Webinars

East Florida Events

EAST FLORIDA (Madison County and all counties east and south)
March 18-21	Florida Invasive Species Council Annual Conference, Gainesville Hilton University of Florida Conference Center, Gainesville, 1714 SW 34th Street, Gainesville, FL 32607. Natural resource professionals, invasive species researchers, students, and others interested in this topic are invited to participate in this educational networking event. CEUs will be offered in several categories. See link above for details and registration.
March 21-22	Spring 2025 UF/IFAS Bee College, Gainesville UF/IFAS Honey Bee Research and Extension Laboratory, 1881 Natural Area Drive Gainesville, FL 32611. Those new to beekeeping can follow the beginner track, while more experienced beekeepers can participate in hands-on training in the apiary, classes on honey bee research, and other advanced topics in beekeeping. See link above for details and registration.
March 25	Heartland 2060: Regional Action Plan 8:30 am to 4:00 pm ET at the Sebring Civic Center, 355 W Center Ave, Sebring, FL 33870. Join the conversations as we gather to build upon the Heartland 2060 Regional Vision and create a resilient future for our communities. Topics will include economic and workforce development, agriculture and natural resources, land use and transportation, and more. See link above for more details and to RSVP.
March 27	Butterflies in Central Florida, Osceola County 2:00 to 3:00 pm ET at West Osceola Branch Library, 305 Campus St. Kissimmee, FL 34747. Learn butterfly identification, nectar plants and larval host plants for common butterflies in Central Florida. See link above for details and registration.
April 2-6	*Florida Native Plant Society's 43rd Conference: Seeds for Tomorrow,* Gainesville** UF Hilton, 1714 SW 34th St., Gainesville, FL. Featuring expert presenters on current events, conservation efforts, and cutting-edge research. This is a great opportunity for networking and building communities. See link above for details and registration. Online registration closes March 26.
April 15-16	2025 Spring Symposium: Landscape and Working Lands Conservation University of Florida Stern Learning Center at the Austin Cary Forest Campus. Provided by the University of Florida IFAS School of Forest, Fisheries, and Geomatics Sciences and Florida Division Society of American Foresters. The 50th Spring Symposium will be a round-up of the landscape and working-lands conservation initiatives and partnerships going on around Florida. Foresters, 8.0 SAF Continuing Forestry Education Credits are approved! See link above for details and registration. More information can be found in the 2025 Spring Symposium information packet, available here.
April 17	UF/IFAS Range Cattle REC Field Day - Ona 8:00 am to 3:00 pm ET at UF/IFAS Range Cattle Research and Education Center, 3401 Experiment Station Rd. Ona, FL 33865. Join us to learn about our latest research, student work, mingle with our sponsors at the trade show, enjoy a steak lunch, and field tour. See link above for details and registration.
April 24	Green Industry Best Management Practices Training, Taylor County 8:30 am to 4:00 pm ET at Taylor County Extension Office, 203 Forest Park Drive Perry, FL 32348. Learn from industry experts about the latest best management practices for landscaping, irrigation, fertilization, and pest control. Discover how you can make a positive impact on the environment while maintaining beautiful landscapes. FDACS CEUs approved in multiple categories. See link above for details and registration.
April 25	Florida Land Steward Tour at Jolly Palms at Mohawk, Lake County 9:00 am to 2:00 pm ET at Jolly Palms at Mohawk property in the town of Minneola in Lake County, FL. Join us for a tour of the property of our 2025 Florida Land Stewards of the Year, Rebecca and Manny Mendoza. We’ll explore their beautiful and historic, 120-acre Jolly Palms at Mohawk property located in Lake County, on the north end of what is known geologically as the Lake Wales Ridge. See link above for details and registration.
April 28-29	2025 Florida Forests and Water Forum, Gainesville University of Florida Stern Learning Center at Austin Cary Forest. This event brings together partners from across the state to discuss the connection between healthy, managed forests and clean, reliable drinking water. Join forest landowners, utilities, conservation groups, state agencies, and others as they plan for a safe, secure future for all Floridians. See link above for details and registration.
May 13	2025 UF/IFAS Stone Fruit Field Day, Citra 9:00 am to 1:30 pm ET at UF/IFAS Plant Science Research and Education Unit (PSREU), 2556 West Hwy 318, Citra, FL 32113. Join us to learn about stone fruit cultivation, meet industry experts, participate in hands-on activities, and enjoy delicious stone fruit samples. See link above for details and registration.

West Florida Events

WEST FLORIDA (Jefferson County and west)

March 22
(new date)

Northwest FL Prescribed Burn Association (PBA) Learn 2 Burn Event
10:00 am ET at 2098 Lake Hall Rd, Tallahassee, FL 32309. Join us for the first Learn 2 Burn of 2025. The PBA will have a variety of burners from state and federal partners, non-profits, and private landowners helping instruct. Lunch will be provided. Please wear leather boots, jeans, and a flannel shirt. See link above for details and registration and contact Jeremy Martin @ jmartin@talltimbers.org if you have any questions.

Webinars / Online Training / Virtual Events

March 19	Forestry Webinar: Native Forest Insect Pests of the Southern U.S.: Biology, Management, and Impact 1:00 pm ET. Dr. John Nowak will give an update on pine pests impacting the southeast and discuss their biology, impact, and common management tactics. See link above for details and to join.
March 20	Beekeeping: Is it for me? Webinar 6:00 to 8:00 pm ET. Find out if beekeeping would be a good hobby or business for you. Learn the basic considerations for potential beekeepers: startup costs, legal aspects, space needs, physical requirements, risks, equipment needed, and time requirements for hive maintenance. See link above for details and registration.
March 21	Forestry Webinar: SE Climate Hub and Resources for Resilient Forestry 2:00 pm ET. Climate-smart forestry (CSF) builds on traditional management roles with considerations toward the impacts of climate change, adaptation, and mitigation on forest disturbance. This webinar will set the stage for CSF presentations that will follow in this series. See link above for more details and to join.
April 16	Forestry Webinar: A Progress Report on Resistance Breeding in Forest Trees 1:00 pm ET. Dr. Carrie Pike, Forest Regeneration Specialist with US Forest Service, will discuss the process and importance of breeding trees for pest resistance. See link above for details and to join.
-Featured On Demand Prerecorded Webinars-
Florida Land Steward Webinar: Is it Time to Thin Your Timber Stand? Provided by UF/IFAS Extension and Florida Land Steward Program. Thinning your timber stand removes unhealthy and low-quality trees and focuses the site resources on the best trees. This treatment also brings other benefits like aesthetics, enhanced wildlife habitat, and improved access for management and recreational activities. Recorded August 22, 2024.
Florida Land Steward Webinar: Forest Certification and the Florida Tree Farm Program A cooperative effort by the UF/IFAS Florida Land Steward and Florida Tree Farm Programs, this presentation provides an introduction to forest certification programs, with a deep dive into Florida's Tree Farm Program with a discussion led by John Nash, a Florida Tree Farmer and current President of the Florida Tree Farm Program. Recorded June 27, 2024.
Recordings, links, and materials for all Florida Land Steward Program Events and Webinars here
* UF/IFAS ONLINE FOREST LANDOWNER ACADEMY *