Category: Main Stories

Laurel Wilt: A Threat to Florida’s Trees

All botanical signs indicate Spring 2021 will begin in a few weeks. Plants are budding all over the panhandle with a notable exception. Many red bay trees remain in what appears to be winter’s grip of dormancy. Unfortunately, most will never reawaken.  One little insect in the Xyleborini tribe of beetles has been destroying bay…Read more

Hooded Mergansers: Seasonal Dine and Dashers

Air travel has its advantages, even today with all the hoops one must jump through to gain access to this mode of 21st century transportation. Given the distances to far flung destinations, it is in many cases the only realistic option. Still there are challenges which try the patience of even the most experienced traveler….Read more

Invasion of the Vines: Kudzu and Old World Climbing Fern

Tarzan used them as a superhighway through the trees in every adventure created by Edgar Rice Burroughs.  Villains and scoundrels alike fell prey to the ape-man and his horde of avenging simians righteously descending on vines from the trees. Great fiction, but removed from the reality of present day north Florida.  This is especially true…Read more

A Native Pest Who Has it in the Bag: The Evergreen Bagworm

Having things “in the bag” is usually an indication of a good situation. According to the saying, the project or objective is collected in a manageable environment and under control. The phrase actually originates with bird and small game hunters who literally had their quarry in a bag as they headed home to prepare a…Read more

Tough and Dependable: Construction and Florida’s Oaks

A reputation for strength, durability and the ability to endure the harshest of conditions is admirable and enviable. Very few humans (and usually not the celluloid heroes of the silver screen) have the grit and determination to earn this standing or status in the course of their existence. A few notable personages in nautical history…Read more

Not Just for Craft Projects: Pinecones

A walk around the neighborhood or forest will confirm winter is here. Of course there are also the recent thermometer readings and the shorter days. Other signs are the thicker coats on animals which by choice or situation must remain exposed to the elements. Some, like the native reptiles and amphibians, are absent from sight,…Read more

Mistletoe: The Plant Behind the Tradition

Last minute Christmas bargains are being hurled at north Florida’s residents through every conceivable mass media channel known to humanity. The retail establishments are packed with harried shoppers and the last minute delivery service’s abilities are straining at the coming deadline. The indecisive are now at the panic point where choices must be made or…Read more

Barking Up the Tree: Barklice

The sighting of a web usually indicates the presence of one of the many species of spiders living in Wakulla County. While some spiders do not use webs to trap their meals, most do in one of several distinctive forms. The petite strands are closely monitored by the patient arachnid. When a careless insect blunders…Read more

Camphor: The Scent of Relief

The cold and flu season will arrive soon in Florida with symptoms ranging from the inconvenient to extreme discomfort.  Tissue boxes will become a common site. One universal symptom is respiratory distress.  It is bad enough to feel achy and endure an elevated temperature, but the stuffed head and chest create chronic misery for the…Read more

Live Oaks: Sturdy Shade in the Panhandle

While most panhandle Florida residents are among the fortunate few who dodged many ill effects and brutal results of the hurricanes and tropical storms during this memorable 2020 season, winter is soon to come.  The local deciduous trees accurately reflect this seasonal transition. It is correct to say the shorter days are the impetus for…Read more