The WFSU Ecology Blog
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    • About
    • EcoAdventures
      • Kayak and Canoe Adventures
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    • WFSU Public Media Home
  • Documentaries
    • EcoCitizen Show | Seasons in South Tallahassee
    • Red Wolf Family Celebrates First Year at the Tallahassee Museum
    • Roaming the Red Hills
    • Oyster Doctors
    • Testing the Ecology of Fear
    • EcoShakespeare
    • Stories from the Apalachicola
    • Classic WFSU Ecology Documentaries
  • Habitats
    • Estuaries
      • Oyster Reef
        • The Effects of Predators and Fear on Oyster Reefs
        • Apalachicola Oyster Research
        • Animal Species in a North Florida Intertidal Oyster Reef
        • Oyster Reef Ecology | On the Reef
      • Salt Marsh
        • In the Grass- Salt Marsh Biodiversity Study
        • Plants and Animals of a North Florida Salt Marsh
        • Salt Marsh Ecology | In the Grass
      • Seagrass Bed
        • Predatory Snails, and Prey, of the Bay Mouth Bar Seagrass Beds
      • In the Grass, On the Reef Glossary
    • Waterways Big and Small
      • Apalachicola Basin
        • Apalachicola Bluffs and Ravines | Virtual Field Trip
        • The Age of Nature Screening & Discussion | The Future of the Apalachicola
        • Apalachicola RiverTrek | Kayaking, Camping, & Hiking the River Basin
        • Apalachicola River and Bay
      • Aucilla/ Wacissa Watershed
    • Longleaf Pine & Fire Ecology
  • Backyard Habitat
    • Backyard Blog
      • The Backyard Bug Blog 2018
      • Backyard Blog January 2019
      • Backyard Blog February 2019
      • Backyard Blog March 2019
      • Backyard Blog May 2019
      • Backyard Blog April 2019
      • Backyard Blog June 2019
      • Backyard Blog July 2019
      • Backyard Blog August 2019
      • Backyard Blog September 2019
      • Backyard Blog October through December 2019
      • Backyard Blog January 2020
      • Backyard Blog February and March 2020
      • Backyard Blog April 2020
      • Backyard Blog May 2020
      • Backyard Blog June 2020
      • July and August 2020 Backyard Blog
      • Backyard Blog September/ October 2020
      • Backyard Blog November/ December 2020
      • Backyard Ecology Blog | 2021
    • Backyard Flora and Fauna
      • Bees of North Florida and South Georgia
      • Woody Vines of North Florida
    • Florida Friendly Seasonal Planting Guide
    • Pollinator and Gardening Posts
    • Gardening Web Resources
Kayak and Canoe Adventures
Chipola River Paddling Trail | The Ovens and...
Kayaking Bald Point | Adventure on a Living...
Wacissa Springs Adventure | Kayaking a Wild Florida...
A Geologist’s View of the Apalachicola River |...
Upper Chipola River Kayak Adventure | Ghosts &...
Tate’s Hell & the Apalachicola River Delta |...
Kayak Scouting Mission on the Ochlockonee Water Trail
Merritt’s Mill Pond | Kayaking and Spring Caves
Kayaking the Apalachicola River with my Four-Year-Old Son
Canoeing the Aucilla: A Red Hills River Steeped...

The WFSU Ecology Blog

  • Home
    • About
    • EcoAdventures
      • Kayak and Canoe Adventures
      • Hiking
      • Wildlife Watching
    • WFSU Public Media Home
  • Documentaries
    • EcoCitizen Show | Seasons in South Tallahassee
    • Red Wolf Family Celebrates First Year at the Tallahassee Museum
    • Roaming the Red Hills
    • Oyster Doctors
    • Testing the Ecology of Fear
    • EcoShakespeare
    • Stories from the Apalachicola
    • Classic WFSU Ecology Documentaries
  • Habitats
    • Estuaries
      • Oyster Reef
        • The Effects of Predators and Fear on Oyster Reefs
        • Apalachicola Oyster Research
        • Animal Species in a North Florida Intertidal Oyster Reef
        • Oyster Reef Ecology | On the Reef
      • Salt Marsh
        • In the Grass- Salt Marsh Biodiversity Study
        • Plants and Animals of a North Florida Salt Marsh
        • Salt Marsh Ecology | In the Grass
      • Seagrass Bed
        • Predatory Snails, and Prey, of the Bay Mouth Bar Seagrass Beds
      • In the Grass, On the Reef Glossary
    • Waterways Big and Small
      • Apalachicola Basin
        • Apalachicola Bluffs and Ravines | Virtual Field Trip
        • The Age of Nature Screening & Discussion | The Future of the Apalachicola
        • Apalachicola RiverTrek | Kayaking, Camping, & Hiking the River Basin
        • Apalachicola River and Bay
      • Aucilla/ Wacissa Watershed
    • Longleaf Pine & Fire Ecology
  • Backyard Habitat
    • Backyard Blog
      • The Backyard Bug Blog 2018
      • Backyard Blog January 2019
      • Backyard Blog February 2019
      • Backyard Blog March 2019
      • Backyard Blog May 2019
      • Backyard Blog April 2019
      • Backyard Blog June 2019
      • Backyard Blog July 2019
      • Backyard Blog August 2019
      • Backyard Blog September 2019
      • Backyard Blog October through December 2019
      • Backyard Blog January 2020
      • Backyard Blog February and March 2020
      • Backyard Blog April 2020
      • Backyard Blog May 2020
      • Backyard Blog June 2020
      • July and August 2020 Backyard Blog
      • Backyard Blog September/ October 2020
      • Backyard Blog November/ December 2020
      • Backyard Ecology Blog | 2021
    • Backyard Flora and Fauna
      • Bees of North Florida and South Georgia
      • Woody Vines of North Florida
    • Florida Friendly Seasonal Planting Guide
    • Pollinator and Gardening Posts
    • Gardening Web Resources
Category:

Raising Kids with Nature

WFSU producer Rob Diaz de Villegas works to have EcoAdventures with his two young sons. It can be a challenge to find the time and to keep them engaged, but the results are rewarding.

  • EcoAdventuresLongleaf Pine & Fire EcologyPlants- From Wildflowers to Longleaf PineRaising Kids with Nature

    Family Hike in the Munson Sandhills | Spring Flowers in Bloom

    by Rob Diaz de Villegas May 28, 2020
    by Rob Diaz de Villegas May 28, 2020

    We hike the Munson Sandhills in late March, finding early spring wildflowers in bloom, including two lupine species and new green blueberries.

  • Apalachicola River and BayEcoAdventuresRaising Kids with Nature

    Garden of Eden Trail | Family Hike to the Apalachicola River

    by Rob Diaz de Villegas May 26, 2020
    by Rob Diaz de Villegas May 26, 2020

    Our family hikes the Garden of Eden Trail through steephead ravines, a recently burned longleaf forest, and up to Florida’s highest river bluff.

  • Longleaf Pine & Fire EcologyRaising Kids with NatureSwamps and other Wetlands

    Its Wetlands are Dry, But There’s Plenty to See in the Munson Sandhills

    by Rob Diaz de Villegas May 8, 2018
    by Rob Diaz de Villegas May 8, 2018

    Two families visit dried out ephemeral wetlands in the Munson Sandhills. Even without water, they find gopher frogs and visit rare butterfly habitat.

  • EcoAdventuresFloridan Aquifer: Springs, Sinks, and MoreRaising Kids with NatureSwamps and other WetlandsWildlife in North Florida- Critters Big and Small

    Adopting an Ephemeral Wetland | Kids’ Adventures in Citizen Science

    by Rob Diaz de Villegas June 8, 2017
    by Rob Diaz de Villegas June 8, 2017

    Kids play in muck, meet frogs and newts, and bond with ephemeral wetlands in the Apalachicola National Forest as parents collect data on wetland wildlife.

  • EcoAdventuresLongleaf Pine & Fire EcologyRaising Kids with NatureSwamps and other Wetlands

    Remote Footprints goes deep into the Bradwell Bay Wilderness

    by Rob Diaz de Villegas February 2, 2017
    by Rob Diaz de Villegas February 2, 2017

    We head deep into the Apalachicola National Forest in search of the most remote spot in Florida’s Big Bend. It’s part of one family’s years long mission.

  • In the GardenPollinators and GardeningRaising Kids with NatureWildlife in North Florida- Critters Big and Small

    Monarch: From Caterpillars to Butterflies (and right in our kitchen)

    by Rob Diaz de Villegas August 11, 2016
    by Rob Diaz de Villegas August 11, 2016

    In a two-minute video, watch monarch caterpillars grow, metamorphose, and emerge as butterflies. Kids help raise monarchs and we learn about milkweed.

  • Floridan Aquifer: Springs, Sinks, and MoreLongleaf Pine & Fire EcologyRaising Kids with NatureSwamps and other WetlandsWildlife in North Florida- Critters Big and Small

    Bringing the Striped Newt Back to the Munson Sandhills

    by Rob Diaz de Villegas May 19, 2016
    by Rob Diaz de Villegas May 19, 2016

    To bring the striped newt back to the Apalachicola National Forest, the Coastal Plains Institute is working with partners, volunteers, and local children.

  • EcoAdventuresRaising Kids with NatureRivers and StreamsThe Red Hills of Florida & GeorgiaWildlife in North Florida- Critters Big and Small

    Ochlockonee Bio-Blitz | Kids Experience Florida River Wildlife

    by Rob Diaz de Villegas April 6, 2016
    by Rob Diaz de Villegas April 6, 2016

    On a sandbar in the Apalachicola National Forest, children immerse themselves in turtles, frogs, fish, butterflies and more on the Ochlockonee River.

  • Apalachicola River and BayEcoAdventuresKayak and Canoe AdventuresRaising Kids with NatureRivers and Streams

    Kayaking the Apalachicola River with my Four-Year-Old Son

    by Rob Diaz de Villegas October 29, 2015
    by Rob Diaz de Villegas October 29, 2015

    A WFSU producer takes his 4-year-old son kayaking and camping for two days of Apalachicola RiverTrek. A companion cycle trip tours forests along the river.

  • Apalachicola River and BayEcoAdventuresRaising Kids with Nature

    Father and Son Hiking and Camping at Torreya State Park

    by Rob Diaz de Villegas May 13, 2015
    by Rob Diaz de Villegas May 13, 2015

    Thieving raccoons, high water on the Apalachicola, and learning to follow trail blazes make for a memorable camping trip for a WFSU producer and his son.

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The 2021 Backyard Blog

Eastern bumblebee on blueberry flower.

With every passing day, spring brings us more flowers, and more pollinators (and many other insects as well).

Florida milkvetch

Florida milkvetch (Astragalus obcordatus) in the Munson Sandhills

When I test out a new camera, I usually head to a random spot in the Munson Sandhills and take a series of videos and photos. This small flower caught my eye, as almost nothing was in bloom. I identified it as Florida milkvetch (Astragalus obcordatus) in iNaturalist, and it was confirmed.
I then saw a photo of this plant in a Facebook group for native plant enthusiasts. It turns out this is kind of a rare plant, and one botanist went so far as to classify it as imperiled. It pays to keep your eyes down by your feet when walking in the sandhills.

WFSU-FM Environmental Stories

  • Repeal Of Controversial Toll Road Plan Heads To House Floor
  • State Of Florida Plans Cleanup Of Old Piney Point Phosphate Plant
  • Weather Service: Four Tornadoes Touched Down Saturday In Florida Panhandle
  • Environmentalists Say Bill To Boost Communities’ Resiliency To Sea Level Rise, Flooding Could Be Con
  • Compromise To Reallocate Affordable Housing Money For Environment Projects Heads to Governor’s Desk

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Tweets by wfsuIGOR

iNaturalist

iNaturalist became a part of the WFSU Ecology Blog during the EcoCitizen Project in 2019.  Since then, we’ve used it to help identify the many plants and animals we see on our shoots.  And on the Backyard Blog, we show how it can be used to identify weeds and garden insects, to help figure out what’s beneficial or a possible pest.  Below is the iNaturalist profile belonging to WFSU Ecology producer Rob Diaz de Villegas.

iNaturalist.org

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View robdv’s observations »

Most Recent

  • Composting in Tallahassee | Building Soil in the Red Hills and Sandhills
  • Native Soils of Tallahassee: Red Hills, Sandhills, and Ancient Oceans
  • Hiking the Aucilla Sinks | Geology of the Floridan Aquifer Uncovered
  • New WFSU Ecology Intern To Help Out at Lake Elberta
  • Florida and Georgia Head to the Supreme Court — Again — In Fight Over Water

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