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UF/IFAS Extension Sarasota County

@ufsarasotaextension

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Part of the Extension system, we translate university research into education to help you build a better future. An Equal Opportunity Institution.
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View Celery Fields Regional Stormwater Facility through a different lens!🌿 Agents of Discovery offers a free, nature-based adventure game that lets the whole family explore the area and discover something new along the way. Download the free app, visit Celery Fields and start exploring! Get started today: SarasotaCountyParks.com/AOD #AgentsOfDiscovery #AOD #SRQCountyParks #UFSarasotaExt #UFSarasotaExt_EcoNR by @ufsarasotaextension
What if a fruit tree in your yard could reach full production in one year, bear fruit almost every day of the year, and offer berries that taste like cotton candy? 🍒 Meet the Cotton Candy Cherry (Muntingia calabura), the latest feature in our Suncoast Grown and Gathered series. Many people taste cotton candy, while others say kettle corn. Red-fruited trees bear smaller berries with more flavor, and yellow-fruited trees bear larger, sweeter berries with a milder taste. Either way, there’s no pit, just tiny seeds you won’t notice, and ounce for ounce, the fruit can carry more vitamin C than an orange. We aren’t the only fans at our office. Squirrels, mockingbirds, catbirds, cardinals, and blue jays picked our young tree clean. Fortunately, a mature tree can fill a bowl every day and still leave plenty for the birds. The tree’s main drawback is poor wind resistance, but with the pruning and purchasing tips in our blog, it stays productive, resilient, and manageable. Read the full post to learn more about this increasingly popular fruit, including how to keep the berries within reach and what to know before buying and planting your own: https://blogs.ifas.ufl.edu/sarasotaco/2026/10/30/suncoast-grown-and-gathered-cotton-candy-cherries-year-round-abundance-on-a-fast-growing-tree/ Want to try one before you plant one? Visit the Community Food Forest at our Extension office at Twin Lakes Park, where our red and yellow trees produce all year. University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences UF Florida-Friendly Landscaping Program Florida Master Gardener Volunteer Program Sarasota County Government #SuncoastGrownAndGathered #FloridaFriendlyLandscaping #FoodForest #UFIFAS #Gardening #SarasotaGardening #ufsarasotaext #ufsarasotaext_hortres by @ufsarasotaextension
Upcoming classes and events from UF/IFAS Extension Sarasota County- https://mailchi.mp/ifas/upcoming-classes-and-events-from-ufifas-extension-sarasota-county-5300686 by @ufsarasotaextension
What could a more sustainable future look like? UF/IFAS Extension and Sustainability is partnering with the @scienceandenvironmentcouncil for the 2027 EcoSummit & Festival, a four-day event exploring Florida’s future through science, art, technology and community action. 📅 March 31–April 3, 2027 📍 Sarasota Opera House and Selby Five Points Park Learn more and register: scienceandenvironment.org/project/2027summit/ #2027EcoSummit #ScienceAndEnvironmentCouncil #Innovation #Discovery #UFSarasotaExt #UFSarasotaExt_Sustain by @ufsarasotaextension
Happy Halloween from UF/IFAS Extension and Sustainability! 🎃 Some of our staff had a jolly time showing off their office-themed costumes! Back row (left to right): Sneaky Raccoon, "Right Plant, Right Place," Luna Moth, Champion of Nature, Deer, Aphid and Ant. Front row (left to right): Raccoon, Grey Fox, Marsh Rabbit, Bat and a nod to agriculture. We're proud to represent just a few of the programs and wildlife that make Extension special. 🦇 #HappyHalloween #SpookyWildlife #UFSarasotaExt by @ufsarasotaextension
📆Reminder: Set your irrigation timers back an hour this weekend for the end of daylight saving time to ensure you are in compliance with water restrictions. Though we have seen a lot of precipitation this past month, we are coming out of rainy season and entering the dry season. In order conserve our precious water resources, the Southwest Florida Water Management District extended the Modified Phase III one-day-per -week water shortage restrictions through March 31, 2027. #ufsaraext_water #waterrestrictions #rainfalldeficit #rainyseason #elnino #drought @uf.ifas @srqcountygov by @ufsarasotaextension
Last Saturday was the first H2-Oh! Expo at the Bee Ridge Water Treatment Facility! Attendees were able to tour the facility which was recently converted to an advanced wastewater treatment (AWT), reducing the level of nutrients in the reclaimed water output. Alongside other county departments, UF/IFAS Extension Sarasota County spent the day discussing how residents can be everyday water heroes. Here are some ways you can help conserve and preserve our water supply! Conserve water resources 🔹Use micro-irrigation in landscape beds 🔹Collect rainwater via cisterns and rain barrels 🔹Install drought tolerant and Florida-Friendly plants 🔹Ensure your rain sensor is working Protect water quality 🔹Never put fats, oils and grease down the drain 🔹Minimize stormwater runoff 🔹Follow the fertilizer ordinance 🔹Pick up after your pet #ufsaraext_water #h2oh #waterconservation by @ufsarasotaextension
Follow these three tips to keep you and your neighbors safe from mosquito-borne illness: 🦟1. Dump or drain containers with standing water to eliminate juvenile mosquitoes. Alternatively, use Bti, a bacterial insecticide that is safe to use around people and wildlife. Make sure to follow any instructions on the label! 🦟2. Going outside? Dress to protect yourself from bites by wearing loose-fitting, light-colored clothing with long sleeves and pants. 🦟3. Apply an EPA-registered repellent to exposed areas of skin. Find a repellent that's right for you: epa.gov/insect-repellents/find-repellent-right-you. Watch the video to learn more: https://youtu.be/O8G1ENj2LN4?si=o2jiC4iRgCRJlALq #Mosquito #MosquitoControl #MosquitoRepellent #UFSarasotaExt #UFSarasotaExt_CITE by @ufsarasotaextension
Looking to learn more about Florida’s wildlife? From wildlife identification guides and educational programs to local trails and nature experiences, our latest Wondering About Wildlife? blog rounds up resources to help you explore and appreciate the natural world around you. Explore the resources and find your next nature adventure: https://blogs.ifas.ufl.edu/sarasotaco/2026/10/28/wondering-about-wildlife-more-resources/ #WildlifeWednesday #Explore #FloridaWildlife #UFSarasotaExt #UFSarasotaExt_EcoNR by @ufsarasotaextension
It’s the final week of the Peanut Butter Challenge! 🥜 There’s still time to donate unopened jars of peanut butter through this Friday, Oct. 30. 📍 6600 Clark Road, Sarasota 🕗 Monday–Friday, 8 a.m.–5 p.m. 📦 Collection bin located in our lobby #PeanutButterChallenge #SarasotaCounty #UFIFASExtension #UFSarasotaExt by @ufsarasotaextension
Looking for a spooktacular evening of family fun? 🦇 Join Sarasota County Parks, Venice Audubon and UF/IFAS Extension and Sustainability for an evening of hands-on activities, bat and bird education and a sunset stroll to watch bats emerge from their houses! Also, explore the location with a free Agents of Discovery mission. SarasotaCountyParks.com/AOD #Bats #Halloween #AgentsOfDiscovery #AOD #SRQCountyParks #UFSarasotaExt #UFSarasotaExt_EcoNR by @ufsarasotaextension
The rainy season is officially over, and it shows. The humidity has dropped and rain chances have all but disappeared. Even with a few weeks of welcome rain to close out the season, Sarasota County remains in moderate to severe drought, depending on where you live. Conditions will likely worsen, as days are still long and the next two weeks show little rain in the forecast. With Phase III Extreme Water Shortage Restrictions in place through at least March 31, 2027, many lawns will start to look rough in the coming months. Now is a great time to consider turf alternatives. Many native and Florida-Friendly groundcovers have deeper, more extensive root systems than turfgrass, stay green without fertilizer, and even provide beautiful blooms. Explore our Lawn Ornament blog series to learn more: https://blogs.ifas.ufl.edu/sarasotaco/2023/10/05/embracing-lawn-ornaments-a-starter-guide/ 🌸 My favorite? The pictured sunshine mimosa (Mimosa strigillosa). In our 10A climate, these native stays green all winter long and blooms year-round. Its roots can reach 4–6 feet deep, and it’s a host plant for the little Sulphur butterfly! Come visit our office and we have acres of it, with no irrigation! Read more in our blog, What Is That Lawn Ornament? Sunshine Mimosa Powderpuffs!: https://blogs.ifas.ufl.edu/sarasotaco/2023/09/15/what-is-that-lawn-ornament-sunshine-powderpuffs/ Sarasota County Government UF Florida-Friendly Landscaping Program University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences Florida Master Gardener Volunteer Program #FloridaFriendlyLandscaping #FloridaNativePlants #LawnAlternatives #WaterConservation #SarasotaCounty by @ufsarasotaextension

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