Orange Soil & Water Conservation District Associate Supervisor Baumier

06/28/2026

06/25/2026

Orange Soil and Water Conservation District

06/25/2026

06/25/2026

So proud to be a part of this team helping to protect our natural resources though locally led conservation!

06/24/2026

Wildland firefighters spend long hours working in smoke, ash, dust and other contaminants while protecting our communities and public lands.

Today, the U.S. Wildland Fire Service, in coordination with the U.S. Forest Service, is expanding measures to help reduce those exposures.

For the first time, federal wildland firefighters are authorized to use N95 respirators on the fireline after completing training and decontamination practices are being integrated into daily operations.

These actions are part of a broader effort and long-term commitment to support firefighter health and wellbeing while full respiratory protection solutions continue to be developed.

At USWFS, the health and wellbeing of our wildland fire workforce is our top priority.

Learn more: https://www.doi.gov/wildlandfireservice/us-wildland-fire-service-takes-immediate-action-reduce-wildfire-smoke-exposure

Photo by Austin Catlin

06/24/2026

Rookery Bay Research Reserve recently supported a Yale University research team conducting fieldwork at the Fruit Farm Creek mangrove restoration site, one of Florida’s largest and most significant mangrove recovery projects.

During their visit, the students explored both upland and aquatic areas to assess how restored mangroves are functioning. The team collected water and soil samples and installed monitoring equipment designed to track tidal movement and environmental changes over time.

The Fruit Farm Creek restoration project reopened natural tidal flow to more than 200 acres of previously damaged mangroves.

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💡: Before you go, visit FloridaAquaticPreserves.org for updates and helpful information.

06/23/2026

Join FMNP Founder, Marty Main, next Tuesday (1 week from today) as we host June's Southeastern Master Naturalist Continuing Education Series Program! 🐸

The webinar takes place via Zoom - registration is free & required to receive Zoom link.

Topic: Coyotes: The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly
Date: Tuesday, June 30th
Time: 7:00-8:00 PM Eastern Time / 6:00-7:00 PM Central Time
Registration Link: https://tinyurl.com/53ud2ezu

Dr. Main’s research has been broadly focused on behavioral ecology and human-wildlife conflict, including studies of coyotes, the Florida panther, and jaguars in Central and South America. Hear him discuss more about coyotes in Florida - we hope to see you there! ☀️

06/23/2026

Orange Soil and Water Conservation District

We’re now accepting applications for $310 million in funding through the Regional Conservation Partnership Program. This year we've streamlined and simplified RCPP to ease the burden on employees and partners, and to maximize flexibility, and we’re looking for projects that prioritize one or more of the following priorities:

🚜Land management that improves land health, enhances resource management, and promotes sustainable agriculture and long-term protection of agricultural, grassland, and forestland viability;

🌱 Soil health projects using practices that focus on minimizing soil disturbance, maximizing soil cover, increasing natural vitality, and maintaining living roots throughout the year;

📡 Precision agriculture projects that use technology to target conservation efforts based on specific field conditions, potentially reducing costs and improving resource efficiency;

🌽 Farmer-focused projects that provide financial assistance and/or technical expertise for planning and practice designs in support of producer contracts; and

🦅 Projects led by Indian Tribes.

For more details: https://www.nrcs.usda.gov/programs-initiatives/regional-conservation-partnership-program/news/usda-invests-up-to-310-million

06/23/2026

Congratulations