UF IFAS Extension Sarasota County

06/07/2026

Join us at Shamrock Park and Nature Center for a series of hands-on workshops focused on reducing waste. ♻️

🪱 Learn how worms can turn food scraps into a valuable resource.
🌱 Explore composting techniques that help divert organic waste from landfills.
♻️ Discover simple ways to reduce plastic pollution through smarter consumption

📍 Shamrock Park and Nature Center
3900 Shamrock Dr., Venice, FL 34293

Register for one or more workshops: https://www.eventbrite.com/cc/213369

Sarasota County Government , University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences

06/05/2026

Check out Sarasota County’s Family Green Living Kit!

These hands-on kits are packed with tools and resources to help families learn about water conservation, energy efficiency, waste reduction, and other eco-friendly practices that can make a difference at home.

Available to borrow through Sarasota County Libraries.📚

Sarasota County Government, University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences

06/04/2026

Can you follow a Mediterranean diet while living in Florida🌴? Absolutely!

You don’t need to live by the Mediterranean Sea to eat the “Med Way”. It’s not a specific cuisine or flavor profile—it’s a flexible, balanced approach to choosing fresh, flavorful foods that support your health.

Ready to get started?

Follow these 7 simple steps to a healthier you!
👉 https://blogs.ifas.ufl.edu/sarasotaco/2026/05/29/seven-simple-steps-to-a-healthier-you/

Want more support? Join one of our upcoming classes:
Cooking Up Health (6-week series)
Start Eating the “Med Way” (1-time overview session)

📅 Find upcoming classes and register:
https://www.eventbrite.com/cc/cooking-up-health-4833394

Share ideas on how to eat the Mediterranean-style, here in Florida, in the chat below!

Sarasota County Government , University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences

06/03/2026

A quick shoutout to our very own Forest Hecker, UF/IFAS Extension Sarasota County's Florida-Friendly Landscaping™ Community Educator, for being featured for his role in helping restore the landscaping at the Lido Ambassador following Hurricane Helene. 👏

When the storm surge wiped out the property's landscaping, it created an opportunity to rebuild smarter. Working with Sarasota County Neighborhood Services, Forest recommended native and Florida-Friendly plants better suited for coastal conditions, including replacing invasive Lantana camara with native Dune Sunflowers (Helianthus debilis).

The project was made possible through the Neighborhood Initiative Grant Program, which helps neighborhoods fund environmental improvement projects that protect water and energy resources and support native plants and wildlife through better landscaping choices.

📖 Read the full story: https://www.aol.com/news/lido-ambassador-celebrates-grant-restore-110024964.html

🔗 Learn more about the Neighborhood Initiative Grant Program:
https://www.scgov.net/government/planning-and-development-services/property-management/neighborhood-initiative-grant-program

Sarasota County Government , University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences

06/02/2026

For too long, mosquitoes have gone unchecked. 🦟

The time has come to defend yourself.

Learn about repellents, bite prevention strategies and mosquito management from experts with UF/IFAS and Sarasota County Mosquito Management Services at Thursday’s Lunch and Learn.

Register: https://sacoext.short.gy/L4bMJg

.ifas

06/01/2026

Sarasota County 4-H youth are invited to participate in the Florida State Fair Pullet Project Show & Silent Auction! 🐥

Online registration opens June 3, 2026 at 12 p.m.

Learn more:
https://floridastatefairgrounds.com/competition/pullet-project-show-and-silent-auction/

Sarasota County Government, University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences

🐣The Pullet Project is officially LIVE!
Project info is posted and entries open June 3 at 12PM.
Open to ALL FFA Chapters, 4-H Clubs & YLPA Clubs!

Get the details + get ready to enter: https://shorturl.at/tIwZD

06/01/2026

Special Agents, it’s time to get outside this summer ☀️

Four new sites go live today!

Visit your neighborhood parks and explore nature like never before. Download the free app, create an account and start your mission.

Solve challenges, learn about nature, get active and complete missions at:

📍 Colonial Oaks Park
📍 Laurel Park
📍 Longwood Park
📍 Woodmere Park

For more information, visit SarasotaCountyParks.com/AOD

Sarasota County Government , University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences

05/29/2026

📣 Tampa Bay Residents-from Citrus to Sarasota County-we want to hear from YOU!
🌧️ Flooding impacts many areas across our region. The Tampa Bay Regional Planning Council is asking community members to share their real-life experiences through a regional flood survey.
🗣️Your feedback will help the Regional Planning Council and the lead team for the Tampa Bay Coastal Master Plan (TBCMP) better understand chronic flooding and where it’s happening across Tampa Bay.
🗺️ Your responses will also be used to develop community-drawn flood maps and help prioritize nature-based projects that reduce flood risk, such as living shorelines, wetlands, and other resilient solutions.
📝 Take the Survey: Surveys should be completed before June 10!
👉 https://www.partimap.eu/en/p/TBCMP-Flood-Survey/0
Every response helps paint a clearer picture of flooding across the region. Please share with your neighbors and community!
To learn more about the plan, visit CoastalTampaBay.org

Tampa Bay Regional Planning Council

05/29/2026

Happy ! 🐊 Florida is gator country, and late May is the perfect time to celebrate this iconic reptile, as it is also mating season for the American alligator. April begins the delicate dance of courtship, where the deep, rumbling roar of bellowing male alligators can be heard in our state's wetlands. Mating follows in May and June, with eggs being laid later in the summer, to hatch from August to September. During this time, it is normal for alligators to be more active, mobile, and potentially territorial. As always, it is important to be alligator safe and smart by giving them plenty of distance and respect, keeping pets and people away from the water's edge, and never feeding alligators.

Alligators are integral to many of Florida's freshwater ecosystems, serving as an indicator species for ecosystem health, shaping freshwater ecosystems, and serving as both predator and prey throughout their lifetime.

Learn more about alligator safety and ecology with this free webinar: https://youtu.be/2hs5q7WrRfw?si=GYmZFAO2mbg3sdZw.

University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences Sarasota County Government

05/28/2026

Congratulations to the Master Gardener Volunteers Class of 2026 on graduating today!🎉🎓

We’re so proud of your hard work and commitment to sharing knowledge and serving your community. Thank you for making a difference!

.ifas