Staff of Rainbow Springs Aquatic Preserve recently removed ten sneaky tilapia in the headsprings of the Rainbow River. Two tilapia were observed at the beginning of the year, and it appears a few more had joined the party. It takes patience, stealth, and great eyesight to single out individual tilapia among the submerged and emergent vegetation. Early detection and rapid response is key to preventing invasive species from establishing.
Guana Tolomato Matanzas National Estuarine Research Reserve's (GTMNERR) education team is gearing up for Adventures in the Estuary summer camp with early registration open to Friends of GTM Research Reserve members. This hands-on camp runs June 1–June 26, 2026, for ages 6 to 12 and offers sessions from 8 a.m.–4 p.m. (8 a.m.–2 p.m. on Friday), Monday-Friday. On July 13–July 17, 2026, STEAM Camp will be held for children ages 12 to 15.
On this wonderful adventure our education team took a local group of high schoolers from EdCorp out to St George Island State Park. There they investigated Vertical Oyster Gardens (VOGs) and natural oyster ecosystems. The goal for the students was to be able to identify what species are living inside or on top of oysters and what is the “big deal” about oysters. Looking for and counting spat numbers on the oysters was a big hit.
The Southeast Florida Coral Reef Initiative, or SEFCRI, is a collaborative partnership of government agencies, non-governmental organizations, academic institutions, private partners, scientists and reef stakeholders working together to identify and implement priority actions that reduce key threats to southeast Florida’s coral reef ecosystem. SEF
Rookery Bay Volunteer Orlando Hidalgo recently captured special moments of a bald eagle mother caring for her juvenile in the nest and in flight. The young eagle was observed being fed and preened by its parent and later shadowing her in the air to learn hunting and survival skills. Juvenile bald eagles look dramatically different from the iconic white-headed adults.
On Feb. 16, 2026, the Indian River Lagoon Aquatic Preserves (IRLAP) staff attended the ribbon cutting ceremony for St. Lucie County’s Oxbow Eco Center Palmetto Pavilion. With the new outdoor classroom, outreach and educational programs will be able to take place in a larger space. The county administrator, commissioners, Environmental Resources Department staff and many children were on hand for the event. Located near the North Fork St.
Last week the Apalachicola National Estuarine Research Reserve stewardship team worked in partnership with Florida Audubon, FWC shorebird biologists, and FWC botanists to tackle invasives plants on the St. George. Island Causeway in preparation for shorebird nesting season. This ongoing project aims to treat vegetation encroaching on shorebird nesting habitat on the Critical Wildlife Area island in the Apalachicola Bay.
Rookery Bay’s popular Lunch & Learn series continued its successful streak last week. The Environmental Learning Center auditorium was a full house for “Living with Bears in Southwest Florida.” This second program in the 2026 Birds, Bears and Bees series featured Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC) Bear Biologist Chris Boyce.
Lake Jackson Aquatic Preserve participated in the Tall Timbers Red Hills Fire and Nature Festival, where locals and visitors enjoyed the outdoors, learned about the benefits of prescribed fire for native wildlife and watched a live burn demonstration.
Attending with us this year were some of our invertebrate friends collected from Lake Jackson's waters.
Estero Bay Aquatic Preserve (EBAP) staff often find interesting flora and fauna while out in the field. This week was no exception. Commonly known as a lightning whelk, Sinistrofulgur perversum, is a type of mollusk or marine snail that can be found throughout Estero Bay. This snail creates a shell that spirals in the opposite direction of other locally found marine snails. Interestingly, it is one of the few left-handed snail species!