Deep in the middle of a now-rare longleaf pine forest in northeast Florida, a gopher tortoise looks for a place to build a home. She is surrounded by saw palmettos, wildflowers, towering and graceful …

We need pollinators to survive as a human species. These insects and other organisms are crucial for food production and are currently in high demand. Pollinating insects save us at least $195 …

We knew that sargassum weed had taken over Placencia, Belize’s normally pristine white sandy beaches, but what the hey? We go to the same five-room hotel there every few months for a couple of …

I was excited to talk to Nick and Maggie Williams, co-founders of Whale Guard Bioacoustics Research Inc. Their nonprofit researches and protects North Atlantic right whales. This organization aims to …

It’s been years, maybe a couple of decades, since we visited the north entrance to the Okefenokee Swamp just south of Waycross, Georgia. Our memories of it were flavored by the repeated homage to …

I have spent countless hours watching the ocean, looking out at the sea off Amelia Island. In my years, I have seen shorebirds, gannets, spinner sharks, tarpon, stingrays, bait pods, whales, giant …

The East Coast Greenway trail system is a multi-use trail that starts in Maine on the Canadian border and ends in the Florida Keys. It is the longest trail of its kind in the country. The trail …

Anyone who has read my column over the last couple of decades surely knows that otters are a part of my long-time history and my ever-present passion. For years I was chair of the International Union …

The world celebrated International Manatee Day on Sept. 7 to raise awareness about the protection, conservation, and research needs of manatees and their habitats. A manatee is a large, fully …

Coconut palms are probably the most iconic and well-known palm in the world. Images of tropical beaches around the equator include coconut palms in the sand overlooking tranquil oceans of …

Dragonflies are fascinating, with a secret underwater life that most people don't know anything about. The larval stage of a dragonfly lives in a freshwater environment for years as an animal called …

It’s about time I give homage to the wonderful beaches that border our town. So many of us moved here for the beach, and over time have aged out of enjoying it. Well, I’m not letting that happen …

A new documentary on right whales premiered to a sold-out audience at Tigre Island on August 24 th . The Right Whale: Tales of Resilience and Hope  is the newest movie by California filmmakers …

Many marine species call the sargassum in the Sargasso Sea home. It is a wonderful ecosystem and an especially great place to grow up. Sargassum seaweed forms large mats that provide a perfect habitat ...

Several land conservation efforts have recently seen success. The Highlands County Expansion includes the protection of 1,500 acres that will be added to the Florida Wildlife Corridor, which is …

On Aug. 6, the Fort George Inlet tested positive for the presence of red tide, which led the Duval County Health Department to issue a health alert due to the potential for a toxic algal bloom and …

It is one thing to see signs in Fernandina Beach announcing the drought and water conservation mandates, but it is another to see the water bodies I love dry up. My recent trip to Gainesville in the …

The St. Marys River has been mentioned in several recent articles for the Fernandina Observer — let’s add one more! Why is the water in the St. Marys River red? That was definitely my …

My mother claimed that my first word was “cat.” By the time I was 5 years old, we had three pet cats in our home. Additionally, one of those cats had kittens, which was an unforgettable …

It’s been far too long since I took a dip in the St. Marys River. This urge hits me most summers — a throwback to my days as a grad student at the University of Florida, when my friends and I …