Each issue, our Earth to Florida newsletter readers are presented with a feature story or video created by one of our TESI student environmental communicators. These stories are written with the purpose of helping Floridians better understand issues facing the state’s environment and natural resources.
From sea turtle rehabilitation to a deep-dive into the mysterious kingdom of fungi, to a review of the integral role fire plays in ecosystem management — our students covered key topics that help us better understand what’s going on in Florida’s environment, and why it matters.
In case you missed them, we’ve compiled our feature stories, videos, and more from 2024 below.
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Restoring Florida Landscapes, One Fire at a Time
The sight of blackened tree trunks may not automatically spark thoughts of conservation—but a freshly burned landscape will soon become a vibrant and lively one. Just like a much-needed spring cleanout, fire cleanses the ecosystem and frees up space for new things.
Fire is essential to ecosystem management, reducing wildfire risks, and controlling invasive species, especially for Florida’s endangered longleaf pine forests.
In this November’s feature story, TESI Environmental Communicator Aleida Wells highlights how collaborations between private landowners and conservationists has been key to bringing these essential burns to Florida’s landscapes.
One is All it Takes
For millions of years, sea turtles have played important roles in marine food chains. They help maintain essential habitats like seagrass beds and coral reefs, and their nests provide key nutrients for beach vegetation. Unfortunately sea turtles now experience numerous human-caused threats, from boat strikes to plastic ingestion. Rehabilitation of sick and injured sea turtles can play an important role in their conservation, particularly in educating about the challenges they face and what we can do about them.
Read more in our feature story by TESI Environmental Communicator Patricia Escobar Torres.
The Mysterious Kingdom of Fungi
Imagine a world where fallen trees are stuck in time, unable to decompose and nourish the soil. Plants are more susceptible to disease and drought. Animals, including humans, struggle for subsistence. Picture a world with no wine, bread, or beer, where many life-saving antibiotics don’t exist. That is the world we would live in without fungi.
Although they make a big impact on our lives, these spore-producing organisms are often invisible to the untrained eye. Learn more in this May’s feature story by TESI Environmental Communicator Isabel Yianilos.
Florida’s Environment: Bills to Keep Tabs on in the 2024 State Legislative Session
The Florida State Legislative Session is an action-packed 60 days. This year’s session began on January 9 and ends on March 8.
Our student-led team has sifted through hundreds of bills to find those that pertain to our state’s environment. For some, we have talked to policy experts and scientists to provide context about how the proposed legislation might impact our state.
It is important to note that only a fraction of the bills that have been introduced are actively debated on the chamber floor. The only bill that absolutely must be passed is the state’s budget, which Gov. Ron DeSantis is referring to this year as the “Focus on Florida’s Future Budget.”
Our coverage is by no means exhaustive, but we hope it will orient you to the hot topics that are on lawmakers’ minds this session — climate change, energy, water quality/quantity, agriculture, and land conservation just to name a few.
Feature Videos
A Day in the Life with Fungi
Believe it or not, our everyday lives would not be the same without fungi. Learn more in this video by TESI Environmental Communicator Isabel Yianilos.
Preventing Sea Turtle Vessel Strikes in Florida
Florida’s beautiful coastlines are home to many incredible sea creatures, including our beloved sea turtles. But these sea turtles face a hidden danger – boat strikes. Learn what you can do to help prevent boat strikes in this video by TESI Graduate Assistant Isabelle Gain.
Carbon Sequestration
Greenhouse buildup acts like a blanket that traps heat around the world, which disrupts the climate and leads to increasing temperatures, unpredictable weather, and rising sea levels. A potential climate change mitigation technique to help with these impacts is carbon sequestration. But what is carbon sequestration? Learn more in this video by TESI Environmental Communicator Genna Nordling.
Preservation and Conservation
Join our friend Sandy and learn the differences between preservation and conservation and why they’re important in this video by TESI Environmental Communicator Patricia Escobar Torres.