Environment

Explosives were used in places to prepare the ground for part of the Everglades Agricultural Area Resevoir, part of the Everglades Restoration still being built

Assessment of the Everglades Restoration find some things going well, others need improvement

Tom Bayles

A prestigious group of members of the National Academies of Science, Engineering, and Medicine have completed their biannual review of the Everglades Restoration

Before possibly being tapped to be home to a series of ponds designed to lower pollution its water, the Kissimmee River was part of its own restoration effort when the Army Corps, who had straightened to river decades ealier, returned it to it beneficial meandering path ten years ago

Environment

Wetlands planned at end of Kissimmee River to lower phosphorus in water heading into Lake Okeechobee

Tom Bayles

The South Florida Water Management District is planning to build 4,800-acres of wetlands near the mouth of the Kissimmee River

The Celery Fields, called that because that's the crop that ggrew best there, shown prior to its recent ....

Environment

New bird-watching hotspot expected with opening of former celery farm in Sarasota County

Tom Bayles

An 11-acre stretch of land next to a birding site in Sarasota County is now open, marking the completetion of a project that turned a bare field into wildlife habitat.

NOAA reports genetic research shows that the entire invasive population descended from perhaps less than10 lionfish released from one or more home aquariums into Biscayne Bay near Miami.

Environment

Lionfish Challenge rids Florida waters of more than 36,000 of the venomous invasive species

Tom Bayles

Commercial and recreational divers compete in the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission event to win fishing and boating gear.

Environment

Corkscrew Swamp's boardwalk to display work by National Geographic photographer Mac Stone

Tom Bayles

More than 50 of Stone’s large-format photos of cypress trees will be mounted along the 2.25-mile boardwalk that winds through Corkscrew Swamp Sanctuary

This land behind the Sanibel-Captiva Conservation Foundation should be very wet this time of year

Environment

Storm surge flood control, drought, suspect in drying up some Sanibel Island wetlands

Tom Bayles

Changes in the Sanibel River's water level combined with drought conditions may have dried out a preserve's wetlands

Environment

Environmental regulators set to approve a 41-acre expansion of the Immokalee Sand Mine

Tom Bayles

Buying mined sand is now commonplace throughout Florida, especially on the Gulf Coast where shoals of the easy-to-reach white powder with the pitch-perfect squeak have been all but used up

Three areas along the Peace River, seen here winding through a forest near Charley Creek, were added to the bi-annual list due to the presence of bacteria showinfg the water is exposed to human feces

Environment

Bacteria marking human waste is top reason Southwest Florida creeks and bays are on new list of polluted waters

Tom Bayles

The FDEP found 41 areas in state waters exceeded polluttion limits in Charlotte, Lee, and Collier counties alone

Environment

Invasive pond slider turtles taking over Sanibel Island — very, very slowly

Tom Bayles

Herpetologists blame not the slider, but the former freshwater ponds in the interior of the island spiking in salinity after being inundated with saltwater storm surge from recent hurricanes.

Once-a-week watering restrictions will remain in place in certain Southwest Florida counties until spring

Environment

Watering restrictions to remain in place until March 2027 in some SWFL counties

Tom Bayles

The Southwest Florida Water Management District extended strict watering restrictions for a second time.