Sunshine Slate

[Everywhere, FL] One avocado tree is confirmed dead, while many others are feared to be in danger due to a spreading menace across Florida: the redbay ambrosia beetle, otherwise known as the avocado killing beetle or, by its scientific name, Xyleborus glabratus Eichhoff. Gesundheit. The killer, which originally came from Asia, is shown above in [...]

[Gainesville, FL] Sharks are finally exacting their revenge on humans, according to the University of Florida’s (UF) recently released International Shark Attacks File. No wonder – we kill 30 to 70 million sharks per year in fisheries, according to the “File.” And now they are striking back, attacking us when we are most vulnerable – [...]

[St. Petersburg, FL] For a third straight year, cold weather and speeding boats have taken a serious toll on Florida’s manatee population, with 2011 racking up the second most manatee deaths on record. State biologists working for the Fish and Wildlife Research Institute in St. Petersburg reported finding 453 manatee carcasses last year. They documented [...]

Adventure Newsletter XIV – The Ghost of Christmas Future By: John O’ [Ocala, FL] This year, having found myself bereft of friends or family on Christmas Day, I decided to take advantage of the beautiful weather and explore the wilds of Florida. My method is simple: Pull up a bunch of satellite images, find a [...]

[Dunnellon, FL] Photographer-videographer Eric Griffis has created something quite fantastic that combines Florida’s history with modern machines. It is short, sweet and screams classic Florida life. Griffis took an archive recording from the 1956 Florida Folk Festival and married it with fresh video he shot at Rainbow Springs, located in Dunnellon. Then he posted his [...]

[Miami, FL] A giant is invading Miami, but don’t call the army or the navy – dial-up the Florida Department of Agriculture. Yes the Godzilla of snails, the Giant African Land Snail, has made it here to Florida. Again. The first outbreak in 1965 caused millions of dollars in damage. This time around, a subdivision [...]

[Miami, FL] Two smugglers face charges related to the selling of exotic animal skins in Florida and elsewhere, according to an  indictment unsealed last week. Elias Garcia Garcia, 52, and Maria Angela Plancarte, 52, both of La Feria, Texas, were arrested and charged as they crossed the U.S.  border at Brownsville, Texas from Mexico. The [...]

[Ocala, FL] City officials thought they come up with a workable solution to the problem of duck waste ruining park facilities and contaminating the water supply. They were going to kill them. That didn’t sit well with animal lovers and park regulars who feel that there has to be a better way. Protests happened and [...]

[Miami, FL] With every update, the center of Hurricane Irene is making its way further out into the Atlantic, although it appears to be headed straight for North Carolina, according to the latest from the National Hurricane Center (NHC). As for Floridians, expect Tropical Storm force winds and rain on Thursday and parts of Friday, [...]

[Fort Myers, FL] NBC2 out of Fort Myers reports on a toxic toad that is deadly to the touch for animals. The bufo toad, the poisonous species originally brought to the area to battle insects, has been linked to multiple deaths and serious illnesses of area pets. Dog and cat owners are cautioned to watch [...]

[Washington, D.C.] Nine Senators from states affected by the BP Oil Spill have co-sponsored the RESTORE Act (S1400), which directs 80% of the Clean Water Act fines to the restoration of the Gulf of Mexico. The RESTORE Act also includes funding for long-term marine research and monitoring programs. The bill was announced Thursday at a [...]

[Key West, FL] Now there is another reason to go to Key West – jet packs. That’s right, you can soar above the water in a jet pack, just like James Bond. Call it a license to thrill. Jetpack Adventures, based out of the Galleon Resort & Marina, is the first company in the nation [...]

[Washington D.C.] According to the 21st annual beach water quality report released today by the Natural Resources Defense Council (NRDC), storm water runoff and overflowing sewage systems continue to pollute the beaches of America. Yuck. And thanks to the BP oil spill, Florida got the brunt of it this time around. The report notes that [...]

[Sarasota, FL] Several people have been killed over the past few years — including one last week in Sarasota County — and the activity takes place with virtually no government safety regulation. Bills to impose equipment and safety standards for parasails failed again in this year’s state legislative session. An estimated 70 to 120 commercial [...]

[West Palm Beach, FL] From pythons in the Everglades, to coyotes in the suburbs, to iguanas and Muscovy ducks in any given backyard, South Florida is a magnet for exotic invading species. Now comes the latest gate-crasher: the ill-tempered, all-devouring Nile monitor, a large African lizard that has discovered in South Florida a splendid place [...]

[Plant City, FL] Medics and strangers rushed to help a young Plant City woman who didn’t know what hit her. “And bam! I mean, the boat just went bam!” Marcia Miller told FOX 13. That “bam” was a big sturgeon fish jumping from the water and onto the boat. Miller was sitting right next to [...]

[Washington, D.C.] Today, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration announced updated rules governing the claims on sunscreen labels. The hope is to further reduce skin cancer cases, combat early skin aging and, of course, prevent sunburn. Under the new rules, if a sunscreen “passes the FDA’s test for protection against both ultraviolet A (UVA) and [...]

Here’s a snazzy video telling you all about the jazzed-up SOG unit of the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission. This unit seems tailor made for TV, with their Miami Vice vehicles and cool blacked-out S.W.A.T. gear. It’s an army for the state’s animals …   – Mark Christopher   Related links: Goliath grouper rebounds [...]

[Fort Myers, FL] Hunters are getting a little extra daylight to track alligators this year. NWFDailyNews.com gets us up to speed: The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission voted Wednesday to allow gator hunting between the hours of 5 p.m. and 10 a.m. when the season starts Aug. 15. Gator hunting season runs through Nov. [...]

From The Gainesville Sun: An 8-year-old Gainesville girl will likely have to undergo rabies shots after being bitten over the weekend by an otter near Fort White. The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission still is gathering information about the bite, spokeswoman Karen Parker said. “We know that this little girl was tubing on the [...]