Environment

A new variety of fruit is being developed by the University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences Citrus Research and Education Center. Its Director, Michael Rogers, says the fruit is meant to be an alternative to California Cuties and Halos.

Fall is beginning to slowly cede to winter and in the coming weeks, wildflowers will start to die back, and bees will retreat to their nests. But just because they may not bee seen, doesn’t mean they’re gone from our yards.

The county had originally planned to use a piece of ground considered environmentally sensitive, with numerous sinkholes within its boundaries.

An organization that represents forest landowners says in Florida, many are still recovering from Hurricane Michael. So the association is asking Congress to pass legislation that would help Panhandle residents recover their lands and losses.

Temperatures are expected to be 5 to 10 degrees cooler Sunday and Monday across a large portion of Florida thanks to a noticeable fall front.

The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission is asking lawmakers for money to fund initiatives to help manatees. Part of that is a $3 million budget request the agency says will help fund the restoration and enhancement of lakes, rivers, springs, and other manatee habitats.

The Woodville Karst Plain Project will be helping repair observation platforms at Emerald and Cheryl sinks next week.

The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service may soon declare the ivory-billed woodpecker extinct. The nation's largest woodpecker was first listed as endangered in 1967. And its historical range spanned Cuba and the southeastern United States, including Florida.

Wakulla Springs State Park is once again doing a Spooky Springs Cruise this October. Kat Wilson is a ranger with the park. She will be narrating local folktales and ghost stories during the cruise.

Florida's oversight of the state's fragile natural resources has improved under Gov. Ron DeSantis but remains far behind where it was a decade ago, according to a new report by a nonprofit advocacy group supporting current and former government employees involved in environmental protection.