Ever wonder what's smoldering beneath Florida's pines? It's not just the heat—it's the crucial role of prescribed burns in keeping our ecosystems thriving! From wildfires to controlled burns, Florida’s landscapes are shaped by fire more than you might think. Join Alyssa and Taylor as they ignite a fiery conversation with Dr. Raelene Crandall, a fire ecology expert from the University of Florida, to explore why fire is the unsung hero of Florida’s wild world.

Resources:

• Dr. Raelene Crandall Webpage
• Southern Fire Exchange
• Forest Management in the Interface: Reducing the Risk
• FDACS Fire Management Services

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Intro/Outro Music:

Track Title: Nature and Nurture

Composers: Steven Thomason [PRS] 100%

Publishers: Freshworx Music Limited [PRS] 100%

Album: Forest Folk

Catalog Number: FRX020

Track Number: FRX020-1

Labels: Freshworx

German label code: LC 78182

ISRC: UK-QUJ-19-02001

Everything starts with seeds—whether it’s the food we eat, the air we breathe, the way ecosystems thrive, or the simple joy of seeing blooming flowers. Seeds are life! Join Alyssa and Taylor as they dive into the fascinating world of seeds and seed conservation with Dr. Hector Pérez. By the end of this lively conversation, you might just find yourself becoming a proud seed geek too!

Resources:

• Dr. Hector Pérez Faculty Page
• Seed Biology Lab
• Seed Biology Social Media

Special Outro Music:

Track Title: I am a Seed

Artist: Loyal Revival

Album: I am a Seed

Bandcamp: https://loyalrevival.bandcamp.com/music

Intro/Outro Music:

Track Title: Nature and Nurture

Composers: Steven Thomason [PRS] 100%

Publishers: Freshworx Music Limited [PRS] 100%

Album: Forest Folk

Catalog Number: FRX020

Track Number: FRX020-1

Labels: Freshworx

German label code: LC 78182

ISRC: UK-QUJ-19-02001

Palms are distinctly different from other trees we choose to plant in our landscapes. They are emblematic and iconic in Florida and have unique care requirements. Join us as we dive into the world of palms with Dr. Mica McMillan, Assistant Professor at the Fort Lauderdale Research and Education Center. We cover the basics of what makes a palm, a palm, and discuss various challenges and opportunities for palms in landscapes.

⁠⁠Cultivating Curiosity Webpage⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

Resources

• Palms for Florida Presentation by Dr. Mica McMillan
• Dr. Mica McMillan Webpage

• ⁠Palm Production & Maintenance
• Fort Lauderdale Research and Education Center

Farming with nature - that is the foundation of Agroecology, "a field of study motivated to understand ecological, evolutionary, and socioeconomic principles and use them in an improvement process that sustains food production, conserves resources, and maintains social equality." Join us this month as Alyssa and Taylor discuss agroecology with Dr. Zachary Brym, an Associate Professor in Agroecology. His research and extension program explores how production systems can remain profitable while conserving natural resources.

⁠⁠Cultivating Curiosity Webpage⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

Resources

• Introducing Agroecology
• Agroecology Lab
• Agroecology Infographic

Florida is a tapestry of diverse environments and built landscapes, all intricately woven together by our most vital resource: water. The Florida-Friendly Landscaping Program represents our statewide best management practices for landscaping, aimed at protecting both water quality and quantity. Join Alyssa Vinson and Taylor Clem as they discuss the Florida-Friendly Landscaping Program with the new director and our friend, Claire Lewis.

⁠⁠Cultivating Curiosity Webpage⁠⁠⁠⁠

Resources

• The Florida-Friendly Landscaping Program Webpage
• The Nine Principles
• The Plant Selection App
• Find your county extension office!

What do plants, squashing things, and Indiana Jones have in common? Plant Breeding, of course!

For centuries, humans have utilized forms of plant breeding to help promote desirable traits of food crops and ornamental plants. In the present day, plant breeders can do so much more. In this month's podcast, we are joined by Dr Brooks Parrish, a recent Ph.D. graduate from the University of Florida's Environmental Horticulture Department. Dr Parrish visited with Alyssa and Taylor to share his research, his Caladium discovery, cool plant breeding techniques, and a little about genetically modified organisms (GMOs). Alyssa and Taylor also discovered a new career path...(the Indiana Jones reference).

In urban or urbanizing areas, many variables influence stormwater, watershed hydrology, irrigation, and landscape maintenance. Understanding the connections between these variables is seemingly cumbersome. Luckily, UF/IFAS Extension's Dr Eban Bean, an Associate Professor and Extension Specialist in Urban Water Resources Engineering, helps us "go with the flow" through his innovative solutions in addressing our state's vital water resources. Join us for this episode, as Alyssa and Taylor discuss Dr Bean's innovative research programs in extension.

Lichen - an enigmatic species present in all corners of the globe. Its unique relationship, a combination of fungi and cyanobacteria/algae, mistifies many. Often blamed as a disease impacting plants in our landscapes, it is rather, a vital component to our landscapes, including many insects and birds. Join us for this bonus episode, as a follow-up to Dr Matt Smith's episode, as we explore all things Lichen with Laurel Kaminisky, an assistant University Librarian with the Marston Science Library specializing in Florida's lichen species.