This episode is part 1 of our summer hurricane series! Today, we're talking about how hurricanes form, why they spin, and what the "categories" mean when we talk about storms.

THANK YOU to Stephen Mullens, a fellow faculty member at the University of Florida, for reviewing our episode content for accuracy. Stephan is an expert in forecasting and impacts related to hurricanes and thunderstorms.

Learn More:

• ​Coriolis Effect Video (Nat Geo): https://youtu.be/mPsLanVS1Q8?si=yokr3w1vUeVg6l9T
• ​Saffir-Simpson Hurricane Wind Scale: Learn more about what each "category" storm means. https://www.nhc.noaa.gov/pdf/sshws_2012rev.pdf
• ​Make a plan! Get ready, now: https://www.floridadisaster.org/planprepare/preparing-for-hurricane-season/

Sources:

• ​https://climatecenter.fsu.edu/topics/hurricanes
• ​https://www.aoml.noaa.gov/wp-content/uploads/2020/12/How-Do-Hurricanes-Move_.pdf
• ​https://www.nhc.noaa.gov/pdf/sshws_2012rev.pdf
• ​https://www.npr.org/2018/09/14/647944033/september-is-peak-hurricane-season-why-is-that
• ​https://weather.gov/media/mfl/TropicalEventSummary/PSHMFL_2024AL14_Milton_Tornadoes.pdf
• ​https://www.nhc.noaa.gov/data/tcr/AL092024_Helene.pdf

Green anoles are some of Florida’s most familiar—and most overlooked—neighbors.

In this episode of Naturally Florida, we revisit our very first show from 2020 to explore what makes these little lizards so unique, how they interact with the introduced Cuban brown anole, and what you can do to help them thrive in your own backyard.

Learn more:

• Cuban Brown Anole or Green Anole (video): https://youtu.be/KQhnzi9mkYI
• Landscaping Solutions: Green Anoles: https://gardeningsolutions.ifas.ufl.edu/design/gardening-with-wildlife/anoles.html

How You Can Help:

• Help us document their populations! If you see a green anole in your yard or while out in one of Florida's many natural areas, snap a picture with your smartphone and upload it to ⁠iNaturalist.org.⁠
• Add habitat to your yard or neighborhood. Consider adding native shrubs or small trees and changing part of your yard from lawn to Florida-Friendly Landscaping to provide habitat for a variety of small critters. Learn more here: ⁠https://ffl.ifas.ufl.edu/about-ffl/9-principles/principle-5-attract-wildlife/⁠

Sources for this Episode:

• Invader Updater: Cuban Brown Anole, UF Wildlife Department (2011) ⁠⁠https://ufwildlife.ifas.ufl.edu/InvaderUpdater/pdfs/InvaderUpdater_Winter2011.pdf⁠⁠
• Green Anole (Anolis carolinensis), Savannah River Ecology Laboratory (n.d.) ⁠⁠https://srelherp.uga.edu/lizards/anocar.htm⁠⁠
• Analysis of the effects of an exotic lizard on a native lizard in Florida ..., University of Tennessee (2000) ⁠⁠https://trace.tennessee.edu/utk_graddiss/4722/⁠⁠
• Florida Lizards are Evolving, Fast, Science Connected (2014) ⁠⁠https://magazine.scienceconnected.org/2014/10/florida-lizards-evolving-rapidly/⁠⁠

If you enjoyed this episode, please consider sharing it with a friend who might enjoy learning about Florida's natural areas and the wild things that live here!

If you're active on iNaturalist, consider joining our iNaturalist project, Naturally Florida's Listener Observations, here: https://www.inaturalist.org/projects/naturally-florida-s-listener-observations

Happy Lakes Appreciation Month!

This month, we dive into water quality and what it really means for freshwater systems. You'll hear a lot of scientific jargon this month, but we tried to define everything as we used it. This will help you talk to your local watershed, river, or lake managers!

How You Can Help:

• Participate in the Great Secchi Dip In! https://www.nalms.org/secchidipin/ OR, email Lara or Shannon to learn more about how to participate

Learn More:

• Florida Lakewatch: https://lakewatch.ifas.ufl.edu/extension/information-circulars/
• Water Atlas (SW FL only): https://wateratlas.usf.edu