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2023 Annual report

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Imagine Our Florida, Inc.

Our purpose is to bring people together in a shared vision to preserve and protect Florida's wildlife, habitat, and ecosystems. We accomplish this via science-based education and the development of appreciation and respect for the natural world and our place within it.
Imagine Our Florida, Inc.
Imagine Our Florida, Inc.1 hour ago
- Advocacy Alert - Contact the Governor Today -

Florida already has a Common Law Defense of Necessity Law that allows you to kill a bear if your life is in imminent danger. We support this.

The Taking of Bear Bill will add defending property and strip away FWC's authority to investigate incidents to ensure that your life was indeed threatened.

Not only are bears threatened by this bill, but it puts humans in danger of an injured bear running through the neighborhoods, or worse, a fearful person with a gun firing several shots in a neighborhood in an attempt to kill a bear.

A better solution is to approve the $683,500 in the state budget to fund Bear-resistant trash cans in Franklin County which have been proven to reduce human-bear conflicts by 95%.

Please make your voice heard by signing the petition and contacting the Governor. Respectfully ask him to veto this bill.

#ImagineOurFlorida #IOF #ConnectRespectCoexist
#GetOutside #Nature #FloridaBlackBears
#Florida #Wildlife #FloridaBlackbear
#blackbears #blackbear
#Explore #Discover
#Educate #Empower #MakeaDifference
#environmentalstewardship
Imagine Our Florida, Inc.
Imagine Our Florida, Inc.1 day ago
- Science Sunday -
North Atlantic right whales frequently get entangled in fishing gear, which has negative impacts on their reproductive success and chances of survival. The study estimated the health of individual whales using a hierarchical Bayesian model based on photographic indicators of health. The study examined the relationship between entanglement injury events and their severity related to survival, reproduction, and population health. Severe entanglements had a detrimental effect on the health of all whales. Females with severe injuries were eight times more likely to die than males with minor injuries. Females with severe injuries that survived had the lowest birth rates. Calving intervals also increased as health declined. The health scores of unimpacted whales declined significantly over three decades and the severity was more pronounced with time, indicating the treats are becoming worse. Food limitations may have contributed to population health declines. These results underscore the significance of mitigating human impacts while also clarifying the degrees of severity they induce.

Reference: Knowlton AR, Clark JS, Hamilton PK, Kraus SD, Pettis HM, Rolland RM, and Schick RS. 2022. Fishing gear entanglement threatens recovery of critically endangered North Atlantic right whales. Conservation Science and Practice. 4(8). https://doi.org/10.1111/csp2.12736

#RightWhales 🐋 #EndangeredSpecies 🐋 #WhaleLove 🐳💙 #IOF #ImagineOurFlorida 🌴

Figure credit: Knowlton et al. 2022.
Imagine Our Florida, Inc.
Imagine Our Florida, Inc.2 days ago
- Saturday Saunter -
Flat Island Preserve

The Flat Island Preserve in southern Leesburg provides a wonderful location to explore Florida’s most famous ecosystem: marshes! As a botanist duo, the Daubenmires lobbied Lake County to protect 2,300 acres of natural hardwood hammocks and marshes, resulting in Flat Island Preserve's creation.

This beautiful preserve has thus become a well-loved park for humans and wildlife. The aptly named Daubenmire trail runs less than 4 miles and cuts through cypress swamps, old oaks, and marshlands. Those with a keen eye can look for gators, raccoons, and lake birds such as egrets and herons. The trail is well-maintained and perfect for beginners, but bring plenty of water if you’re hiking during the summer. Camping and canoeing are great ways to explore and discover Flat Island Preserve.

For more information, https://www.lcwa.org/land_resources/open_preserves.php

Photo Credit: Dan Kon
Author: Sarina Pennington - IOF Volunteer

#ImagineOurFlorida #IOF #ConnectRespectCoexist
#GetOutside #Nature #FlatIslandPreserve
#Florida #Wildlife #Leesburg #lakeCounty
#camp #canoe #hike
#Explore #Discover
#Educate #Empower #MakeaDifference
#environmentalstewardship
Imagine Our Florida, Inc.
Imagine Our Florida, Inc.3 days ago
Foto Friday Please post the pictures you captured this week of Florida's wildlife, wildflowers, and wild spaces in the comments. We can't wait to see them!

Sky-Blue Lupine

This Florida Native Lupine (Lupinus diffusus) thrives in the dry, sandy soils in sandhill and pinewood habitats, pastures, and on roadsides.

Sky-blue Lupine is a pea family member with fuzzy grayish-green leaves and beautiful blue flowers emerging from the central spike. This low-growing shrub blooms from mid-winter through spring. Seeds are dispersed by animals and the wind.

Lupines can make a wonderful addition to your native garden. In the fall, plant seeds in well-drained sandy soil in full sun. They will produce flowers early next year. They will reseed at the end of the blooming season, and new plants emerge annually.

Photo Credit - Andy Waldo at Lake Wales Ridge

#ImagineOurFlorida #IOF #ConnectRespectCoexist #GetOutside #Nature #Florida #Wildlife #Explore #Discover #Educate #Empower #MakeaDifference #environmentalstewardship #skybluelupiine #Lakewalesridge
Imagine Our Florida, Inc.
Imagine Our Florida, Inc.4 days ago
A trail camera has captured a Florida panther repeatedly using a wildlife crossing and teaching her young kittens to do the same. 🐾

See Broketail and her kittens here: https://outdoors.com/florida-panther-teaches-kittens-to-use-wildlife-crossing/amp/