Educating with

Extension

By Brynn Morey, Extension Coordinator, and in collaboration with Alicia Betancourt, Shelly Krueger, and Michelle Leonard-Mularz

Volume 21 Issue 2 University of Florida, Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences (IFAS), Monroe County February 2021

Inside this issue: Sea Grant News from 2 Florida’s – Shelly Krueger Stony Coral Tissue Loss Disease Horticultural News from 2

Plant Clinic Information 2 By Shelly Krueger, Extension Director News 3 Florida Sea Grant Agent from Alicia Betancourt Page 1 story continued 3 Tips For a Sustainable 4 Two years ago this month, a student at College of the Florida Keys was the first Valentines Day! to report and photograph the spread of stony coral tissue loss disease off Key Contact us! 4 West, Florida at the Eastern Dry Rocks. He was able to identify the disease because he was trained by Florida Sea Grant agents Shelly Krueger and Ana Plant Clinics Zangroniz and completed the UF/IFAS Extension Stony Coral Tissue Loss Disease Underwater Observer Training course. Stony coral tissue loss disease is devastating Florida's and the from the Bahamas to St. Lucia and affects more than half of the 45 species of stony that live in VIRTUAL PLANT CLINICS our region. Thankfully, staghorn and are not susceptible. Every Tuesday via Zoom Email [email protected] or call After infection, the disease rapidly kills young colonies and corals that are (305)292-4501 to register! hundreds of years old. These reef-building corals are vital for the habitat they create for hundreds of species of fish, invertebrates, and marine Along with answering all of your plant/insect questions, we will have anmals. Healthy coral reefs support jobs and the economy through tourism and a brief topical discussion. See fishing, and protect the land from hurricanes and storm surges. Since four of topics and dates below: these stony coral species are already listed under the Endangered Species Act, it is critical that scientists and the public work together to save these beautiful February 9th: Cold Damaged Plants animals. February 23rd: Correcting Root Defects February 26th: Florida Friendly Friday! Let’s Talk Fertilizers

IN-PERSON PLANT CLINICS 9AM-12PM Garden Club of Upper Keys - Key Largo Saturday Feb 20th Home Depot - Marathon Saturday Feb 20th Island Home Garden– Islamorada Thursday Feb. 25th

**Masks and Social Distancing Required** …Continued on page 3 VOLUME 21 ISSUE 2 PAGE 2

Shelly Krueger

Sea Grant News UF/IFAS Florida Sea Grant Agent

Shelly recently accomplished the  Shelly is the South Atlantic following activities: representative for the National Sea Grant Office Fisheries Extension Network and participated in the  Shelly worked with the Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuary quarterly call to report on Florida Water Quality Protection Sea Grant fisheries initiatives and  Shelly was invited to judge the Program Management to build network capacity within annual science fair at Ocean the 34 university-based Sea Grant Committee to finalize the agenda Studies Charter School. for the February 10 Steering programs. Sharing Florida Committee meeting and provide Friendly Fishing guides and barotrauma outreach materials has recommendations to amend the resulted in other Sea Grant by-laws. programs creating similar

programs that originated within Florida Sea Grant. https://

www.flseagrant.org/florida-friendly- fishing-guide-certification/

The Environmental Horticulture Program and Master Gardener Volunteers remain dedicated to helping you with your plant related questions.

CALL OUR OFFICE: ZOOM PLANT CLINICS: (305)292-4501 Every Tuesday of the month!! Email [email protected] or EMAIL YOUR QUESTIONS TO: Call (305)292-4501 to Register [email protected] FACEBOOK PAGE: Please include a detailed description of the Visit our Facebook page for updates, requests, information problem and photos if available and so much more! https://www.facebook.com/MonroeCountyExtension/

Michelle Leonard-Mularz Horticulture News UF/IFAS Environmental Horticulture Agent

Michelle recently accomplished the  The Environmental Horticulture  Upcoming February Events: following activities: program is now back to in-person rd plant clinics at three locations Tuesday, February 23 10am-12pm  Michelle offered 5 free, virtual throughout the Keys: Key Largo, An Update on Subterranean Termite educational programs in January Islamorada and Marathon. We Control Methods (professional audience, that were attended by 124 will continue to provide virtual CEUs available) residents of Monroe County. Topics plant clinics via zoom. This encompassed invasive species month, we had 48 residents Friday, February 26th 12pm-1pm management, growing citrus, pest participate in our virtual plant Florida Friendly Fridays! management, and sustainable clinics and 17 residents attend Let’s Talk Fertilizers landscaping practices including our in-person plant clinics which fertilizer and pesticide use follow all CDC safety guidelines Please call (305)292-4501 or reduction or water quality for COVID. email [email protected] to protection. register for events.

Be sure to “Like” us on Facebook and follow us on Twitter and Instagram! PAGE 3 Educating with Extension Newsletter VOLUME 21 ISSUE 2

Alicia Betancourt Extension Director ’s News UF/IFAS Family and Community Development Agent and Monroe County Extension Director

Alicia recently accomplished the  Alicia worked with staff from two following activities: Southeast Florida municipalities to plan the Climate Smart Floridan’s  Alicia completed the development training and certification for the of Climate Change Leadership residents in February and March. teaching module for the national Sustainable Living Leadership Education series. This module will be part of a national Extension effort to bring national standards to sustainability  Alicia worked with the Southeast

education. Florida Climate Compact to finalize  Alicia co-authored a research report the C-CAT, Compact Climate

for the Journal of Community Assessment Tool that will allow Engagement and Scholarship regional municipal partners to Extension Special Issue, Florida measure progress in 10 priority Cooperative Extension Builds areas of mitigation and adaptation. Community Capacity for Governance.

Continued from page 1

Stony coral tissue loss disease was first identified in STONY CORAL TISSUE LOSS DISEASE 2014 near the Port of Miami and rapidly spread up UNDERWATER OBSERVER TRAINING and down Florida's Coral Reef. Unfortunately, the disease continues to spread and is extant in nearly The citizen science training developed by Florida Sea all of the Tract (except for the Dry Grant agents has been used to document the spread of Tortugas) and 16 countries in the Caribbean, most the disease and coral recovery in South Florida and the recently Roatan, Honduras. The pathogen(s) have Caribbean by snorkelers and SCUBA divers. not been identified but an alphabet soup of federal, Volunteers are trained to identify and photograph the state, and local governments, nonprofits, and the susceptible species and report these data to the Florida University of Florida are working non-stop to defeat Department of Environmental Protection Southeast stony coral tissue loss disease. Zoos and aquariums Florida Action Network (FDEP SEAFAN.net), which throughout the US are holding rescued corals to scientists monitor to track the extent of the disease and preserve genetic diversity. While the situation is coral recovery. Learn more at the Florida Keys urgent, it is not too late to save these incredibly National Marine Sanctuary Coral Portal and if you are important ecosystems. Corals are resilient if given interested in scheduling a 4-hour training workshop for the chance and the enabling conditions for their your group, please contact Shelly Krueger at the growth and survival. UF/IFAS Monroe County Extension 305-292-4501 or [email protected].

Be sure to “Like” us on Facebook and follow us on Twitter and Instagram! VOLUME 21 ISSUE 2 Please recycle this newsletter! PAGE 4

UF/IFAS/MONROE COUNTY EXTENSION 1100 Simonton Street, Suite 2-260, Key West, FL 33040 102050 Overseas Hwy., Suite 244, Key Largo, FL 33037

KW Phone: 305-292-4501 KL Phone: 305-453-8747 KW Fax: 305-292-4415 KL Fax: 305-453-8749

General e-mail: [email protected] County Extension Director: Alicia Betancourt Newsletter Editor: Brynn Morey, Extension Coordinator

This newsletter can be accessed online at: http://monroe.ifas.ufl.edu/newsletter.shtml We’re on the Web at: http://monroe.ifas.ufl.edu

Facebook Twitter Instagram Scan this code to go University of Florida (UF) directly to our http://SolutionsForYourLife.ufl.edu UF/IFAS Website for more information! http://ufl.edu Electronic Data Information Source (EDIS) http://edis.ifas.ufl.edu

UF/IFAS Extension is Putting Florida First

UF/IFAS/MCES QUARTERLY CONTACTS

Nov Dec Jan Totals

Phone calls 30 32 42 104

Office visitors 12 8 18 38 Email Consultations 146 88 56 290

Learning events 23 51 40 114 Participants 396 547 517 1,460 Media submissions 7 9 10 26 Publications distributed 158 70 129 357

TOTAL contacts 772 805 812 2,389

An Equal Opportunity Institution. UF/IFAS Extension, University of Florida, Institute of

Food and Agricultural Sciences, Nick T. Place, dean for UF/IFAS Extension. Single copies of UF/IFAS Extension publications (excluding 4-H and youth publications) are available free to Florida residents from county UF/IFAS Extension offices.