Ospreys Finally Appear to Be Using Nesting Platform

Ospreys Finally Appear to Be Using Nesting Platform

By Lisa D. Mickey It’s only taken about eight years, but a pair of ospreys appear to be settling in on the osprey nesting platform that was installed at MDC during spring 2015.  Our Conservation Science Coordinator, Tess Sailor-Tynes, snapped this photo last...
MDC Conservation Focuses on Brazilian Pepper Eradication

MDC Conservation Focuses on Brazilian Pepper Eradication

By Lisa D. Mickey Conservation is always a central focus at Marine Discovery Center, and one of the ways the center helps local residents understand and get involved is through hands-on experience. ​Tess Sailor-Tynes, MDC’s Conservation Science Coordinator, has been...
MDC Summer Campers Learn From “No-Waste Lunches”

MDC Summer Campers Learn From “No-Waste Lunches”

By Lisa D. Mickey Youngsters in the Marine Discovery Center’s summer camp program spent 10 weeks exploring the coastal ecosystem, but they also took a keen interest this summer in learning how to minimize their human impact. That’s because prior to the start of camp,...
Spanish Moss Plays Role in Natural Flora and Fauna

Spanish Moss Plays Role in Natural Flora and Fauna

By Lisa D. Mickey Think of Florida and the Southeast United States and a picture of Spanish moss draped through the boughs of stately live oak trees likely comes to mind. Hanging like hundreds of fibrous gray curtains from tree limbs, Spanish moss (Tillandsia...
Mistletoe Myths and Kisses Abundant During Holiday Season

Mistletoe Myths and Kisses Abundant During Holiday Season

By Lisa D. Mickey It’s common to spot mistletoe growing in the tops of trees at this time of year throughout Central Florida and the Southeast. If you spy a large green plant clump growing amid the boughs of deciduous trees (trees that lose their leaves during the...
Brazilian Pepper: All Is Not Jolly With “Florida Holly”

Brazilian Pepper: All Is Not Jolly With “Florida Holly”

By Lisa D. Mickey During the holiday season here in Florida, you might be tempted to deck the halls with the beautiful red berries from a plant often called “Florida Holly” or the “Christmasberry tree.” But take heed: the plant that bears these bright red berries, the...