Columns
Turtle Report: Nest numbers up slightly on island; transport to Mote
September 3, 2026
So many factors in nature
Above, the “washback” covered in algae that was transported to Mote
As September begins, we near the end of sea turtle nesting season. For several weeks now, there…
Snook: Born male, turned female
September 3, 2026
BY BARRIER ISLAND PARKS SOCIETY
Editor’s Note: This installment is the last of a six-week series on local wildlife provided by the Barrier Island Parks Society. These articles aim to foster comm…
Dreams that actually come true, not the one about the classes I skipped
September 3, 2026
BY SUSAN HANAFEE
At my annual physical a couple of weeks ago, the doctor asked if I wake up in the morning feeling refreshed. I remembered the question from last year’s checkup, and just like I d…
SW Florida Fishing: Making my forever memories …
September 3, 2026
BY LUKE ALLEN
I was fishing deep in the water and boom a very white snook bit my bait – it was so hard my line broke off right after it got in the boat. Later that day I caught 14 more fish. It w…
How can we help protect dolphins? Weekly wildlife roundup
August 27, 2026
Editor’s Note: This installment is part of a six-week series on local wildlife provided by the Barrier Island Parks Society. These articles aim to foster community awareness regarding regional envir…
Data centers: The public process is critical in Florida
August 27, 2026
BY BRENT MCCONNELL
Data centers are becoming one of the strangest political fights in America. Most of us use them every day without knowing where they are or what they do. They store our photogr…
EcoWatch: Labor Day, a time to reflex on data centers and job loss
August 27, 2026
“It’s not a question of whether AI will change the world, but how. Ensuring that this change is positive requires that we take ethical considerations into account from the very beginning.”
A quot…
SW Florida Fishing: DNA ‘clock’ helps predict age of sharks
August 21, 2026
DNA signatures of aging could provide a new, noninvasive tool for studying shark populations and improving conservation efforts.
BY BROOKE BOWSER, FLORIDA MUSEUM OF NATURAL HISTORY
Aging leave…
Survey of sea turtles: Weekly wildlife roundup from BIPS
August 21, 2026
Editor’s Note: This is one of six weekly wildlife articles submitted by the Barrier Island Parks Society to raise awareness about the issues facing our island communities. This week, BIPS addresses…
No sunset for a friend; missing those Tuesdays you wish you’d noticed
August 21, 2026
BY ERNIE J. VANDERWALT
I got in the Gulf tonight shortly before sunset, the light doing that thing it does where the water turns the color of something you can’t quite name, gold sliding into ros…










