Space Coast Regional Friends Group of the Florida Master Naturalist Program

11/01/2026

The Scarlet Hover Fly (Victoriana parvicornis), seen here on a tiny blossom, is an orange colored fly about 6-8 mm in length and is found in Florida and the West Indies. Other than that, there is very little species‑specific information available. Worldwide, there are roughly 5,000 hover fly species, with around 100 of those species found in Florida. Hover flies play several important ecological roles: the adults are pollinators, the larvae help in pest control consuming up to 400-700 aphids before pupating, and some species larvae feed on decaying organic matter helping in nutrient cycling.
Globally, approximately 160,000 fly species have been documented, while entomologists estimate the true number may exceed one million. In Florida, I can't find a definite estimate of fly species but It has a large number due to the warm climate and many diverse habitats. Flies provide essential ecological services being second only to bees in pollination, and contributing to natural pest control and nutrient recycling.

📷 Dennis Mayo

10/30/2026

🎃🌿 Brazilian pepper is scary… and it's not the only invasive plant in Florida! 👻

This December, learn about the plants that are haunting Florida’s natural areas with our friends at the City of Palm Bay! Join the Florida Master Naturalist Program for an in-person Invasive Plants course in Brevard County to learn how to identify, manage, and treat invasive species.

📍 Turkey Creek Sanctuary & Erna Nixon Park
🗓️ Hosted on Fridays and Saturdays December 11, 12, 18 & 19, 2026
⏰ Registration closes December 7 at noon!

🌱 Learn more and register: https://conference.ifas.ufl.edu/fmnp/IP26-10inperson.php

10/25/2026

The Space Coast Regional Friends Group of the Florida Master Naturalist Program celebrated the 25th Anniversary of the FMNP last night at the Pizza Gallery in Viera. Thank you Dr. Marty Main, the program founder, and Caitlin Robison, the program coordinator for sharing their time and insights on the program with our group.

10/20/2026

10/17/2026

A quote from Doug Tallamy: "Humans cannot live as the only species on this planet..." Tallamy also wrote the foreword for "Climate-Wise Landscaping" that ends with this advice: "Read this book carefully. Everything you need to know to help heal our relationship with planet earth and empower you to make a much-needed difference is within these pages." www.climatewiselandscaping.com

10/17/2026

You’re invited to discover all about fireflies, straight from the experts! 🪲💡

Join us this month for a free, three-day virtual symposium on firefly research and conservation in the United States and Canada! Each day of the symposium will consist of five to six presentations, and opportunities for networking and discussion.

Presentation topics include firefly biology, community science, conservation and management, firefly tourism, and educational programming.

This event is intended for everyone interested in fireflies and their conservation in the US and Canada, including conservation practitioners, agency biologists, environmental educators, community scientists, academic researchers, and firefly enthusiasts.

OCT 27 to OCT 29
9:00 AM – 12:00 PM PT
10:00 AM – 1:00 PM MT
11:00 AM – 2:00 PM CT
12:00 PM – 3:00 PM ET

The event is free! You can register and view the schedule now ➡️ https://lp.constantcontactpages.com/cu/6GFrtHL

📺 Closed Captioning will be available during this webinar. The webinar will be recorded and available on our YouTube channel ➡️ xerces.org/youtube

This symposium and the Firefly Atlas are supported by the BAND Foundation.

10/15/2026

🌿 Grow Your Knowledge of Florida’s Upland Ecosystems!

Interested in Florida’s natural communities and the plants, wildlife, and ecosystems that make them unique? Join us in Brevard County for the upcoming Florida Master Naturalist Program: Upland Systems course!

Led by Tracey Wright of the City of Palm Bay’s Turkey Creek Sanctuary, this course is a great opportunity to deepen your understanding of Florida’s upland habitats and natural resources. 🌳

📚 Learn more and register here: https://loom.ly/b-CdY-s

Help us spread the word to fellow nature lovers, conservation enthusiasts, and anyone interested in learning more about Florida’s incredible ecosystems!

10/12/2026

Herpothallon rubrocinctum, commonly called Christmas lichen, thrives in humid, shaded forests and moisture‑rich environments. I encounter it often in Florida’s hardwood forests and hammocks. This one is growing at Erna Nixon Park, a 54‑acre community preserve with a dense canopy of live oaks, sabal palms, hickories, and other hardwoods. The combination of deep shade, Spanish moss, and a diverse understory creates the cooler, humid microclimate that Christmas lichen depends on.

This species typically grows on the bark of hardwood trees and is shown here surrounded by what I believe is the Florida native moss Syrrhopodon incompletus. When you find a large population of Christmas lichen, it can indicate clean air and consistently high moisture.

Christmas lichen is not edible and can cause irritation or stomach upset. It protects itself by producing defensive chemicals to deter herbivores.

📷Dennis Mayo

10/05/2026

During native plant month (and all of the months) get out into our natural spaces to enjoy the native flora (and fauna). Visit St Sebastian River Preserve State Park to see some beautifully maintained pine flatwoods. The pine lilies are blooming (or at least they were last Tuesday) and if you go before sunrise you might get to see the red cocaded woodpeckers leave the nests for the day. Did you know that they are the only woodpecker to nest in living trees? They need longleaf pines that are usually around 60-80 years old. This is a fire maintained ecosystem that can be started by a lightning strike or via prescribed burns. A prescribed burn is an actual written prescription that dictates the conditions that must be met for the fire to take place. If the conditions aren’t right then the burn doesn’t happen. Without fire the ecosystem will undergo succession and could become a hardwood forest if fire is suppressed long term.