MyFWC Florida Fish and Wildlife

10/30/2026

🏃‍♂️ RUN—DON’T WALK—to support Florida’s next generation of outdoor enthusiasts! 🌿🎣🦌

Your donation to FYCCN helps expand and enhance youth outdoor programs across Florida, inspiring the next generation to connect with, care for, and conserve our natural resources.

💚 Make a difference when you purchase or renew your fishing or hunting license!

Donate to FYCCN through GoOutdoorsFlorida:
🔗 gooutdoorsflorida.com/

No GoOutdoorsFlorida account? No problem! You can donate directly here:
🔗 bit.ly/FloridaYouthConservationCentersNetwork_Donate

🌱 Together, we’re cultivating the next generation that cares. Every contribution helps make a difference!

10/29/2026

🦇𝐁𝐚𝐭 𝐖𝐞𝐞𝐤 𝐂𝐞𝐥𝐞𝐛𝐫𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧🦇
We are continuing our Bat Week journey by exploring our favorite bat superpower: 𝐄𝐂𝐇𝐎𝐋𝐎𝐂𝐀𝐓𝐈𝐎𝐍

🦸‍♂️Echolocation is the process of using sound waves to detect objects, just like sonar. It allows bats to navigate in complete darkness and quickly maneuver through the air to snag their next insect meal. 🦟

👂People typically can’t hear these sounds and biologists use specialized equipment, such as a bat detector, to record and convert these high-pitched noises so they can be studied. By compiling these sounds statewide, biologists can identify local bat species and also map out habitats they need to survive and thrive.
Show your support by commenting 🦇 and keep the celebration going by sharing this with a friend!

10/29/2026

If there is no Wi-Fi in the forest, can you still get connection? The answer is yes!

Floridians and visitors alike have enjoyed connecting to the great outdoors for decades.

Whether the Bald Cypresses have begun to shed their leaves or summer sunsets are still reflected on the shimmering coastal waters, Florida’s beautiful landscapes have always had the most striking sights and sounds – no matter the season! America250FL

10/28/2026

🦇DYK there are 13 native bat species in Florida? 🦇

These tiny creatures are nature’s superheroes. 🦸 They are the only mammal capable of true flight. They zoom around at night, using high-frequency sound waves to navigate and find prey -- even in total darkness! A single bat can eat hundreds of mosquitoes 🦟 each night, and they also eat insects that are damaging to agricultural crops. 🍅🍉These are just a few of the reasons it’s important to help our native bat populations.

Here’s how you can make a difference for bats:

- Preserve natural roost sites, including trees with cavities or peeling bark.
- Leave dead palm fronds and Spanish moss to provide roosting spots for bats.
- Install a bat house on your property.
- Report unusual bat behavior, as well as sick or dead bats: bit.ly/MyFWC_BatMortality

Learn more: bit.ly/FWC_Bats

📸: Kathleen Smith, FWC

10/28/2026

10/27/2026

Cast for Conservation
Ready to put your fishing skills to the test while making a difference for Florida’s aquatic resources?

The FWC’s School Fishing Program Fishing & Conservation Challenge gives students the opportunity to log their catches, learn more about Florida’s fisheries, and compete for prizes while promoting responsible angling and conservation. Schools can participate throughout the year and work toward earning recognition through the challenge.

More information on the program’s Fishing & Conservation Challenge and how you can participate: bit.ly/SchoolFishingClub_FWC

Thank you to our program partners providing the prizes this year: Mud Hole Custom Tackle, Hobie Eyewear, Flambeau Outdoors, and Coastal Conservation Association Florida.

10/27/2026

From Paint and Pencil to Rod and Reel

Every great day of fishing begins with healthy fish populations and thriving aquatic habitats. Whether you've landed your first black crappie from the dock or watched a tarpon leap from the water, every fishing experience starts with an appreciation for Florida's incredible native fish.

The Florida Fish Art Contest gives young anglers and artists alike the opportunity to turn those experiences into something creative. K–12 students are invited to research a native Florida fish, create original artwork, and learn more about the species that make fishing in Florida so special.

The top two artists in each grade bracket for both freshwater and saltwater will receive one fishing rod and reel combo and one Create-a-Lure box, a unique do-it-yourself kit designed to let you create personal fishing lures.

The contest is open through February 28, 2027. Learn more about the Florida Fish Art Contest prizes and how to enter: bit.ly/MyFWC_FishArt

Thank you to our partners Wildlife Forever, Guy Harvey, Go Outdoors Florida, Joethefloridanomad and Tsunami Fishing.

Featured Artist: Mila Das, 7-9 Grade Saltwater Winner

10/26/2026

It’s International Bat Week!

It may sound strange but one way you can help Florida’s amazing bats is to make sure you follow proper procedures when excluding bats if they have taken up residence in your home or other structure. Fall is a good time to bat-proof your structures since bat maternity season is now over, and young bats are old enough to safely leave their roost.

Learn more about bat exclusion guidelines and other ways you can help bats in Florida: bit.ly/FWC_Bats

Join us this week to celebrate and learn about our native bats and research efforts.

📸: Lisa Smith, FWC

10/23/2026

Making a difference, one native plant at a time 🌱

This past month, staff from our Division of Habitat and Species Conservation organized the coastal planting of nearly 20,000 native dune plants, like sea oats, gulf bluestem, beach elder, and coastal groundcherry, at Topsail Hill Preserve State Park.

The installation of these native plants increases dune stabilization and resiliency, improves the diversity of food resources for the imperiled Choctawhatchee beach mouse and other wildlife, and enhances Choctawhatchee beach mouse habitat by improving vegetation diversity and habitat connectivity.

Funded through the Coastal Program grant awarded by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, this project was part of a collaborative conservation effort with our partners, including Florida Department of Environmental Protection and Florida State Parks, University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences, and additional personnel with expertise in dune restoration and coastal species.

Important projects like this support the protection of Florida’s coastal habitats and the wildlife that are crucial to these ecosystems.