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Health Humanities and Nature based therapies: Nature Walk Guides and Information on the UF Campus

This guide serves as a resource site for materials concerning health humanities, and nature therapy

Focusing on wildlife sightings: Nature walk guides to the UF campus

Evidence increasingly supports the value of nature as a healing modality. Immersing in safe, accessible nature is key, and the UF campus provides great opportunities for careful and thoughtful nature immersion.  Some people enjoy engaging with nature by watching animal behavior and knowing more about the plants they see on campus.  These guides strive to provide that information by identifying animals and plants commonly seen in the area and discussing their behavior so sightings can be meaningful.

For more information on the listed species, click on the relevant link in the table below.

For more information on Wellness Activities at the Health Science Center Library, check out the Wellness Team LibGuide

Connecting with nature on the UF campus

The guides on this page will help you to identify and connect with wildlife on the UF campus.  All of the pictured organisms were seen on campus, and mostly on the walk outlined in the guide.  These organisms may be more active or visible at certain times of the day or year- part of the fun of observing nature is becoming familiar with these cycles, and finding the common- and bold- as well as the rare- or shy- wildlife that is found at the University of Florida. Enjoy the search for these organisms and the excitement of seeing them going about their daily lives.

Citizen Science

Two good resources for learning more about identifying wildlife and plants and animals:

iNaturalist

Ebird

Learn more about Florida plants and animals

Are you interested in learning more about  UF Nature?

Here are some recommended resources for learning more about wildlife:

Florida Museum of Natural History

UF IFAS Extension

UF IFAS Gardening Solutions

The Florida Aquarium

 

 

 

 

Lists of organisms in the guides

Click on the links for more information on the listed species.

Season

Species

Spring 2022

Anhinga
Great egret
Persimmon trees
Soft-shelled turtle

Summer 2022

Red-bellied woodpecker
Blue-eyed grass
Tilapia
Northern cardinal

Late Summer 2022

Snowy Egret
Wood Stork
Tri-colored Heron
White Ibis

 Fall 2022

Red-shouldered hawk
Armadillo
Alligator
Dog vomit slime mold

Winter 2023

Raccoon
Florida gar
Wild turkey
Bald Cypress

Spring 2023

American Robin 
Cedar waxwing
Anole
Wood ear fungus

Summer 2023

Osprey
Blanket flower
Gulf Fritillary
Buckeye

Mid summer 2023

Wildflower field
Scoliid wasps
Honey bee
Carpenter Ant and Mealy bugs

Late Summer 2023

White-tailed deer
Swallow-tailed Kite
Mississippi Kite
Snail Kite

Fall 2023 

Passion Flower Fruit
Sandhill Cranes
Juvenile Night Heron
Coastal Plain Cooter

Winter 2023

Green heron
Mistletoe
Hooded merganser
Beauty berry

 Winter Wilmot Botanical Gardens 2023

Spanish moss
Bee on Camellia
Magnolia
Cattail

Winter 2024 Signs of Life

Cicada skin
Snakeskin
Mollusk fossils
Sapsucker holes

Spring 2024

Great Blue Heron
Dragonfly
Blue Flag Iris 
Green Treefrog

Summer 2024

Bald Eagle
Live Oak
Zebra Longwing
Limpkin

Late Summer 2024

Sweetgum Tree
Eastern black bear
Mockingbird
Broad-headed skink

Fall 2024


Black-bellied Whistling Duck

Boat-tailed Grackle

Southern Toad

Snapping turtle

Fall 2024 Little Hall

Virginia Opossum

Catbird

Downy Woodpecker

Summer Tanager

Winter 2024

Cabbage Palm

Carolina Wren

Monarch

Viceroy

   

Winter 2024 Lake Alice Bat Houses

 

Freshwater mollusc

Crow

Cormorant

Bats

Nature Walk Guides for the UF Campus

Dates on the guides are present to assist with identifying and differentiating between the guides. Some of the pictured species may be found on campus only during the season pictured.  Others may be found all year round but are particularly common or apparent at certain seasons.

Feel free to look at the guides as they have been developed, or check out all for the relevant seasons!  Enjoy the many species of plants, animals, fungi, slimemolds, and maybe others that find their homes on the University of Florida campus!

UF Campus Walks

University of Florida On Campus Walks

Campus wildlife

Gainesville Nature Prescription Calendar

University of Florida Home Page

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