In the Weschester Neighborhood in Gainesville Florida, there are several neighborhood natural areas that are maintained by the homeowner association. These forested areas provide habitat for a variety of wildlife. The Weschester developers, managers and residents collaborated with University of Florida’s Department of Wildlife Ecology and Conservation and IFAS Extension to install two educational signs that have 8 educational panels that discuss wildlife around a pond, alligators, invasive exotics, landscaping with native plants, pollinators, bird habitat and water quality. These panels are rotated throughout the year by several Weschester residents.

iNaturalist: Residents in the Weschester neighborhood and nearby areas are monitoring plants and animals in the area with the iNaturalist program and their iNaturalist project can be found here. If interested in participating in the iNaturalist project, contact Dr. Mark Hostetler (hostetm@ufl.edu).

Restoration Activities: Several residents within the community are landscaping with native plants and utilizing water saving techniques to reduce irrigation. If interested in learning more, contact Dr. Mark Hostetler (hostetm@ufl.edu).