News Filed Under Natural Resources

Little green climbing machine —the Carolina anole, known as Anolis carolinensis, is often called the American chameleon for its ability to change color.

RAYMOND, Miss. -- Concern has spread among Mississippi landowners who have recently noticed extensive pine needle browning and loss among their mature loblolly pine trees recently. Kristy McAndrew, a forestry health specialist with the Mississippi State University Extension Service, said brown spot needle blight, or BSNB, is widespread in Mississippi right now and may be the culprit.

Have you ever been on a walk in the woods, park, or backyard and noticed animal tracks in the mud or dirt? Some tracks are easy to identify, while others are a bit harder to tell which animal they belong to. It’s a fun guessing game trying to figure out which animal has been visiting nearby.

When examining animal tracks, ask yourself a few questions:

Many Mississippians take steps to live sustainably, but they may not be aware of the impact their clothing choices have on the environment.

Beyond material sourcing and item manufacturing, what happens when the piece of clothing is retired from the closet can have a significant environmental impact. Textile waste is unwanted clothing and fabrics that are thrown away rather than recycled.

SENATOBIA, Miss. -- The Mississippi State University Extension Service will offer free bacteria and chemical screenings for private water well owners in Tate County during an upcoming workshop.

The yellow-spotted salamander is a slippery, shiny Mississippi amphibian. Also known as Ambystoma maculatum, this is a large amphibian, measuring between six to nine inches!

Litter is a common problem around the state, and all of that trash eventually makes its way to our oceans. But there are ways to help keep your community clean.

Have you ever been on a walk in the woods, park, or backyard and noticed animal tracks in the mud or dirt? Some tracks are easy to identify, while others are a bit harder to tell which animal they belong to. 

Did you know that wildfire is a common occurrence in Mississippi? If you live in the rural-urban interface – areas where human development moves into rural areas – your risk of being affected by wildfire increases.

VERONA, Miss. -- Each year, producers come to the North Mississippi Producer Advisory Council meeting to share their research and educational needs with agricultural faculty and specialists at Mississippi State University, and of all the commodity group sessions, the one on beef cattle usually has the highest attendance.

RAYMOND, Miss. -- A large group of agricultural producers and industry professionals met with Mississippi State University personnel during the 2025 Central Mississippi Producer Advisory Council meeting Feb. 18 in Raymond at the Central Mississippi Research and Extension Center. The annual forum provides clients, MSU administrators, researchers, specialists and Extension agents an opportunity to meet in small commodity groups to discuss the research and educational needs of producers in the region.

RAYMOND, Miss. -- While wildfires may not seem like a threat to Mississippians and their property, they certainly can be. And residents should take precautionary steps to protect themselves.

Landowners working to improve game bird habitat can sign up for Feb. 28 and March 1 weekend events that provide practical information for property management.
The Mississippi State University Extension Service is hosting the turkey and quail management social and workshop in Shannon, Mississippi.

BILOXI, Miss. -- A large group of agricultural producers gathered at the 2025 Producer Advisory Council meeting Jan. 14 at the Coastal Research and Extension Center in Biloxi. The annual meeting serves as a forum for agricultural producers to discuss their needs with Mississippi State University personnel, including administrators, researchers, specialists and Extension agents with the MSU Mississippi Agricultural and Forestry Experiment Station and MSU Extension Service.

STARKVILLE, Miss. -- Growers in south Mississippi recently shared their research and programming needs with Mississippi State University’s agricultural specialists, and producers in the state’s central and northern areas will soon have their turn.

The MSU Extension Service and Mississippi Agricultural and Forestry Experiment Station will host Producer Advisory Council meetings at three of their research and Extension centers across the state.

STARKVILLE, Miss. -- A Mississippi State University Extension professor has been recognized for his contributions to wildlife conservation with the Clarence W. Watson Award.

RAYMOND, Miss. -- Mississippi’s agriculture industry remains vibrant with an overall production value estimated at $9 billion, despite a drop in row crop prices.

Although prices for timber were lower in 2024, harvest on the state’s forest land was up about 8%, giving forestry an expected value of $1.5 billion, similar to what it had in 2023.

Coastal wetland conservation and restoration projects along the Mississippi Gulf Coast and beyond are running into a distinct challenge: there often aren’t enough locally sourced native plants readily available to complete these efforts.
The Mississippi State University Extension Service is meeting this problem head-on by enlisting plant enthusiasts to grow and sell these marsh plants. The effort is organized as the Native Plant Producer Network, or NPPN, and it was started in 2023.

STARKVILLE, Miss. -- Hunters and birders in Mississippi who spot ducks wearing backpacks in the next five years do not need to get their eyes checked.

A new Mississippi State University Extension Service waterfowl study aims to arm landowners with practical habitat management recommendations that will support mallard populations in the Southeast. MSU Extension is teaming with the Mississippi Department of Wildlife, Fisheries and Parks, or MDWFP, to track the movements and migration patterns of female mallards for the research.