Environment
Mississippi’s diverse outdoor environment has something for everyone. Whether you love walking the coastal beaches, love to explore our state and national parks, or live for the abundant recreational hunting and fishing opportunities, Mississippi is an exciting place to explore nature.
Mississippi’s natural resources are vast, but not unlimited. Growing pressures from urban development, invasive species, and natural disasters demand scientific solutions and dedicated effort from everyone. The MSU Extension Service offers trustworthy, science-based information on a variety of topics, from managing wild hogs to making wise decisions about the family forest.
Publications
News
STARKVILLE, Miss. -- When I think of the beach, I picture soft, white sand and pristine, blue water. But our beaches and oceans have a dirty little secret: trash.
That's right. Several tons of trash end up in our waterways and on our beaches every year in Mississippi. In 2017 alone, volunteers with the Mississippi Coastal Cleanup collected 13 tons of trash from 40 sites along the Mississippi Gulf Coast. This trash isn't just unsightly. It threatens the Gulf Coasts ecosystem.
This time of year seems to be a never-ending battle with Mother Nature. As the rain pours down, water levels in ditches, creeks, rivers and storm drains rise rapidly, increasing flood risk in urban and rural areas.
STARKVILLE, Miss. -- How much water do we use each day? This may sound like a simple question until we consider the direct and indirect ways we use water.
Direct water use includes the indoor and outdoor water that we physically use when we turn on a faucet in our bathrooms, kitchens or gardens. It is what most of us think of when we are asked how much water we use, but the truth is that we consume a lot of water indirectly too.
STARKVILLE, Miss. -- From February through April, calls begin coming in about sick and dying fish in backyard ponds.
STARKVILLE, Miss. -- Terms like climate change or global warming may elicit different responses depending on your political viewpoints, but one thing is certain: Our weather is changing.
Success Stories
When I think of the beach, I picture soft, white sand and pristine, blue water. But our beaches and oceans have a dirty little secret: trash.
That’s right, several tons of trash end up in our waterways and on our beaches every year in Mississippi. In 2017 alone, volunteers with the Mississippi Coastal Cleanup collected 13 tons of trash from 40 sites along the Mississippi Gulf Coast. This trash isn’t just unsightly. It threatens the Gulf Coast’s ecosystem.
South Mississippi was blanketed with snow in early December 2017. Local agents with the Mississippi State University Extension Service worked with state residents to protect people, plants, and livestock in the cold temperatures. Extension experts are available in every Mississippi county to share advice on how to keep people, homes, animals, and plants safe, efficient, and productive, no matter what the weather brings.
2018 arrived with a breath of fresh, frigid air. Colder temperatures can mean limited food for our feathered friends. Many people like to provide supplemental food for birds in the winter, which is a great way to draw birds to your backyard for observation.
Teaching your children or grandchildren about nature can start in your own backyard. Birdwatching is a simple, inexpensive way to start a conversation about our natural resources and their importance in the ecosystem.
But first, you’ll need a set of binoculars that you can actually see through clearly. If you have only one set, you’ll want to adjust them properly for each user.
How much trash does your family generate? How much of that trash is single-use plastic, like water bottles and food packaging?
You might be surprised to know that much of that plastic ends up littering our waterways, beaches and oceans. In fact, the No. 1 item polluting these areas is plastic.