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
Coastal development compounded with the impacts of climate change are making natural resource managers struggle with restoring and managing coastal uplands due to the heavy front-end investment and need for continuous maintenance.
Some activities essential to management of coastal uplands for habitat benefits include clearing of thick woody underbrush and removal of invasive species. Common invasives found in coastal uplands locally include kudzu, Japanese climbing fern, Chinese tallow, Chinese privet and cogongrass.
STARKVILLE, Miss. -- Mississippi State University has been awarded a grant of nearly $6.6 million for shoreline restoration work on the Gulf Coast.
BILOXI, Miss. — Litter is a global issue that is known to decrease tourism, cost significant amounts of money to eliminate, and have tremendous environmental impacts. It is ultimately an inevitable byproduct of living our everyday lives.
For most hunters and bird enthusiasts in the Southeast, the term “game bird” conjures up images of a turkey gobbler in full strut, a covey of quail flushing from the brush and tall grass or an incoming group of mourning doves on the horizon. But the American Woodcock garners little attention despite being one of the most common game bird species.
BILOXI, Miss. -- Coastal restoration has been a hot topic along the Gulf of Mexico coast for many years now.
One clear aspect of coastal restoration is that it’s a team effort that requires not only the coast, but entire watersheds. From reducing excess fertilizer usage and litter to increasing low-effort natural landscaping and pervious surfaces, there are many actions we can take anywhere to help restoration of coastal ecosystems.
Success Stories
Crosby Arboretum is a living memorial to L. O. Crosby, a philanthropist, forester, and civic leader who loved nature. In the early 1980s, his family turned his former strawberry farm into a place that could instill a love of nature in others.
The Application Guide was created by a writing team of Extension and engagement professionals across the country, and Dr. Renee Collini was the lead author.
Popular post
Hummingbird migration information reached more than 400,000 on Facebook, thanks to this post highlighting the featured Extension for Real Life blog post.
2020 Pearl River Clean Sweep removes thousands of pounds of trash
Since it began 4 years ago, the Pearl River Clean Sweep has removed more than 135,000 pounds of trash from the Pearl River Basin, including the Pearl, Strong, and Bogue Chitto Rivers across 15 Mississippi counties and two Louisiana parishes.
The Clean Sweep offers an opportunity for volunteers to participate in a coordinated effort organized by like-minded leaders. Many people affiliated with the Mississippi State University Extension Service participated in the 2020 cleanup, and lead organizer Abby Braman is an Extension-certified Master Naturalist volunteer.
Dunn’s Falls, near Enterprise in Lauderdale County, features a 65-foot waterfall, a gristmill pond, and a natural wildlife refuge. Preserving the most beautiful, peaceful places in Mississippi aligns with the Mississippi State University Extension Service’s mission to conserve and sustain the state’s natural landmarks and environment.