Browsing: Environment

Mississippi is “Nature’s Playground” and it’s home to some of the best-kept secrets in ecotourism.

Donna Yowell has earned the title of the “First Lady of Horticulture in Mississippi.” Born and educated in Mississippi, Yowell has a heart for farming and teaching, a passion for preservation and organization, and the determination to make a positive economic impact. For over thirty years, Yowell has worked tirelessly to bring a whole new growing and flowering cottage industry to farming in Mississippi. 

For me, Sweetbay Magnolia is the unsung hero among magnolias of the Gulf and Atlantic coastal regions. Smaller than its showier Southern Magnolia relative, the species is nonetheless a prominent feature of our landscape. It gives Bayhead Swamps their name and, along with Southern Magnolia, are the more common among all seven species of Magnolias.

Of the many species of plants that I encounter, the spikey ones are often the most interesting. It is true that I do visit some odd habitats and locations, but Southern Prickly Ash always gets my attention when I spot it in the places I frequent. But the thorns and spines are just some of the traits of this curious tree.

The University of Southern Mississippi (USM) is partnering with Louisiana State University (LSU) and Tulane University through the Mississippi River Delta Transition Initiative (MissDelta), a $22 million, five-year project that includes 38 investigators who will seek strategies to promote sustainability of the marine ecosystem for the northern Gulf Coast.