Finding them in the Ocala National Forest
First described in 2011, the blue calamintha bee, Osmia calaminthae, was known from only four locations on Lake Wales Ridge until museum researcher Chase Kimmel documented new populations in 2020. Over the past two field seasons, Kimmel and field technician Clint Gibson have observed the bee at 11 new locations, including the Ocala National Forest, giving scientists valuable insight into the species’ potential range.
The bee’s primary home, Lake Wales Ridge, is a 150-mile-long sandy spine running down the center of the state, the remnant of ancient islands in Florida’s distant past. The region harbors plant and animal species found nowhere else, but ranks among the nation’s fastest-disappearing ecosystems, with pockets of natural habitat surrounded by citrus groves and suburban neighborhoods.
Scientists discover nest, new northern range of Florida's rare blue calamintha bee – Florida Museum Science ufl.edu - get the latest breaking news, showbiz & celebrity photos, sport news & rumours, viral videos and top stories from ufl.edu Daily Mail and Mail on Sunday newspapers.
Closer to home, an unnamed philanthropist purchased the 2,909-acre site north of Coleman Landing on Lake Kissimmee that was once proposed for a golf resort. The new owner reportedly intends to sell the development rights via a perpetual conservation easement.
Voters in Volusia and Manatee counties approved measures to tax themselves to preserve remaining environmental sites.
Voters in Orange County overwhelmingly approved measures that will confer rights to the Wekiva River and other local water bodies to protect them from pollution and passed a measure aimed and thwarting plans to build a new toll road through part of a popular nature park called Split Oak Forest.