4-H is a voluntary, informal education program for young people ages 5-18. 4-H Cloverbuds is a program for children who are 5-7 years old.  Young people like 4-H because it provides a chance to learn new things, develop new skills, travel to new places, experience new situations, make new friends and – most importantly – have lots of fun!

No! 4-H is for all young people, regardless of where they live, what their backgrounds are, or what interests them. Today in Florida many 4-H members are from urban areas and they participate in projects to learn many different life skills.

The four H's stand for Head, Heart, Hands and Health. 4-H members pledge:

My head to clearer thinking
My Heart to greater loyalty
My Hands to larger service, and
My Health to better living, for my club, my community, my country and my world.

A club is a group of 4-H members. The size of the club depends on the age of the members, the places they have to meet, and the leadership available. The ideal club is big enough to have fun together, but small enough for everyone to feel part of the group. Most clubs meet once or twice a month all year long, depending on what the group wants to do. The 4-H year runs from September 1 to August 31. Sometimes members may have to be enrolled in a project by a certain time to be eligible for a certain activity, such as the 4-H fair.

The 4-H emblem is a green four-leaf clover with a white "H" on each clover leaf. Green and white are the 4-H colors. "The 4-H motto is To Make the Best Better. The 4-H slogan is Learn By Doing."

The Florida 4-H program is conducted by University of Florida Extension in cooperation with the 67 county governments in Florida. County and state programs are directed by Extension staff who train and support volunteers who work with 4-H members. An Extension Council comprised of local residents serves in an advisory capacity to the Extension staff to coordinate, organize, and plan programming in the unit.

University of Florida Extension receives funding for 4-H from the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA), the State of Florida and local County Commissioners. A variety of private donors also fund Extension.

4-H has no membership registration fee or required uniform. There may be minimal costs for project manuals or some 4-H activities or events. If a club wants money for activities, it usually charges dues or has fundraising activities.

Call the Broward County Extension Office at 954-370-3725 or contact a local 4-H club to see if there is room in a club near you. If not, five interested young people, with an adult or two to help them, may start a new club.

4-H clubs usually participate in four kinds of activities during a meeting: business, special interest programs, project work, and recreation or social activities. Clubs may have a little business to conduct, may work on their projects for a while, and then play a game or two. Sometimes the whole meeting is devoted to one topic.

That depends on the group. Many community clubs meet for an hour or two after school, in the evening, or on Saturday. School clubs may meet for an hour or two during the school day. The most important thing is to have a regular time to get together. A 4-H club may be organized on a community or neighborhood basis and meet at local facilities or members' homes. Clubs can also be organized within a school using the school's facilities, time, and staff. Any place large enough and convenient for the club members is a good choice.

4-H projects are challenging, but practical, planned courses of study with learning experiences centered around a specific subject. Members usually work on a project (or subject area) for a year. Hands-on, learn-by-doing involvement is the most important aspect of a project. Making, growing, caring for, observing, and participating are all involved in 4-H projects. Some projects, like breads or visual arts, are more fun done as a group. Others, like making a dress or growing a garden, will be done individually. Some clubs have several project leaders and do specific project work at club meetings. Some rely on parents and others to help members individually.

Project costs vary. Members are responsible for the cost of supplies for projects. Some projects might use supplies from around the house while others might invest hundreds of dollars on their project. The cost of the project should be realistic for all club members.

Yes, with help. Members are expected to select at least one project and complete one or more learning experiences related to the project during the year. 4-H is a learn-by-doing program. Leaders, junior leaders, and parents may tell or show members how, but members are expected to learn to do things themselves.

An exhibit is an object or display designed to show something that the members have accomplished. Ideally it motivates members to learn and to have fun in a 4-H project. An exhibit is not a measure of all the learning that takes place in a project. Self-recognition and self-satisfaction for having completed a project are important rewards. A ribbon is only one measure of success.

The strength of the 4-H program is that youth and adults work together on projects that interest them. Adult and teenage volunteers are needed in a variety of roles:

General Organizational Leaders – guide the overall organization of the club, help it function smoother, and maintain communication between the member families, the club and the Extension office. Community club leaders help the members run a monthly, bi-monthly, or weekly business meeting and coordinate project and activity leaders for club educational events.General Organizational Leaders attend monthly meetings at the 4-H office and receive mailings about upcoming county, state, and national events.These leaders are always in high demand.

Project Leaders – work with members enrolled in a specific project or project area, assisting them in planning and carrying out experiences that will help them reach their learning goals in the project. Project leaders meet with a youth or a group to lead hands-on educational workshops or field learning experiences; for example, teaching about cooking by baking bread, or teaching about aerospace by making a rocket.Any adult can be recruited to provide learning events for members, clubs, or the county.The same volunteer may serve as both a Project Leader and as an Organizational Leader, if they have the time and interest.

Activity Leaders – work with members in planning and carrying out specific activities for the club as a whole. Activity leaders will help with an activity or learning event, usually at the club level.They may provide transportation or offer a place for an event to occur.

Resource Leaders - help on the county level with large events and countywide needs.These volunteers can serve on the Broward County 4-H Foundation (to raise funds), the Broward County 4-H Advisory Committee (to help with outreach), or as judges for awards interviews, Broward County Fair exhibits, talent shows, fashion revues and public speaking contests.

Teenagers can volunteer to help with event registration or other projects on a county level. Most teens are encouraged to join a 4-H community club as a member to earn their community service hours. Aside from educational activities, 4-H'ers also perform community service, including coastal clean-ups, nursing home visits, and a literacy project with homeless youth and adults.

Volunteer leaders are the backbone of the 4-H program. Volunteers go through a youth protection application and screening process before they are enrolled as leaders. Additionally, volunteers receive training in skills they will need to become successful 4-H volunteers. All interested volunteers should register with the Broward County 4-H Office at 954-370-3725.

That depends on the size of the club and the age of the members. At least two leaders are recommended. The average club has 3 to 5 leaders.

The Broward County Extension Education office is the first point of contact, where staff is available to support volunteers. To volunteer, call 954-370-3725. After completing the screening process, volunteers are enrolled and placed on the 4-H leaders' mailing list. Orientation is provided. Leaders are invited to special training meetings and provided with the materials needed to conduct a 4-H club. An experienced leader nearby may also help with questions.

Children need parental encouragement to get them started in 4-H and to keep them involved in the program in later years. Parents can help by:

Sharing - provide encouragement and take interest in 4-H projects and activities. Listen, look, and offer suggestions, but avoid the temptation to take over and do things. Children learn by their mistakes as well as successes.

Preparing - assist by helping children understand the value of doing projects, having duties in the club, and following through on responsibilities as expected by others.

Being there - Children gain more from 4-H by attending meetings regularly and getting involved in 4-H activities. Parents are welcome at meetings and are encouraged to stay and observe. Lend a hand whenever possible. However, remember that 4-H clubs are for kids.

Caring - arrange to participate whenever possible. Parents' presence shows the child that what he or she is doing is very important.

For more information, call 954-370-3725 or click here.

It is an entrepreneurial training program where individuals planning to start a business, or those that need guidance in growing an established business, can benefit from a combination of research-based information and real-life experiences presented in an informal setting.

Not really. But we do teach business planning, which is key to successful entrepreneurship. A recent major study shows that well over 80 percent of new businesses that had a well-defined structure and a process for producing a product or service in place were successful. That translates into business planning.

One reason is because 62 percent of all new businesses fail, and that is a heavy burden for our community to bear. Most new jobs are created by small businesses. We believe that not only should people be encouraged to start businesses, they should be supported in doing it right. That helps the overall community.

Planning for Business Success – is an 8-week, Extension-developed program offered to individuals who have either recently started a business, or are preparing to start one.

FastTrac Growth – is a 10-week program developed by the Kauffman Foundation for more experienced business owners.

Listen to Your Business – is a half-day workshop developed by the Kauffman Foundation for established businesses that need to get reacquainted with their business.

Planning for Business Success - $50

FastTrac Growth - $500

Listen to Your Business - $70

Fees cover the cost of materials associated with each program. The Planning for Business Success program was developed internally to reach a larger audience, including those who may consider but ultimately decide not to pursue their own business. All materials are produced in-house. The FastTrac Growth and Listen to Your Business Programs are produced by the Kaufmann Foundation. They have a higher development cost, but offer additional research and technical assistance benefits.

For more information and a schedule of classes, call the Broward County Extension Education Division at 954-370-3725 or click here.

Chapter 27 of the Broward County Code prohibits tree abuse. This ordinance seeks to reduce through continuing education, the occurrence of poor tree pruning practices such as over lifting, rounding, flush cuts, stub cuts, hat racking and other forms of pruning-related tree abuse. These practices damage trees, reduce their aesthetic value and can make them more prone to storm-related failure, creating hazardous situations. The ordinance took full effect on September 1, 2002.

The ordinance requires all businesses or governmental agencies that perform tree trimming in Broward County to obtain a Tree Trimmer License.

Two classes of license are issued, depending upon the level of professional training an organization's staff has achieved.

Class A Tree Trimmer License – requires a sole proprietor or qualified individual for a business organization or a governmental agency to possess an International Society of Arboriculture Arborist Certification or be a Registered Consulting Arborist with the American Society of Consulting Arborists. Also required is an affidavit stating that the required number of employees have either successfully completed the training course offered by the Broward County Extension Education Division, or a substitute training course.

Class B Tree Trimmer License – requires a sole proprietor, a business organization, or a governmental agency to demonstrate that they have the required number of employees who have successfully completed the training course offered by the Broward County Extension Education Division, or a substitute training course, and have passed the examination offered by the Broward County Extension Education Division.

Contact Broward County's Biological Resources Division of the Environmental Protection Department at 954-519-1456 to obtain an application packet for the Tree Trimmer License. Complete all paperwork and submit with required fees to the same office for approval. Only fully completed applications will be processed. Applications must include the following:

• Proof of adequate workers' compensation insurance as required by law
• Affidavit of training regarding required OSHA safety regulations
• Certification of liability insurance
• Proof of basic training in proper pruning practices as described below

For a Class A license – a copy of your current certification card from the International Society of Arboriculture (ISA) or American Society of Consulting Arborists plus a notarized affidavit stating that the required number of employees have either successfully completed the training course offered by the Broward County Extension Education Division, or a substitute training course.

For a Class B license – certificate of successful completion of the 4-hour training program provided by the Broward County Extension Education Division (requires a passing grade of at least 70%).

In general, licenses are valid for a maximum of two years and will expire on August 31 of the year following the year of issuance.

License renewal requires you to complete the necessary paperwork, provide the required documentation as described above, pay all fees, and provide proof that you have participated in at least one continuing education program since your previous license was granted. If a license is not renewed on time, a late fee will be charged.

For more information, call the Broward County Extension Education Division at 954-370-3725 or click here.

A term policy is temporary – it will remain in effect for a limited time. Annual renewable term policies are very economical, but premiums increase as you age. With the level term policy, rates remain level for the period you select, usually 10 to 30 years. Permanent policies – including whole life, variable universal life and universal life insurance – offer lifetime coverage and tax-deferred cash-value accumulation. Whole life premiums are guaranteed to remain level for the life of your policy. With variable universal life or universal life, you can vary your premium payments as your needs change.

Failure to provide the correct information to the insurance company could result in nonpayment of your policy's benefit, which would greatly impact your family in the event of your death. For example, falsifying your age at the time of application could lead to a policy readjustment, which may mean less coverage for your loved ones. Under certain circumstances, your policy could be voided if you fail to disclose a material illness or omit other pertinent information. Should this occur, your family would be refunded only the premiums paid prior to your death.

If your or your spouse's death would leave your family in financial difficulty, buying life insurance is the right thing to do. Without it, your survivors may have difficulty paying for routine expenses and larger expenses, such as the mortgage and college tuition. Once you have started a family, it is important that you and your spouse are both insured. If you both work outside of the home, insurance benefits will be needed to replace lost income. If one of you is a stay-at-home parent, life insurance will finance essential services, such as child care and household tasks.

There are several factors, as well as several types of insurance, to consider. You may want to consider major medical insurance because a catastrophic illness or injury can threaten your financial health as well as your physical health. You also need to consider income replacement/disability insurance. If you become incapacitated, this type of policy will replace a percentage of your income until you recover. Finally, if you have dependents that rely on your income, you should have a life insurance policy to protect them.

Consider two options: a short-term medical policy or student health insurance. Short-term medical insurance is for those who need coverage for 30 days to 12 months. Since your graduate will probably be job hunting, this type of temporary coverage will protect him or her until an employer's plan becomes effective. Student health insurance typically can be renewed after your son or daughter is out of college, but it must be in place before he or she graduates. If your child is uninsurable for any reason, find out if you can extend coverage through your employer's COBRA plan.

An individual life insurance policy is written on the life of one person, while a survivorship life insurance contract is a single policy written on the lives of two people. Death benefits from a survivorship life insurance contract are paid to a designated beneficiary – usually an irrevocable trust – after both insured's are deceased. Survivorship life insurance is primarily used for estate planning purposes, with death benefits used to pay estate taxes, care for a disabled child or be used as a charitable gift. To determine an appropriate coverage amount, it is important to know the value of your estate, including real estate, bank accounts, stocks, bonds and personal belongings.

Viatical settlements are used when a person who is terminally ill sells a life insurance policy to a settlement company in exchange for a percentage of the policy's value. The settlement company then becomes the policy's beneficiary, paying the premiums and collecting the benefits after the original policyholder's death. Before making a decision about this type of settlement, discuss the pros and cons with a lawyer or trusted financial advisor and your life insurance agent. Some policies may offer accelerated benefits or similar options. Such alternatives allow you to receive some money from your policy before death, while leaving a portion for your beneficiaries.

A viatical settlement may conflict with your financial goals. If you purchased your policy to cover specific needs (mortgage payments, debts on your children's education), those needs should be reevaluated before your death benefit is reduced or eliminated. Make sure decisions made before your death will not leave your family in financial difficulty.

Ratings are an important consideration when you are evaluating contracts from different companies. Ratings are an objective way to determine a company's stability and financial strength. Ratings are based on factors including profitability, management practices, asset quality, adequacy of reserves and capitalization. Consumers should be aware that each rating agency uses different criteria and methods to determine its ratings.

Will – a legal document that expresses a person's intentions about how his or her estate will be administered and settled upon death

Trust – a legal agreement in which one person (the grantor) transfers legal title of assets to another person (the trustee) for the benefit of others (beneficiaries)

Grantor – the person who creates the trust, also called a trustor or settlor

Trustee – an individual or trust institution to which legal title of assets is transferred; the trustee manages the trust

Beneficiary – one or more people who benefit from a trust; the beneficiary may be a charitable institution

Corpus – the assets contained in a trust

Trust Agreement – the formal written document, usually prepared by an attorney, that sets forth the terms of the trust

According to Florida Statute 732.103, with regard to the pattern of descent of an intestate estate: if a person dies without a spouse and without lineal descendents (i.e. children, grandchildren, great-grandchildren, etc.), his or her estate will descend in the following order: first to the parents, then the brothers and sisters, then the descendents of the brothers and sisters. If there are no descendents as described above, the estate will be divided 50/50 between the paternal and maternal kindred of the decedent (i.e. first to the grandparents, then to uncles and aunts, etc.).

According to the Florida Motor Vehicle Repair Act, motor vehicle repair shops must disclose in writing to the customer that they are entitled to a written estimate if the repair bill will exceed $100. The service person is required to give the consumer a copy of the estimate disclosure and the work order disclosing the nature of the problem, the date of the repair, the name, address and phone number of the repair shop, the name, address and phone number of the consumer; the make, model, year and mileage of the vehicle and a statement whether the consumer wants the old parts returned; the method of payment; the basis for charges; and the daily storage charge. It is recommended that you file a complaint with the Broward County Division of Consumer Affairs, 954-357-5350. For more information click here.

In 1999, the Broward County Commission approved an ordinance requiring merchants to disclose their refund policy. Any retail store that sells goods to consumers must post a sign at the point of sale with bold letters, one-inch high, disclosing any terms, conditions or limitations the store intends to impose upon the consumer's right to a refund. Stores must also display information regarding a return policy if the merchandise is a gift item. If no sign is posted at the store, the store is required to give you a refund, credit your account or offer an exchange at the customer's option within 30 days. Stores who violate the law are subject to legal proceedings before Broward County's Consumer Protection Board.

For more information, call Broward County Extension Education Division at 954-370-3725 or click here.

The registry is an online application that allows large animal owners to register and upload basic descriptive information about their horses into a central database. The information in the database is made available to authorities after a disaster to assist in identifying loose or lost animals, and to ultimately reunite them with their owners.

Click here and select “Create New Account.”

No. You can register all your horses in the system.

Once you are registered, you only need to log in to your account to make any revisions to your information.

Every large animal owner should prepare a written disaster plan. Your plan needs to be specific and time-sensitive with respect to how and when important tasks need to be completed.

Broward County Extension Education Division recommends that you have 12-20 gallons per horse on hand. Fill water troughs and garbage cans with plastic liners. Keep chlorine bleach on hand to add to contaminated water if necessary. To purify water, add two drops of chlorine bleach per quart of water and let stand for 30 minutes.

For more information, call Broward County Extension Education Division at 954-370-3725 or click here.

The Dietary Guidelines are the cornerstone of federal nutrition policy and education. Developed in 2005, they are based on what experts have determined to be the best scientific knowledge about diet, physical activity and related issues. The Dietary Guidelines answer such questions as: What should Americans eat? How should we prepare our food to keep it safe and wholesome? How should we be active to be healthy? The Dietary Guidelines are designed to help Americans choose diets that will meet nutrient requirements, promote health, support active lives and reduce risks of chronic disease.

The Dietary Guidelines help Americans make smart choices about food and physical activity, so they can have healthier lives. Through the Dietary Guidelines, government speaks with one voice to the public when presenting advice about proper dietary habits for healthy Americans ages two years of age and older, and how to make food and physical activity choices to promote health and prevent chronic disease. All federal dietary guidance for the public is required to be consistent with the Dietary Guidelines.

The Dietary Guidelines provide the foundation for food and nutrition policy and the government's position for debating standards and international reports. They influence the direction of government nutrition programs, including research, labeling, and nutrition promotion. This includes the U.S. Department of Agriculture's (USDA) Food Guidance System – what was once known as the Food Guide Pyramid.

Federal nutrition assistance programs such as USDA's School Meal and Food Stamp Programs, and the WIC Program (Supplemental Food Program for Women, Infants and Children) use the principles in the Dietary Guidelines as the scientific underpinning for designing benefit structures and nutrition education programs.

The Secretaries of Health and Human Services and of Agriculture jointly approve the guidelines.

The Dietary Guidelines were prepared in a three-stage process. First, a 13-member Dietary Guidelines Advisory Committee drew up a report based on the best available science. Next, government scientists and officials reviewed the advisory committee's report and, based on the report and agency and public comments, developed the Dietary Guidelines. In the third stage, experts worked to translate the Dietary Guidelines into meaningful messages for the public and educators. The three-stage process was created to ensure that the best available science, including medical science, was the foundation of the Guidelines. It allowed the advisory committee members to use their expertise and base their recommendations solely on the evidence-based review of the literature. The advisory committee was not responsible for developing policy or consumer-friendly messages.

The members were nominated by the public and selected for their expertise. In addition to general knowledge of the field of human nutrition and chronic disease, members had specialized knowledge in such areas as obesity, physical activity, cardiovascular disease, cancer, pediatrics, epidemiology, general medicine, public health, nutrition education, and food safety and technology.

Members of the public including lay people, academic researchers, consumer and trade groups, and businesses, submitted comments for the committee and the agencies to consider. All comments were considered.

The Dietary Guidelines support two of the four pillars of the President's HealthierUS Initiative to help Americans have longer, better and healthier lives. Those pillars are: Eat a Nutritious Diet, and Be Physically Active Every Day.

Consumer-oriented materials show how to live by the principles of the Dietary Guidelines. A brochure translates the Guidelines into actionable, easy to understand language for consumers. One example of an initiative to make the Guidelines consumer-friendly is USDA's new Food Guidance System, which recently replaced the Food Guide Pyramid.

The Dietary Guidelines are a foundation of the Food Guidance System, which presents the science in a consumer-friendly form that helps people to be healthier by applying the science to their own lives. The Food Guidance System replaces the Food Guide Pyramid, incorporates the 2005 Dietary Guidelines and makes recommendations on what and how much to eat.

For more information, call the Broward County Extension Education Division at 954-370-3725 or click here.

You may submit a sample to the Extension office for identification/diagnosis. Provide a fresh sample that is representative of the problem or pest you are dealing with. If it is an insect, arthropod or diseased sample, it must be submitted in a sealed plastic bag or container marked with your name and phone number.  You will be asked to fill out a form to provide contact information, details about the sample and a place to clearly state your question(s). Allow two business days for a diagnosis, possibly longer if the sample needs to be sent elsewhere, such as to the University of Florida Extension Office, for diagnosis.

Yes, we have a wealth of information on recognizing and managing new and existing pests. Information can be obtained from this web site, and from related links, workshops, and printed publications. Call the Broward Extension Education Division at 954-370-3725 or click here.

Broward County Extension Education offers a limited number of pesticide applicator training classes as well as programs where pesticide applicator CEU's can be earned. For a schedule, call 954-370-3725.

For details, visit the Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Sciences Pesticide Applicator Certification and Licensing web site.

Exams are usually offered following pesticide applicatory training classes. Exams are also offered at 8 a.m. the first Wednesday of each month at the Extension office. Call 954-370-3725 for details and registration information.

No; however, training manuals can be ordered from the University of Florida-IFAS bookstore web site.

For more information, call 954-370-3725 or click here.

Land crabs are native inhabitants to Florida and can be found living in low-lying areas of Broward County. As adults, land crabs are semi-terrestrial but return to the sea to reproduce. By nature, they are shy creatures and pose no threat to humans unless caught and handled. Harvest or control of these crabs by chemical means is dangerous to humans and their environment, and there are state regulations regarding the harvest and protection of this species. Land crabs may only be captured by hand or with a dip net. The use of traps or chemical solutions to harvest the crabs is strictly prohibited, as is the harvesting of egg-bearing crabs or crabs on the right-of-way of any federal, state, or county-maintained road, or from any state park. Although their burrows can be a nuisance to homeowners living near the coast, many regard the land crab among the fascinating animals unique to Florida. For more information, on Blue Land Crabs visit University of Florida IFAS Extension or Recreational Blue Land Crabbing.

Licenses can be purchased at your tax collector's office or at most bait-and-tackle shops and sports retailers (e.g. Wal-mart, Sports Authority, K-Mart). They are also available instantly online from the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission.

Broward County's Biological Resources Division of the Environmental Protection Department has a Manatee Protection Plan. For more information, click here or visit the Fish and Wildlife Research Institute.

To report an injured, stranded or tagged manatee, call 1-800-DIAL-FMP (1-800-342-5367) immediately. If you find a dead, sick, or injured sea turtle, please call Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission's (FWC) 24-hour Wildlife Alert Number at 1-888-404-FWCC (1-888-404-3922). From 8 a.m. to 8 p.m., you may also dial 1-800-241-4653 and enter the ID# 274-4867. Please be sure to include your area code when paging. If the turtle is alive, please be prepared to stay with it until help arrives. It will be helpful if you can answer the following questions:

• Is the turtle dead or alive?
• What is the exact location of the animal?
• What is the location of the closest access point to the turtle?
• What is the approximate size of the turtle?
• Is the turtle marked with spray paint (indicating the turtle has been previously documented)?

For the most current health advisories regarding fish consumption, visit the Florida Department of Health. More information on this topic can also be obtained by calling the Broward County Health Department at 954-467-4806.

Mercury is a heavy metal that occurs naturally in the environment and can also be released into the air through industrial pollution. Mercury falls from the air into the water and is converted into a toxic form called methylmercury. Fish absorb the methylmercury as they feed in these waters. High levels of methylmercury can accumulate in larger predatory fish because they eat large numbers of smaller fish. For more information, visit the Florida Fish and Wildlife Commission or the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency Fish Advisories.

A person must be at least 14 years of age to operate a personal watercraft in Florida, and at least 18 years of age to rent a personal watercraft. Anyone 21 years old and younger must have a Boating Safety Education ID Card to legally operate a boat. For more information on obtaining a Boating Safety Education ID Card, click here.

State and federal law require that you have the following safety equipment: Personal Flotation Devices (PFD), fire extinguisher, visual distress signal, bell and whistle (sound producing device), backfire flame control, and proper ventilation. For more information, visit the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission.

Planning, preparation and timely action are key to protecting your boat from hurricanes or any severe threatening weather. Each boat owner should have a specific plan applicable to their type of boat, the local boating environment and severe weather conditions likely to occur in the region. The following precautionary suggestions from the Hurricane Manual for Marine Interests give a general overview of how to prepare for hurricane season.

Step 1 – Develop a plan. Before hurricane season, make arrangements to secure your vessel in a marina, if permitted; remove your boat from the threatened area; or take your boat to a previously identified hurricane refuge. Prepare a checklist in advance of things needed to secure the vessel. Assemble equipment and supplies and keep them together. Arrange for someone else to carry out your plans if you are not able to.

Step 2 – Practice your plan. Do a trial run of your plan to check accessibility, depth of water, bridges, locating aids to secure lines or drop anchors, and obstructions to navigation. As a hurricane approaches, there may be less time than normal to accomplish preparations due to boat traffic, bridge openings, lines at retail stores, etc. Practice your plan on a sunny weekend day.

Step 3 – Keep all records with you. Have a copy of the vessel's registration number, description, and location where it was secured. Have an inventory list of equipment, copy of insurance policy, and lease agreement with the marina or storage area. Take a video or photograph of the boat and how it was secured prior to the storm. Have a copy of important telephone numbers such as harbor master, Coast Guard, insurance agent, National Weather Service, etc.

Step 4 – Maintain an inventory of items removed, and those left on board. Items of value should be marked so they can be readily identified.

Step 5 – Check your contract or lease with the marina or storage rental facility. Know your responsibilities and liabilities with your boat and the marina or facility.

Step 6 – Before a hurricane threatens, analyze how you will remove valuable equipment from the boat and how long it will take so you have an accurate estimate of the time and work involved. When a hurricane is pending, and after you have made anchoring or mooring provisions, remove all movable equipment such as canvas, sails, dinghies, radios, cushions, biminis and roller furling sails. Lash down everything you cannot remove such as tillers, wheels, booms, etc. Make sure the electrical system is cut off unless you plan to leave the boat in the water.

For more information, visit the Boat US Hurricane Resource Center.

Master Gardener is a title granted by the University of Florida to individuals who complete Master Gardener training and an internship program at the Broward County Extension Education Division office in Davie. Participants in the Master Gardener program are typically individuals who are interested in horticulture, educating and helping others, and making civic contributions through volunteer work. They assist Broward County Extension Agents in several important ways.  More...

A Broward County Extension Education Division agent can help you. Take digital photos of your plant – one photo of a branch several feet away, a close-up photo of the leaf, and one photo of the entire shrub. Email the photos to Mastergardener@broward.org. A Master Gardener or staff member will identify your problem and send you a choice of solutions.

Transplantation of any tree depends on its size, but there are several factors to keep in mind. First, use an Internet search engine to seek information on the species of tree you wish to transplant. Determine if it is a species that can be transplanted easily. For example, some palms do not transplant well once they have achieved a given trunk diameter.

Be sure the root ball is well-formed. You will need to dig out from the trunk far enough to avoid cutting principal roots by accident. Root pruning is advised for larger trees, mostly over 8 feet tall. This process takes approximately 6-8 weeks.

Be sure the hole you dig to transplant the tree into is deep enough and wide enough to accommodate the roots, but not too deep. The root flare should be visible at the soil level. Finally, use only slow-release fertilizer with a low phosphorous number (the second number).  More...

Yes. You may water new plantings every day for the first 10 days, every two days for the second 10 days, then two times per week according to your address (odd or even) after that.

Take digital photos of your tree – one photo showing the entire plant, a close-up of a branch that includes the branch tip, and one photo of a cut twig (to determine if there is colored sap). Email the photos to Mastergardener@broward.org. A Master Gardener or staff member will identify your problem and send you a choice of solutions. Or, you may take a branchlet roughly equivalent to the distance from your wrist to your elbow, and bring it to the Broward County Extension Office.

Ants are hard on the outside, have a narrow waist and their antennae are elbowed. Termites are softer on the outside, have no waist (like a chicken), and their antennae are straight and look like small pop beads. If you have any doubts, take a clean, hard-walled container (such as a clean prescription bottle with the label removed) and bring it in or mail it to the Broward County Extension Office.

The European honeybee is an alien species that was introduced into North America in the early 1600s during the establishment of the Jamestown Settlement. In the early 1980s, an Africanized bee that was under study in Brazil was accidentally released, and these aggressive bees have gradually made their way northward through Central America and the Caribbean to the southern United States. If you are having problems with a large hive of bees, read the Fact Sheet published by the Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services. Or, you may call one of the private companies that have beekeepers.

For more information, call 954-370-3725.

• Broward County Extension Education Division recommends increasing the composition of native plants in our urban landscape in an effort to make our surroundings more sustainable, conserve water, reduce fertilizer and pesticide runoff and decrease maintenance costs. Increasing the number of native species used in a landscape provides food and shelter for native, desirable wildlife. For an informative discussion of methods to increase native wildlife visitation to your yard, click here.
• For supplemental information on maintaining a Florida-Friendly yard, click here.
• For information on how to attract bird migrants and other desirable birds, click here.

• Due to Florida's prominence in the exotic pet trade, many iguanas imported as pets have escaped or been released, and are now established in South Florida. This has created unique problems for Florida's homeowners and businesses, as our subtropical climate allows these large, herbivorous lizards to survive, reproduce and become part of the Florida environment. For advice on dealing with them, click here.

• Rats consume and destroy stored animal and human food, attack fruit crops, and take up residence in attics, soffits, hollow walls and out-buildings. When they invade buildings, they chew through wires, gnaw through plastic and lead water pipes, make holes in walls and cause other structural damage. For recommendations on dealing with rats from the University of Florida IFAS Extension Office, click here.
• In most cases of rodent infestation, the pest can be controlled without having to resort to the use of poisons. The practices of good sanitation and exclusion will prevent most problems. For more information, click here.

• The Nile Monitor lizard is the longest lizard in Africa and was first observed in southwestern peninsular Florida in the Cape Coral area of Lee County around 1990. Numerous individuals of all size classes have been observed or collected, suggesting the occurrence of a reproducing population. Records indicate the Nile Monitor lizard has recently expanded its range northwards and to nearby islands. Because this large lizard has the potential to disperse into nearby ecologically sensitive areas and preserves where it could post a serious threat to water birds, Burrowing Owls, sea turtles and other native wildlife, population monitoring and eradication are warranted. more
• University of Florida graduate student Gregg Klowden offers a unique bait for Nile monitor lizards. To read more, click here.

• The pigeons found in North America are the feral offspring of pigeons brought to this continent by European immigrants. Pigeons are domesticated wild animals raised for sport racing, show and for food (squab). The ancestors of the pigeons we see in our cities and on our farms escaped from captivity and found a favorable environment living with humans. Feral pigeons now have a cosmopolitan distribution, having become established every place humans have built cities. Dr. William H. Kern, Jr. of the University of Florida provides excellent advice for dealing with pigeons. more

• Woodpeckers can peck holes in wooden house siding, gutters, drainpipes, and chimney and exhaust vents. The noise and damage from this pecking activity can be annoying. more

Bats are highly beneficial wild mammals, more closely related to primates (monkeys and humans) than they are to rodents. There are two families and 18 species of bats that breed in the eastern United States. Twenty-one species of bats have been found in Florida, but only 13 species are known to breed in the states. To find out how to deal with bats in your home, click here.

For more information, contact: mastergardener@broward.org 954-370-3725.