These opportunities are curated through the UF TESI Environmental Leaders Network. Opportunities posted through the Network may not be affiliated with the Florida Museum or TESI, but are shared with UF undergraduate students who want to learn more about environmental research, education and outreach, and civic engagement. Please reach out directly to opportunity sponsors with any questions about their offerings.
1/16 – Conservation Communication Winter Workshop
Host Organization
Designing for Impact
Description
Save the date for the Conservation Communication Winter Workshop — a free mini-workshop designed to connect and inspire conservation communicators across North Florida. This interactive event is open to anyone interested in environmental storytelling and advocacy—from students to professional communicators, digital creators, and nonprofit leaders. You’ll hear from industry professionals and gain new tools and ideas for building campaigns, movements, and messages that drive impact.
Registration is required and limited to 35 attendees.
Date and Time
Friday, January 16, 2026
1:00 PM to 3:00 PM
Location
Dallas Graham Branch Library
2304 Myrtle Ave N. Jacksonville, FL 32209
1/20 – Green Cities, Active Living
Host Organization
Center for European Studies, Sustainability Studies, and Imagining Climate Change
Description
Join us for a discussion of how European cities are integrating nature-based solutions (NBS) into urban policy and planning to promote active, healthy lifestyles and strengthen urban resilience. Drawing on real-world policy processes and evidence-based collaboration, the speakers will demonstrate how NBS is driving sustainable urban tranformation.
Register for this Zoom webinar here.
Date and Time
Tuesday, January 20, 2026
12:00 – 1:00 PM
Location
1/20 and 1/21 – UF Plant Science Symposium
Host Organization
UF Plant Science Council
Description
The UF Plant Science Council is holding their annual Plant Science Symposium on January 20-21! This year’s theme is Flora for the Future, exploring the critical role plant sciences will play in addressing global challenges of the next decades. We’ll also host a range of workshops on Wednesday the 22 (including Careers in the Plant Sciences, for anyone curious about plant-related paths).
Date and Time
Tuesday, January 20 and Wednesday, January 21, 2026
Location
Reitz Union Rion Ballroom
1/22 – Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Lecture: The Climate Justice Equation: Science, Health, and Your Role in the Solution
Host Organization
African American Studies Program
Description
In this lecture in honor of the legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., Dr. Kathi Earles will use her medical training and health disparities research to illuminate the environmental impacts of extreme weather conditions, greenhouse gases, particulate matter and other key contributors driving global warming and their impact on Black and Brown communities.
She argues that climate justice is inextricably linked to health justice and seeks to equip the audience with practical strategies including community advocacy, sustainable clinical practices, and public-health engagement to meaningfully contribute to climate mitigation and community health.
Date and Time
Thursday, January 22, 2026
5:30 PM to 7:30 PM
Location
Pugh Hall Ocora
2/1 – Perspectives in the Parks: Disappearing Rivers
Host Organization
City of Gainesville
Description
The unusual geology of Florida causes rivers and streams to go underground naturally, often re-appearing. Let’s explore why and view examples from our own backyard! Presentation by Clyde Bunting.
Date and Time
Sunday, February 1, 2026
1:00 – 2:00 PM
Location
Hogtown Creek Headwaters Nature Center
1500 NW 45th Ave. Gainesville, FL 32605
2/1 – Full Moon Hike
Host Organization
Alachua Conservation Trust
Description
Join ACT staff for a hike under the full moon and starlit night sky at Orange Lake Overlook. Spaces are limited so please RSVP to reserve your spot by emailing info@alachuaconservationtrust.org.
Date and Time
Sunday, February 1, 2026
6:30 PM to 8:30 PM
Location
19865 N US Hwy 441, Micanopy, FL 32667
2/11 – Conservation Bright Spots: Making a Difference for Nature, Climate and People
Host Organization
UF Whitney Laboratory for Marine Bioscience
Description
Scientific journals, news reports and social media are filled with reports of extinctions, climate catastrophes, and the human suffering that ensues from destabilizing the natural systems that sustain life on this planet. With so much focus on doom and gloom, it is easy to give up hope, making further calamities ever more likely. Yet the reality of where we find ourselves today is more complex.
Despite the grim numbers overall, there are bright spots: species saved, land- and seascapes protected and restored, and a now unstoppable renewable energy revolution. Moreover, the benefits for people are becoming clearer, speeding progress and making it more durable. Dr. Nancy Knowlton’s lecture will discuss examples from around the world that offer important lessons for the future, as we navigate the challenges of the Anthropocene.
Date and Time
Thursday, February 12, 2026
12:50 PM to 1:50 PM – Dr. Nancy Knowlton Lecture
2:00 PM to 4:00 PM – Poster Session and Refreshments
Location
2/12 and 2/13 – Public Interest Environmental Conference
Host Organization
UF Levin College of Law
Description
The conference is an interdisciplinary forum for professionals, academics, and community members to learn about and discuss policy and law related to pressing environmental issues.
Date and Time
Thursday, February 12 and Friday, February 13, 2026
Location
UF Levin College of Law
3/6 – UF DeLuca Bioblitz
Host Organization
UF/IFAS
Description
Join us for the 5th Annual DeLuca Bioblitz! A bioblitz is an intensive biodiversity survey where participants work together to document as many species as possible using the iNaturalist app.
This special event provides a unique opportunity to explore the University of Florida’s DeLuca Preserve in Okeechobee, Florida. Hosted by UF researchers and extension experts, the bioblitz is open to nature enthusiasts of all skill levels—from first-time iNaturalist users to seasoned experts.
Date and Time
Friday, March 6, 2026
7:00 AM to 5:00 PM
Location
3/31 – Reshaping Nature Symposium
Host Organization
UF Biodiversity Institute, Invasion Science Institute, and Florida Climate Institute
Description
Date and Time
Tuesday, March 31, 2026
8:00 AM to 4:00 PM
Location
Reitz Union