Southeastern Outdoor Management

08/26/2026

We love tree planting days!

08/22/2026

We need more trees. More shade. More green space. This extreme heat is making our communities harder and harder to live in, and it will only get worse if we do nothing.

08/21/2026

08/13/2026

New Landscape and Irrigation 2026

08/02/2026

A Japanese immunologist spent two decades studying what happens inside the human body when we spend time among trees.

The answer was more powerful than expected.

Trees release natural airborne compounds known as phytoncides.

When people breathe forest air, some of these chemicals can enter the bloodstream.

Research led by Dr Qing Li found that time in forests was associated with lower levels of stress hormones such as cortisol and adrenaline.

Some of these immune changes remained measurable for days after participants left the forest.

In one experiment, researchers even released tree oils inside hotel rooms and observed similar effects, suggesting that the chemicals themselves may play a role.

The compounds do not literally hunt stress hormones, and walking in nature is not a cure for disease.

Exercise, cleaner air, quiet surroundings and reduced stimulation may all contribute.

But the research suggests forests are doing more than helping us feel calm.

Every breath among the trees may be sending chemical signals throughout the body.

07/24/2026

Just some of our day to day operations.

07/15/2026

JULY TIP TUESDAY: PRUNE AZALEAS By mid-July buds are starting to form on your Azaleas, so prune no later than mid July to protect next spring's bloom. For more info, search Ask IFAS: Azalea: https://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/topics/azalea