The Master Gardner Program 2008 will begin mailing out  applications this month, June.  See website  www.duval.ifas.ufl.edu/lg_master_gardner.shtml .  Please read their purpose and mission and consider becoming a Master Gardner.  If not this year, maybe in the future.  There are over 100 Master Gardners in Duval County. Classes begin in the Fall.  "Volunteers in this program have a sincere desire to help others, a desire to learn, and a personal commitment to volunteer service."  For more information or to request an application, contact Terry DelValle at (904) 387-8850 or e-mail her at delvalle@coj.net 

     This "Coastal Systems" Module will be held as night classes and Saturday Field Trips:     August  5, 7, 9, 12, 16, 19, 21, 23, and 26.     Instructors Brad Burbaugh and Carol Wyninger.  Please see above for information in IXIA's "Announcements" and also in our Calendar for May 7.

 

Board Meeting to be held at Crisper's on Hwy. 98 in Bartow.  6:30 p.m. 

 Elston runs an eco-tourism company called Latin American Adventures and will make a presentation regarding conservation efforts in Panama, Costa Rica, and Nicaragua. He is a graduate of Forestry, School of Natural Resources at Humboldt State University in California. He worked for the U.S Forest Service for 5 years, mainly in reforestation and restoration of our ecology. From the Olympic National Forest in Washington to the El Dorado National Forest in nearby Lake Tahoe, Nevada, he has experienced the diverse natural treasures of our National Forests. Along the way he worked restoring our Pacific salmon habitat in the Pacific Northwest, as well as experiencing the natural wonders of Mexico, Belize, Guatemala, El Salvador, Honduras, Nicaragua, Costa Rica, Panama, Jamaica, Dominican Republic and Brazil.
He is now pursuing something he wanted to do since he graduated from Humboldt State University. 

Hillsborough County Extension Office, 7:00 pm.

Florida’s warm, moist climate, isolated peninsular geography and importance as an international trade gateway make it an ideal candidate for a variety of exotic, potentially harmful species to flourish. In fact, Florida is second only to Hawaii in the total number of exotic plants and animals, with more than 2,000 known exotics – mainly plants and insects.

The Tampa Bay Estuary Program’s comprehensive education campaign, “Eyes on the Bay,” seeks to enlist citizens in the battle against these unwelcome visitors. This presentation will describe some of the campaign’s results, including a DVD showing homeowners how to remove invasives from their landscapes; a pocket field guide to invasive plants; a middle-school teaching guide on common plant and animal invaders in Florida; and hands-on workdays that recruit volunteers to eradicate invasive plants in area parks and preserves. 

Our August field trip takes us to Alderman Ford County Park.  This park is on C.R. 39 south of Plant City.  We'll meet at the far end of the north parking lot (the main parking lot on the north side of the river).  Alderman Ford has several high quality habitats.  We will use the boardwalk to visit the floodplain forest and then climb up a seep-slope on a trail.  This seep slope has plants more commonly found in north Florida.  We'll then walk through sandhill and scrub and back to the parking area.  Expect to walk 2-2.5 miles, a small part of it with slippery steep footing.  If we have had seasonal rainfall, the seep slope may be seeping, so wear shoes that can get wet (old sneakers or hiking boots). 

This is a change from the originally planned DuBary Bike Trail.
AUG 23 (SAT) Beresford Trail Bicycle Ride to Blue Springs
   We will swim and have picnic lunch before biking back.
(Native plant ID along Beresford Trail and Springs boardwalk)
 
CONTACT: Sonya Guidry   Cell 386 690-1797
MEET: 9:00 AM at Beresford Park (W of DeLand off 15-A)
BRING: Bicycle, helment, water, picnic lunch, bug spray,
            sun screen, swimsuit.
WEAR: swimsuit, or bring change of clothes.
DIFFICULTY: Moderate -- 3 miles of hills each way!
FEE:  Blue Springs State Park Fee $1 per bicycle ($5/ car)
 
Non Bicyclists Option:  Meet bicyclists at Blue Springs State Park for swim, plant ID along boardwalk, picnic lunch.
  

This new Sarasota County property is different, interesting & close to home.  To carpool, meet at Cedar Point Park (2300 Placida Rd , Englewood) at 8:30 am.  To drive directly, meet at the entrance gate at the end of Morningside Dr off Pine St (one block beyond Englewood Hospital) at 9 am.  For further information, call Denny at (941) 474-1492. 

This Tarflower Chapter meeting will be a membership social evening with plant jeopardy, plant id, and more. (Everyone will bring their own place settings, cups, plates, and take them back, so as to cut down on waste.) September’s Meeting is Tuesday, September 2, 2008 at Leu Gardens, 7:00 PM. Meetings are open to the public.
 

United Way of Central Florida-Pines Board Room. 6:30pm-  A light meal will be served.  United Way of Central Florida is located at 5605 US Hwy 98 South, Highland City, between Bartow and Lakeland.  Our speaker will be,  Mr. George Kish who will be speaking on Native Grasses.  Mr. Kish is a  hydrologist with the U.S. Geological Survey in Tampa.  He is also a past president of the Suncoast Chapter of the Florida Native Plant Society and a Director-at-large of the state FNPS.

 

September 9th: Jim Moll who is

Horticultural Agent with Hernando

County Extension Service will speak

about pruning palms, trees and bushes

 

TBA

 

Bengoa, Jeanene - East Central Florida Aquatic Preserves: The ECFAP manages the natural
resources in a 3 mile stretch of Mosquito Lagoon  south of the New Smyrna
bridge to the Canaveral National Seashore boundary.  Come learn about this
unique and wonderful ecosystem and volunteer opoortunities to help maintain
it. 

Back from the summer!  IXIA will meet at 6:30 pm in the Regency Square Library.   Their address is  "Regency Square Library, 9900 Regency Square Blvd, Jacksonville, FL  32225".     Agenda: Nominating Committee will provide Slate of Officers for 2009 - 2010.  Program:  1.  Reviews/Reports by Members sharing the lectures , workshops & photos from the FNPS Annual Conference.   Program 2.  "Gathering & Storing Seeds". 

See what is possible when conventionally landscaped yards are transformed into native plant spaces that are environmentally and wildlife friendly!

Eight yards in South Pinellas County will be featured on Sat., Sept. 20, 8 am to 12:30 pm.
Six yards in North & Central Pinellas County will be featured on Sun., Sept. 21, 11:30 am to 4 pm.

Pre-registration available at Wilcox Nursery and Twigs & Leaves Nursery. FREE for FNPS members! $5 for others.

Click here for printable flyer! 

We've walked this Sarasota County preserve before but not in the fall.  We will follow the Myakka River & walk as far as time allows.  To carpool, meet at Cedar Point Park (2300 Placida Rd, Englewood) at 8 am.  To drive directly, meet at 9 am at the large parking lot off River Road across from Stoneybrook Development.  For further information, call Denny at (941) 474-1492.. 

Fall plant sale at Brooker Creek Preserve, 3940 Keystone Road, Tarpon Springs. Click here for map. 9 am to 3 pm. Educational programs and children's activities.

Volunteers Needed: If you’d like to participate, we will need help on Thursday & Friday to label plants and get them transported to BCP. If you can help a few hours on either Thursday or Friday, contact Bruce Turley @ (727) 595-2073 .

if you can help at the sale on Saturday, please contact Alexa Wilcox-Huegel @ (727) 251-7376. 

The Pawpaw Chapter will be hosting Second Annual Fall Native Plant Sale on Sunday, Oct 5 from 10am-6pm at Atlantic High School, 1250 Reed Canal Rd., Port Orange, FL.
There will be a number of native plant nurseries participating, as well as programs & classes on native landscape design, butterfly gardening and plants to attract  wildlife.  Vendors will include rain barrels, the chapter field guide and landscaping book sales, nature photography cards and prints.

Download the flyer 

Dr. Al Miller, UCF Biologist (retired), will speak on mosses and liverworts. October’s Meeting is Tuesday, October 7, 2008 at Leu Gardens, 7:00 PM. Meetings are open to the public. 

Sunday afternoon tour of landscapes utilizing native plants including:
  2008 FNPS Homeowner Landscape Award First place winner - yard of Elizabeth and Tom Flynn
  2008 FNPS Conservation Grant Award - Maritime Hammock Restoration at the Unitarian Universalist Society
  Other Ormond Beach landscapes to be deterimined
Details to follow 

October 14th: Jaret Daniels Asst

Director of Research at the McGuire Center

for Lepidoptera and Biodiversity will

speak on Florida Wildflowers and

Butterflies

 

 

6:30pm General Meeting at Regency Square Library.  Program:  "So what is LEED?  (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) .   How can IXIA incorporate plant conservation and landscaping with building design and construction?  Discussion on GREEN ROOFs".  Also we will be swapping those native seeds we collected as well as native plants. 

Volusia county school environmental service learning legacy project involves 14 schools from Volusia  county visiting 3 different sites, Rosebay, Lyonia, and Bicentennial Park, where they cover plant id, replanting natives, removing exotic plants, fish, herp id etc. 

     Agenda:  Vote on 2009-2010 Officers     Program:  You know those wildflower seeds and plants that you have?  Now we are going to share some "Plant Crafts" that we learned at the FNPS Conference and other places so we can make Holiday Gifts (let's recycle/swap our old wrapping paper stuff, ribbons, tags, etc.)

 

December 6 Saturday, or Decemeber 7 Sunday - Old and New Executive Boards meet to plan for 2009 - 2010. 

     Agenda:  Induction of New Executive Board.     Program:  Round-table discussions divided into groups of members that share the same interests to suggest some programs & direction for the unselfish, dedicated and most appreciated New Officers  !!

 

This is always a great event for Ixia.  We reach a lot of interested gardeners.  Plan to be with us for the Day of Gardening!