The Florida Scrub-Jay Festival: Past, Present and the Future of Florida Scrub-Jays will feature tram tours of the scrub-jay habitat, guided nature walks, a panel discussion, music and arts and crafts for children. Environmental groups will have exhibits on topics of interest. Admission is free and food will be available for purchase.

 

Mark A. Deyrup, a Senior Research Biologist at Archbold Biological Station on the Lake Wales Ridge and author of over 80 articles and publications about the insects of Florida, will help us understand the complex interactions between flowering plants and the animal life that help them reproduce.  

Wonderful Wildflowers !   Plan now for spring in your yard!  Learn how to grow & enjoy Florida’s very own flowers.   Planting native wildflowers adds color, texture, and excitement to any garden palette. On roadsides, they help control erosion, decrease mowing, and add beauty to the drive.  Lisa Roberts, Executive Director of Florida Wildflower Foundation, will advise us on all aspects of these Florida jewels.  Q&A following the program and Florida wildflower seeds will be available too!

 

This exciting free program open to all is presented by the Lake Beautyberry chapter of the Florida Native Plant Society at 10 am, Saturday February 11 at Cooper Memorial Library, 2525 Oakley-Seaver Drive, just off Hancock Road about 1 mile north of SR-50.  Older children welcome to listen & learn.  For more information or to be added to our email list, email: FieldTrip@embarqmail.com or call Jon 407-448-6195 or Mary 352-365-0934.

 

In late 2012, Martin County plans to do a beach re-nourishment project on four miles of oceanfront property on Hutchinson Island.  It has been years since searches have been done for threatened and endangered beach plants, so we’ll be searching the foredunes within the proposed project area looking for Sea Lavender, Burrowing Four O’clock, Inkberry, Beach Verbena and other interesting plants.  
 
Wear comfortable, close-toed footwear – sandspurs and burrnut/puncturevine are just a few of the not-so-nice plants we’ll likely encounter.  Meet at 8:30 AM at Bob Graham Beach – on the east side of SR A1A between the Jensen Beach and Stuart Causeways.  For more information, contact trip leader Greg Braun at 561-758-3417. 

Feb 11 (Sat): Tomoka St. Pk. Native Plants ID walk with Park Biologist, John Kunzer
Explore native plants associated with midden sites  (picnic lunch)
Leader:  Sonya Guidry:  Email: sonyaguidry@yahoo.com    or    Cell Phone: (386) 690-1797               
Carpool Departs 8:30 AM from Publix Parking lot, Granada & Williamson
Meet 9:00 AM  at Tomoka St Park Visitors Center  ($5/ vehicle Fee)
Bring: Water, Insect repellent, ID books, binoculars, camera, picnic lunch. Wear clothing to fit the weather. 

Presented by Darryl Frick, owner of Water Gardens by Design and Rita Grant, Hernando County Master Gardener and Native Plant Nursery owner. Water and Rain gardens are perfect additions to your landscape and this program will help you decide which one would be best for you as well as which plants to use and how to avoid non-native species. We will talk about plants that bloom spring, summer and fall. These gardens help to control rain water run-off and provide wildlife habitat. Darryl is based out of Clearwater Florida, does waterfall, pondless waterfall, stream, koi ponds, fountains and water features,and rainwater harvesting, as well as new construction and design, re-builds, repair and consultations. Rita lives in Brooksville and has a native plant nursery on her property. She is a Master Gardener in Hernando County, a longtime member of the Florida Native Plant Society, and does talks for local garden clubs and the Hernando County Extension. 

The February program will be "What You Can See in Your Yard" by Valerie Thomas. Valerie is Co-President of Four Rivers Chapter of the Audubon Society, a Master Naturalist, and Environmental Education Program Coordinator at Fort White High/Middle School's PARKnership program, a program that takes kids outdoors for science labs at Ichetucknee Springs State Park. She has some great pictures of the birds that might be in your yard and will give us some insider tips so that you can identify some of them yourself. 

Time:  6:30 PM

Location:  Regency Square Library, 9900 Regency Square Blvd., Jacksonville, FL 32225

Agenda:  Business meeting followed by guest speaker

Program:  “Maintaining Native Plants in a Home Garden,” by Ixia Chapter member, Jake Ingram

Since some species require more maintenance than others, maintaining a native landscape begins with the initial selection of plant species.  All plants have a tendency to grow (get bigger) and procreate (self-sow or sucker); some more than others, so wise plant selection early-on is paramount.  As for maintenance, a little knowledge, a good pair of hand pruners and a shovel should be all you need and you can say good-by to the internal combustion engine.  Unfortunately, most landscape companies don’t train their people to do this kind of work because they don’t know how to manage the plants much less identify them.  Consequently, native plant landscape maintenance becomes a DIY proposition and a labor of love.  The good news is that it requires nowhere near the time, effort or expense that traditional landscapes do.  It does help to know a few guidelines and to have gotten off to a proper start and there’s nothing like a good dose of knowledge to help get started right.  Each plant species will have its own prescription for care, so tune in.

Jake is a retired landscape architect who moved back to his hometown of Jacksonville in 2005 after a thirty-five year absence.  For the ten years prior, he lived and worked in Walton County, FL managing the landscaping efforts of the St. Joe Company’s developments, most notably WaterColor and WaterSound where only native plants were used for landscaping.  Shortly after moving to Jacksonville, Jake and his wife, Pam, completely re-landscaped their new home, removing all turf and exotic plants and replanting with natives exclusively. In the six years since, many lessons were learned, mistakes made, knowledge gained and a few expectations exceeded.  Jake has been a member of the Florida Native Plant Society for twelve years and is currently focusing his FNPS efforts on renovating and up-grading the City of Jacksonville’s “Native Park” on Park St. in Avondale.

 

Speaker:  Beth Jackson

Subject: Ecological Corridors and Land Management within Orange County

This program was originally scheduled for 2011 Conference but due to unforeseen circumstances was cancelled.  Here's your chance to see what was missed!

 

Dr. Bill Dunson, retired Professor Emeritus from Penn State will talk about seven years of remarkable transformation of an abandoned golf course in Englewood. 

Heartland Chapter Board Meeting - at Denny's restaurant on Hwy 98 in Bartow

Dinner is at 6:30pm. The meeting starts at 7:00pm.

 

Sea Oats plans to host a series of programs on the ecosystems of St. John's County.  In order to know what plants grow best in our individual communities, or how they grow, we have to understand the particular ecosystem we are in.  St. John's County has several ecosystems.  Emily Montgomery, Coastal Training Program Coordinator at GTM NRR, will speak on the Estuaries ecosystem.

This program is free and open to the public.  Contributions are welcome, especially from non-members, in order to defer expenses from paying speaker stipends.

Our February meeting is our annual elections meeting.  We have a partial slate of officers.  Sea Oats needs a Program Chair, who also functions as a Vice President, if we are to continue to offer great programs for our community.  Please think carefully about this.

Time:  7PM.  Place:  St. Augustine Beach Government Center, A1A and 16th, Anastasia Island - meeting room. 

"Early Florida Explorers"  by Paul Rebmann
This will be a look at what some of our early Florida naturalists and botanists found when they explored Florida. Some of these discoveries, especially the plants, are even named after these people. This presentation was inspired by the FNPS Magnolia Chapter 2011 calendar "Notes from the Field - Early Botanical Explorers of Florida and the Southeastern U.S.". That calendar featured Paul Rebmann's photo of Curtiss' Milkweed as the main image for July to honor Allen Hiram Curtiss.

There will also be a few short videos, including last summer's chapter field trip paddle on the Silver River.

Tuesday, Feb 21, socializing at 6:30p.m., program at 7pm followed by the chapter business meeting.
Grace Lutheran Church in Ormond Beach. This is beachside at A1A and Neptune Ave., the first traffic light north of Granada on A1A.

 

Special Collections at the University of South Florida. They are known for thier herbarium and botanical book collection.  Jamie Hansen, MLS will be our tour guide and the special Mark Catesby book and video will be a feature of her tour. This will be a one day trip, but will begin early as we are expected at the library at 10:00 am. We will depart the Publix parking lot at CR 48 and US 27 south of Leesburg at 7:30 am.  For carpooling from the east side of Lake County, contact nadine Foley at 669-2398. Contact for the field trip is Peg Lindsay at 326-2045. 

 

Time: 9 am
Bill Dunson will show us some of the rapid natural rejuvenation of a 78-acre parcel, a process he calls “the hand of nature drawing a veil across the landscape” http://www.lemonbayconservancy.org/wildflower.htm 

Site:Praire Creek Preserve
Trip Leader: Robert Friese
Meet at the parking area along Hwy 234 where it crosses the Gainesville-Hawthorne trail, just south of Hwy 20.

 

Open to the public, a workshop/brainstorming session where you can contribute ideas towards creating a native plant landscape design for grounds at the Lodge. The charette will be held at the Prairie Creek Lodge.

 

Katy Roberts on Butterfly Gardening. Monthly membership meeting, 7pm at Pinellas County Extension, 12520 Ulmerton Road, Largo, FL. Public welcome! Light refreshments, silent auction of native plants.

 

 

Mar 10 (Sat) Princess Place Preserve walk, 2500 Princess Place Rd, Palm Coast
             Leader: Mark Wheeler: (386) 586-6580  email: wheelmarks@bellsouth.net
             Meet: 9:30 AM at Hominy Branch Parking area
             Carpool: 8:30 AM Depart from Publix parking lot Granada/ Williamson, Ormond
             Mark plans a “lengthy walk” to include both upland and marsh habitats.
             Picnic lunch at the Island House.
             Bring: Water, insect repellent, picnic lunch, ID books, binoculars.
             Wear comfortable clothes to fit the weather. 

Time:  6:30 PM

Location:  Regency Square Library, 9900 Regency Square Blvd., Jacksonville, FL 32225

Agenda:  Business meeting followed by guest speaker

Program:  “Landscaping with Native Plants,” by Ixia Chapter member, Leslie Pierpont.  Leslie owns Native and Uncommon Plants in Jacksonville.

Leslie moved to Jacksonville from Connecticut in 1998.  She quickly realized nothing she was looking at was native, so she taught herself with the limited books available at that time, and opened Native and Uncommon Plants in 2001. Leslie knew if she couldn't find native plants, no one else could either. She was quickly asked to do design & installation, although she was just planning on running a nursery, and had to teach herself how to do the design and installation part.  Leslie states, “it's now become too big to fail!”

 

Details: TBA

 

Our guest speakers will be Dr. Bob Stamps, University of Florida Institute of Florida Agricultural Sciences (IFAS). He will be presenting a program on "Landscaping for Wildlife with Native Plants."  The meeting will be held at Trout Lake Nature Center, Eustis.  Come to learn about our natives and share in a little native plant fellowship. Social at 1:30 pm and program starts at 2:00 p.m.

 

Environmentalist Allan Horton, a 3rd generation Floridian, outlines the steps in creating the conservation easement at his Myakka Valley Ranch and discusses the importance of emphasizing native habitat preservation on a working ranch. 

The next Heartland Chapter meeting will be at the Circle B Bar Reserve. The program begins at 7:00 pm. Native plants may be available with a silent auction. Also available will be various books and reading materials for sale. The Circle B Bar Reserve is located on State Road 540 (4399 Winter Lake Road) between Lakeland and Winter Haven.

Whether a member of FNPS or not, you are welcome to join us for this interesting presentation. No RSVP is necessary.

Our Speaker will be: TBA 

Topic: TBA

Contact our Chapter President, Jack Jordan with any questions at: Jack.Jordan@dep.state.fl.us

 

Speaker: Robert Connors
Topic:“Florida Wildlife Corridor Expedition”

 

Time: 9 am
Martha and Allan Horton will lead us on a riding/walking tour to see how this 50-year-old working ranch is integrated into uplands, marshes, & a rare peat bog. 

Paynes Prairie Chapter will hold its Spring Native Plant Sale on March 30-31, 2012 at Morningside Nature Center, 3540 E. University Ave, Gainesville, FL.  Friday evening, Mar. 30, is a preview sale for FNPS and FoNP (Friends of Nature Parks) members only.  The sale is open to the public Saturday, Mar. 31.

The sale will offer native trees, shrubs, grasses and wildflowers that are suited to the north-central area of Florida.  There will also be several educational booths, and vendors selling books and wildflower seed.  Stop by the FNPS information booth to say hello to fellow members.  Enjoy the music on Saturday!

The popular park-a-plant system makes it easy to shop, pay and pick up plants.

Remember cash or checks only.

For questions, call Morningside Nature Center at 352-334-2170 or visit www.natureoperations.org.

For vendor inquiries and volunteer information, contact Howard & Lisa Jelks, jelkslg@ufl.edu.

 

LOOKING AHEAD!!

Landscape and Garden Fair - Saturday, Feb. 11 and Sunday, Feb. 12, 2012.  Lake County is hosting its first annual Central Flroida Landscape & Garden Fair at Ferran Park, Eustis.  Local merchants will exhibit and there will be workshops and seminars presented.  Contact Mary Remer, FNPS Beautyberry President if you can help 365-0934. 

Florida Wildflower & Garden Festival - Saturday, March 24, 9 am - 3 pm. This garden festival sponsored by the Florida Wildflower Foundation will be held in downtown Deland at Indiana Avenue.  Look for native plants, seeds, garden equipment, books, etc.  There will be live entertainment and demonstrations. 

PEAR Park Plant Sale and Field Trip - Saturday, April 21, 2012. There will be a native plant sale from 8 am - 1 pm.  Nature Hike at 1:30 pm led by Lake County Rangers.  For more inforamtion contact Mary Remer 365-0934.

Video & Talk at Astor Library - Tuesday, March 27, 2012 at 6:30 pm. If you have missed the video "Unique Landscapes Using Florida Native Plants" by NatureWise, Inc.  then come on March 27th to the Astor Public Library.  The video will be followed by an informal show and tell of native plants with wildlife food value led by Nadine Foley.  This program presented by the library as part of the 2012 Festival of Reading theme "In the Garden."

Black Bear Festival - Saturday, March 31, 2012 from 9 am to 4 pm.  Always a fun festival, this event is held in Cadwell Park, Umatilla just off of SR 19. All things Black Bear, exhibits, vendors, Ocala National Forest tours, craft projects for children, music and talks. 

 

Location:  2576 NW Torreya Park Rd, Bristol, FL 32321.  850-643-2674.

Note this is approximately a 225 mile drive, one way, and takes approximately three hours and forty-five minutes, one way.

"Spring Wildflowers of Torreya State Park and TNC Apalachicola Bluffs" field trip.  We will see native Trillium and Azaleas in bloom, plus much more.

We will visit Torreya S.P. on Saturday, March 31, camp overnight, pack up and drive to/hike the TNC Apalachicola Bluffs on Sunday, April 1.  Saturday will be the "easy" day and Sunday will be a more difficult hike out to the bluffs.  Either day, participants will be required to hike through steep, hilly terrain, so be prepared.  Folks that don't want to, or can't hike, can enjoy much of Torreya's natural beauty from the roads, picnic areas, and maybe venture onto a short sections of trail.  The Bluffs are hike access only from the "Garden of Eden Trail" (3.5 miles total, feels like much more due to steep terrain).

Meet Saturday, March 31, 12:00 p.m., at the Torreya S.P. Picnic Area (on right-hand side of main park road), we will eat lunch there and then go for a wildflower hike. Those camping may want to arrive a little earlier to set up camp first.  Bring all food and water necessary for the weekend, because there are no stores or restaurants nearby.

 Trip Leader:  Pete Johnson 904-536-4806

Campsite and Cabin reservations are required in advance through Reserve America, see http://www.floridastateparks.org/torreya/

High bluffs overlooking the Apalachicola River make Torreya one of Florida's most scenic places. The park is named for an extremely rare species of Torreya tree that only grows on the bluffs along the Apalachicola River. Developed by the Civilian Conservation Corps in the 1930s, Torreya is popular for camping, hiking, and picnicking. Bird-watching is also a popular activity. Over 100 species of birds have been spotted in the park. Forests of hardwood trees provide the finest display of fall color found in Florida. The main campground offers full-facility campsites and a YURT (Year-round Universal Recreational Tent). Primitive campsites and a youth campground are also available. Ranger-guided tours of the Gregory House, a fully furnished plantation home built in 1849, are given at 10:00 a.m. on weekdays and 10:00 a.m., 2:00 p.m. and 4:00 p.m. on weekends and state holidays.

 

Plant Sales, exhibits, music, guided walks, food, children's activities. VOLUNTEERS NEEDED. 

Time: 10:00 AM

Location: GTM Research Reserve, Environmental Education Center, 505 Guana River Road, Ponte Vedra Beach, FL 32082, (904) 823-4500

Meet at the Environmental Education Center for a tour of the facility and then an approximate two hour hike led by a trained volunteer or a staff member. Charge is $10 per person. Please bring lunch and plan to stay after the hike to socialize with other native plant members.

There are several possible hikes to take into the preserve, and that will be determined when we get closer to the date. We are requesting an area with lots of blooming wildflowers.

Guana Tolomato Matanzas National Estuarine Research Reserve (GTM Research Reserve) is dedicated to the conservation of natural biodiversity and cultural resources through research and monitoring to guide science-based stewardship and education strategies.

GTM Research Reserve protects 73,352 acres south of the City of Jacksonville (Duval County) in St. Johns County and Flagler County on the northeast coast of Florida, one of the fastest growing regions in the state. These protected areas provide habitat for a wide variety of fish and wildlife. A species list recently compiled for Guana River Marsh Aquatic Preserve indicated the presence of at least 44 mammal, 358 bird, 41 reptile, 21 amphibian, 303 fish and 580 plant species. It contains habitats essential to 48 protected animals and 8 protected plants.

GTM Research Reserve is also important for the economy because these include 16 species that are fished or harvested commercially and 18 species that are fished recreationally.

GTM Research Reserve is geographically separated into a northern and southern component, separated by the City of St. Augustine. The northern component (referred to locally as Guana) is associated with the Tolomato and Guana River estuaries and the southern component is associated with the Matanzas River.

 

Plant sales, exhibits, music, guided walks, food. Volunteers are needed. 

Laurel Schiller, Co-Owner Florida Native Plants, will explain how our gardening choices affect everything around us. We’ll learn how to create a wildlife-friendly yard that is connected to our neighborhood, county, state and the planet. 

Heartland Chapter Board Meeting - at Denny's restaurant on Hwy 98 in Bartow

Dinner is at 6:30pm. The meeting starts at 7:00pm.

 

Details:  TBA 

Time: 10:00 AM to 2:30 PM

Location: University of North Florida, Student Union Auditorium, One UNF Drive, Jacksonville, FL 32224. Call 904-655-2550 for additional information.

Advance registration required by April 25 for this FREE workshop on native plants, aimed at the home gardener. To register, call or email Barbara Jackson: 904-655-2550 or bjack2804@aol.com Presentations will include why plant native plants, the best native plants for the home garden, drought tolerant and low maintenance native plants, and native wildflowers for the four seasons. Additional information will be available soon.

At the conclusion of the workshops, we will have a free hike at the UNF Sawmill Slough Preserve, a 300 acre habitat, full of native plants. You can see the natural growing area for many plants, and this helps to understand conditions required for home gardens.

We will be selling a variety of books about Florida native plants and we will have a native plant sale to support our chapter! Stay tuned.

This workshop is sponsored by the University of North Florida Environmental Center.

 

Withlacoochee River Park is located at 12449 Withlacoochee Blvd, Dade City, FL 33525. The Withlacoochee River Park is a Pasco County regional park near the Withlacoochee River, with 5.2 miles of trail developed and maintained by Florida Trail Assoc. It includes 246 acres of the Green Swamp – West tract as well. The park offers access to a wild and scenic portion of the river and a mosaic of habitat communities, from high sandhills to low riverine swamp. There is a replica of a Native American Village on the trail which we may visit since this is also Living History Arts Festival Weekend at the park. Bring your books for plant identifcation and dress appropriately for walking. Restrooms and drinking fountains are available.
Carpool : West side of the County can meet at SR 52 and Hays Rd at the Publix Shopping Plaza (14851 SR 52) in Hudson at 9:30am. The East side of the County can meet at the Hampton Inn at the junction of I75 and SR 56 at exit 275 in Land o Lakes at 9:30am. Directions: Take SR 52 to Dade City, turn right on Prospect Rd, take first left on Clinton Ave. which becomes Enterprise Rd. and left on Auton Rd. Turn right on Withlacoochee Blvd . We will meet at the pay station at 10am which is on Withlacoochee Blvd. 

Time: 7:00 AM Location: Jennings State Forest is the destination. Meet at McDonalds on CR 21 (Blanding Blvd.) at 7:00 AM. Ixia stops flowering once the sun reaches it, thus the early start.

Click for Map and address

Additional Information: We will join the Audubon Society on this field trip and will look for Ixia in bloom and also look for the rare Bachman’s Sparrow. Trip is led by Ixia and Audubon member, Pete Johnson and you may contact him @ 904-536-4806 (cell). 

Led by Laurel Schiller we’ll see different approaches including an award-winning native landscape with a mimosa driveway & green rooftop garden on Siesta Key. 

Jason Rohr, Assistant Professor of Biology, USF will talk about how parasites, pollution and climate change create a dangerous brew for frogs, toads and other amphibians and their aquatic communities. 

The next Heartland Chapter meeting will be at the Circle B Bar Reserve. The program begins at 7:00 pm. Native plants may be available with a silent auction. Also available will be various books and reading materials for sale. The Circle B Bar Reserve is located on State Road 540 (4399 Winter Lake Road) between Lakeland and Winter Haven.

Whether a member of FNPS or not, you are welcome to join us for this interesting presentation. No RSVP is necessary.

Our Speaker will be: TBA

Topic: TBA

Contact our Chapter President, Jack Jordan with any questions at: Jack.Jordan@dep.state.fl.us

 

Details:  TBA 

Join us at the FNPS Conference.  Additional Information soon!

 

Heartland Chapter Board Meeting - at Denny's restaurant on Hwy 98 in Bartow

Dinner is at 6:30pm. The meeting starts at 7:00pm.

 

Time:  6:30 PM

Location:  Regency Square Library, 9900 Regency Square Blvd., Jacksonville, FL 32225

Agenda:  Business meeting followed by guest speaker

Program:  “Advanced Butterfly Gardening” presentation by Edith Smith, owner of Shady Oak Butterfly Farm.  The presentation will move into species other than the basic ‘everyone knows these’ butterflies.  It will also cover adding other things to the garden for butterflies and some misinformation that is often taught (and sold).  We will have an actual butterfly release outdoors after the presentation.

Edith Smith’s husband, Stephen, built her two greenhouses while she was in college in 1981. She raised a variety of plants, from trees to herbs to annuals to perennials to shrubs. Stephen also built Edith an herb nursery in the late 90's. Growing over 600 species of herbs, the nursery incorporated 4 greenhouses Stephen and Edith built with the help of their children and employees. Edith's sister, Sandra, brought butterfly host plants for Edith's garden. Watching a butterfly lay eggs on fennel for two days, Edith saw the results of butterfly predators. Determined to save butterflies from predators, Edith brought in Black Swallowtail eggs that were laid on fennel and other plants, raised them inside the greenhouse, and released them into the garden.

Edith met Dan and Kay sometime around July, 1999. Edith told Dan that she was raising butterflies to save them from predators. Dan offered to buy butterfly pupae from her if she had extra. Within a year Dan was buying over a thousand pupae per week. Realizing that she could save more butterflies by selling pupae to support the expenses of raising them, Edith and Stephen changed their product from herbs to butterflies and butterfly host and nectar plants.

During the busiest time of the year, the farm sometimes raises over 5,000 pupae per week. The preferred average at the farm is two to three thousand per week during spring and summer months. Butterfly and moth host and nectar plants are available at the farm or over the internet. The farm is approved to ship plants and butterflies to all 48 contiguous states.

 

Details:  TBA 

Time:10:00 AM

Location:  12876 SW CR 231, Brooker, FL 32622.  877-485-2458.

At the farm we begin in the garden, continue to the butterfly egg production area, go to the larvae lab, and then into the office to finish up with packing and shipping butterflies.   We don’t allow guests to enter the greenhouses.  They are old and the floors are often super slippery.  If anyone wanted to purchase plants, we would go into the greenhouses and bring the plants to the office.  The tour is anywhere from 1-2 hours, depending upon the interest of the group.  Every so often we have a group that isn’t that interested and is ready to go on.  Others could stay and talk all day!

Note there is a charge of $10 per person for this tour.  Please bring a lunch to enjoy with other Native Plant members at the end of the tour.

 

Time: 10:00 AM--12:00 PM hike, 12:00 PM Brown Bag Lunch

Location: Saturiwa Conservation Area, 2425 County Rd. 13 South, Elkton, FL 32033

Located on the St. Johns River in southwest St. Johns County, the Saturiwa Conservation Area has been cited as one of the finest examples of sustainable multiple-use forest management in Florida. It is a stunning combination of a planted slash pine, natural pine flatwoods, cypress dome wetlands, a hardwood riverine swamp, and a half mile of pristine shoreline.

Mike Adams, owner of Adamscience, an environmental resource management company, maintains and conserves wildlife habitat, water and forestland on the 94-acre family homestead while also managing the property’s planted pine stand. Mike employs prescribed burning and selective harvesting toward his goal of restoring the property back to a longleaf pine ecosystem not seen in this part of Florida for over a half century.

Mike will lead our field trip. Please bring lunch. Go here to see a video and to learn more: http://www.florida-agriculture.com/news/agen_saturiwa.htm

 

Our first meeting of the year will be on the 3rd Sunday due to a schedule conflict.  At 6pm we will discussed Native Trees and Palms that are perfect for our area.

 

 

Holiday Decorating with Natives and Natural Materials.