Executive Director's Message
Karina Veaudry
 Florida has made strides towards conservation of its natural resources, but we need to
encourage our local and state decision makers to continue to raise the
bar. Florida's native plant communities face continued threats from
development, pollution, climate change, and human population increase -
making conservation issues more challenging than ever. I would like to
share with you some important opportunities for individuals and chapters
to actively promote more conservation and preservation of native plant
communities.
1. Get to know your local government officials personally. Chapters
or individuals with good working relationships with their city and
county commissioners are poised to share science-based information or to
sit on an advisory committee when conservation or environmental issues
arise. Many landscape ordinances are being updated right now, a good
time to promote the FNPS Landscape Ordinance guidelines or other
conservation measures for native plants. Don't forget to compliment
these officials publicly when they take actions that advance our
mission!
2. FNPS has been invited to assist with the Land Management Review
Process for the state. Coordinating with the Florida Department of
Environmental Protection, Anne Cox (Cocoplum) is chairing this effort,
with Daphne Lambright (Suncoast) assisting. FNPS volunteers
knowledgeable in Florida ecology and listed plants are needed from
around the state.
3. Look for community TV and radio stations and ask about their free
public service announcement arrangements. Sherry Friend (Cocoplum) and
Jackie Rolly, (Tarflower) submit bimonthly announcements for their
respective government television stations. Chapter meetings and field
trips, interesting quotes, outreach events, and native plant photographs
are scrolled on the screen continuously.
4. Let your local nurseries and garden centers know you are
interested in seeing more native plants for sale by commenting
continuously, even providing a little literature, on specific plants
that you believe would be good, marketable landscape plants for your
region of the state.
5. If your chapter does not already have a relationship with your
local newspaper, develop one. Ask if the chapter can have the opportunity
to review the plant articles they publish (often invasive plants are promoted).
Also, write native plant articles with
photographs and submit them on a continuous basis.
6. Learn about the new statewide data and mapping system, Critical
Lands and Waters Identification Project (CLIP). All state agencies will work from CLIP when
considering impacts from future changes in land use; cities and counties
will need to do so, also. A companion project
is the Cooperative Conservation Blueprint, which seeks to engage
landowners and others in conservation of important lands and waters in
Florida. (See http://www.centurycommission.org/.)
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FNPS Members Getting Published
Craig Huegul, a longtime member of FNPS and a Senior Ecologist with
Biological Research Associates, with newer FNPS member Kathleen McConnell,
Senior Ecologist and independent contractor, have published a paper on
their recent discovery and study of a new population of a very rare
terrestrial native orchid - Sacoila paludicola. This species was
formerly considered to be only an aberrant variety of the more common S.
lanceolata and was known to naturally occur only in Fakahatchee. Their
discovery, their interactions with Paul Martin Brown, and their
subsequent field work makes the case that this is a separate species.
These findings are written up in the July issue of the North American
Native Orchid Journal (Vol 14(3)), in “General Notes on the Ecology of
Sacoila paludicola, Sarasota County, Florida.” Craig and Kat are very
excited about their find and hope to continue their research next year.
Also, in the same issue of North American Native Orchid Journal, Paul Martin Brown further explains the
genus Sacoila in his article “The Genus Sacoila (Orchidaceae) in the
Continental United States and a New Combination.”
Another FNPS member, Susan Cerulean, researched and wrote for The Nature Conservancy
about the redbay (Persea borbonia) and the Asian fungus that threatens
it, in a superb online journal called Terrain.org. She is hoping many, many people
will honor the redbay and its associates, each in their
own way: spending time getting to know them in our river floodplains,
writing poetry or prayers, making photographs or songs to honor them,
weaving blankets or painting pictures of the irreplaceable green of
Persea -- giving others the opportunity to understand what we are losing, through the
story of this specific tree, as we pursue our globalized lifestyles.
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Native Plants and Our Quality of Life
From an article by Mark L. Johnson, RLA, MLA, ASLA
Surveys taken in communities almost anywhere in the United States would
probably indicate that people are concerned about their “quality of
life.”
At the turn of the 20th Century, a live canary meant “quality of
life” for coal miners. As long as that little canary was conscious, the
mine workers had confidence that they could survive. We know of other
indicator species, such as the American dipper, the subalpine gray jay,
or the Florida scrub jay, which provide scientists and naturalists with
a warning about the health of various ecosystems and ecological niches.
But most of us don’t use these indicators to reflect upon the quality of
our own daily existence.
While the plants around us reflect the quality
of our lives, we usually take them for granted. Many people get involved
with native plants because they want butterflies and birds in their back
yards. But as long as we see butterflies and birds as ornaments hanging
on our plants, it is only happenstance that we are being environmentally
responsible. After all, there are some non-native, ornamental plants
that also host butterflies. We can miss the significance of the
thousands-year-old relationships between locally native plants and many
species of insects and animals.
While we focus on tomatoes from Chili or
peaches from Georgia, we no longer relate to the bush or animal on the
roadside or in our back yard as important to our dinner table. We are
out of touch with the resulting costs -- not just the rise in oil prices
in the US, but the costs of watering, fertilizing, and maintaining the
plants in our yards.
Learning about and protecting native diversity
locally, in our own yards, is part of protecting our true Quality of
Life. (For original article, click
here.)
Lake County Has Mobile Irrigation Lab
From an article submitted by Christopher Patton
Started two years ago through an agency partnership, the non-regulatory
lab helps the agricultural community by visiting groves, nurseries and
greenhouses to offer a free, unbiased and confidential evaluation of
irrigation systems. Based on the recommendations from the professional
lab team, agricultural operations have the opportunity to conserve water
-- and run their diesel pumps less.
Call (352)343-2481 ext.6 for more information. (For original article, click
here.)
National Native Plant Conservation Campaign
The Center for Biological Diversity has kicked off a native plant
conservation campaign, and is providing a lovely and informative brochure to explain the
importance of native plants across the country. You can get a copy of
the brochure at www.biologicaldiversity.org or
at www.plantsocieties.org.
Species Spotlight
Saw Palmetto - A Multi-talented Member of the Palm Family
Serenoa repens
ARECACEAE
By Eleanor K. Sommer
If you were stranded on an island, which plant would you want growing there? Serenoa repens, a scrubby perennial member of the Arecaceae family, might be a sensible choice. This versatile native, bestowed its common name by William Bartram, is one of the most multipurpose plants in the southeast.
Its ethnobotanical uses include food and medicine and other uses including fiber, oil, wax, paper, and roofing materials. Native people of the southeast used its stems and leaves to make baskets, brushes, dolls, rope, and other useful items. A Cedar Key company decorticated the fibers from the trunk to make durable scrub brushes (Elliot). In the early 1900s, a soda was even produced from the berries and marketed under the name “Metto” by a Jacksonville based company and distributed throughout the state. The strong, and to some offensive taste of the berries, may offer a clue about why this beverage had short-lived fame!
However, saw palmetto berries provide sustenance for bears, white-tail deer, foxes, raccoons, and gopher tortoises. The plants themselves offer habitat for reptiles, birds, and small mammals. Even deer use saw palmetto for cover, and scrub jays retrieve the “threads” for nesting materials.
Found abundantly in pinelands, hammocks, sandy prairies, and coastal dunes throughout Florida, S. repens also grows in moist grasslands. This highly flammable plant is fire adapted and new leaf growth begins as early as a few days following a burn.
Don’t confuse Serenoa repens with Sabal minor. To indentify “saw” palmetto look for sawlike teeth on the leaf petioles. S. minor has smooth petioles. The leaves of S. repens are fan-shaped and up to a meter wide. The fragrant tiny white flowers have 3 to 5 petals and are borne on showy, branched inflorescences, blooming late spring through mid-summer. The black, oblong, berries mature in mid to late fall.
Although the berry is bitter and slightly astringent, the nutritional value is high and contains fatty acids and sterols, sugars, resins and tannins, and small amounts of beta carotene. S. repens was an important dietary adjunct for native people living in the southeast and even served to save the lives of early settlers in some cases. According to Spanish explorer Hernando Descalante Fontaneda (Austin), the Calusas ate the berries fresh and the Choctaw people dried them for use in the winter.
The base (heart) of the terminal bud can be removed and eaten in salads or lightly steamed (Deuerling and Lantz). The flowers are a favorite of bees, and honey from hives near S. repens is quite robust delicious.
As a medicine, S. repens has a long history of successful use in the treatment of various urinary and reproductive complaints (for both men and women), including cystitis; treats upper respiratory irritation and infection; and is considered adaptogenic by some herbalists (Kuhn and Winston). The most popular use in modern times is for prostate issues and is typically used in the form of standardized extracts.
Because most people do not enjoy the taste of saw palmetto berries, teas or infusions made from the dried berries are an acquired taste, but a syrup made from the berries makes this remedy palatable. The seeds, high in fatty acids, can be ground and blended into foods although it is more efficient to use standardized extracts for medicinal purposes (Duke 1999 and 2008).
Although saw palmetto is not endangered, it has come under assault as “wildcrafters,” spurred by large commercial production of herbal extracts, overharvest the berries which removes food from the animal habitats and potentially reduces the population of S. repens. A large part of the harvests are sent overseas.
Cautions: Saw palmetto has no safety concerns; however, people with digestive issues may experience gastric distress or loose stools from ingestions of the berries. Remember to correctly identify plants before harvesting and using them. And if you are unsure, consult with experienced foragers and herbalists before eating or using plants from the wild.
References
- Austin, D. 2004. Florida Ethnobotany. Boca Raton, FL: CRC Press.
- Deuerling, R. J. and Lantz, P. S. 1995. Florida’s Incredible Wild Edibles. Orlando FL: Florida Native Plant Society.
- Duke, J. 1999. Dr. Duke’s Essential Herbs. Rodale Reach.
- Duke, J. 2008. Personal correspondence.
- Elliot, D. 2008 Personal correspondence.
- Kuhn, M. A. and D. Winston. 2000. Herbal Therapy and Supplements: A Scientific and Traditional Approach. Philadelphia: Lippincott.
- Winston, D. 1999. Saw Palmetto for Men and Women. Pownal, VT: Storey Books.
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Society News
Requests from Our Executive Committee
Volunteers are needed for:
Landscape Awards Committee - two year position, approximately
8 hours per month for February through May each year; publicize, judge, and create presentation for
the conference.
Membership Vice Chair - one year position, approximately 10 to 20
hours per month.
Education Committee - one year position to assist new Education
Committee Chair, Kari Ruder, approximately 5 to 15 hours per month.
Publications Committee -one year position to assist new
Publications Committee Chair to collect, organize and edit past articles
and FNPS publicity, approximately 5 to 10 hours per month.
Website Merchandise Coordinator - one year position,
approximately . 6 to 12 hours per month, to create and manage a
website-based merchandizing program for FNPS.
If you are interested in furthering the mission of the Florida Native
Plant Society by assisting with these needed organizational duties,
please contact Karina Veaudry at executivedirector@fnps.org or
321-388-4781.
FNPS Land Management Partners Sub-Committee Update
Daphne Lambright
October 2008. FNPS has been an active partner in the Florida Department
of Environmental Protection's (FDEP) land management reviews since 2001.
These reviews determine whether conservation, preservation, and
recreation lands owned by the state Board of Trustees are being managed
properly.
Historically, land management reviews are scheduled for 12-month
periods at locations throughout the state
(see MyFlorida state map).
However, the land management reviews for 2008-2009 have been postponed
until February 2009 while FDEP revises the Land Management Review
process to incorporate an objectives-based review.
While the review process is being revised, the FNPS Land Management
Partners (LMP) subcommittee is soliciting a representative from each
chapter. The LMP chapter representative would serve as the local contact
person and distribute information about upcoming public land management
reviews in their region to their FNPS chapter.
Please contact an LMP subcommittee member,
Anne Cox or
Daphne Lambright, for more information about FNPS
Land Management Partners activities.
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Call for Scientific Papers and Posters
The Florida Native Plant Society annual conference will be held at the West Palm Beach Marriott, May 21-24, 2009.
The Science Track of the Conference will include the presentation of papers Friday, May 22nd and Saturday, May 23rd.
Posters will be on display Friday and Saturday, and the poster session will be on Saturday afternoon.
Researchers are invited to submit abstracts on research related to native plants and plant communities of Florida,
including preservation, conservation, and restoration. Presentations are planned to be 20 minutes in total length
(15 minutes presentation, 5 minutes questions).
Abstracts of not more than 200 words should be submitted as an MS Word file by email to
Paul A. Schmalzer, by February 15, 2009. Include title, affiliation, and address.
Indicate whether you will be presenting a paper or poster.
Science Contacts Database Started
Karina Veaudry
Two of our Directors At Large, Anne Birch and Sue Dingwell, completed a project serving our Science Committee that took
a lot of time and effort. They created a data base of college and university contacts - statewide. Initially, this project
commenced so that we could have a larger audience base when we sent out announcements regarding the research and conservation
grants. But the entire Society will benefit from the ability to communicate with the university-based science contacts for
review purposes, inviting speakers to chapters, sharing research and working closer to the academic community. In my opinion,
Anne and Sue have catapulted the FNPS into a higher functioning Society.
Are You a Landscaping (or Other) Professional Who Designs with Natives?
Occasionally individuals, Florida municipalities, and private firms contact FNPS Executive Director Karina Veaudry to
locate landscape design and installation professionals in their area for their projects. If you are such an individual
--landscape designer, arborist, botanist, biologist, ecologist, stormwater engineer, etc.--
please send your contact information to Karina, karinav@earthlink.net.
FNPS Board of Directors
Upcoming Meetings
October 25, 2008 - Saturday, 10am; joint meeting with Association
of Florida Native Nurseries (AFNN), All Native Garden Center and
Nursery, Ft. Myers; John Sibley 239-939-9663.
January 9-11, 2009 - Friday evening through Sunday afternoon
retreat; Camp Kulaqua, High Springs. This is a special meeting, where
the BOD engages in the analysis and visioning required to create a
three-year strategic plan for FNPS.
- Visit the website at www.fnps.org close to the meeting dates for
details. From the menu, choose Member Services --> Society
Coordination --> Society Calendar.
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Chapter Resources
Chapter Tips & Tricks
Palm Beach County Chapter has Open Yard Day. Several of the yards
visited this year are works in progress, and as any
gardener/landscaper/plant enthusiast knows, yards seem to always be in a
continual state of flux. Some yards have natives rescued from
construction sites. Some property owners on the tour provide
comprehensive plant list will make shopping for natives so much easier.
As many as 65 people have visited any one of these homes. Volunteers
helped sign folks in and guide them around the yards.
At their meeting last week, the newly formed Sea Oats Chapter
registered their 50th member!
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