Ponce de Leon Springs State Park Field Trip by Lizzy Jenny Dunn
Valerie Anderson • February 26, 2024
Photo 1. Longleaf Pine and Sweet Bay Chapters joint field trip to Ponce de Leon Springs State Park.
In November 2021, Longleaf Pine Chapter and Sweetbay Chapter of the Florida Native Plant Society conducted their first-ever combined Chapter field trip in an attempt to reach out to more folks interested in experiencing native plants in the panhandle. Organized by Longleaf Pine Chapter Vice President, Kimberly Bremner, and Sweetbay Chapter President, Jody Wood-Putnam, and led by Jim Burkhalter, curator of the University of West Florida Michael I. Cousens Herbarium, the group convened on Ponce de Leon Springs State Park in Holmes County.
Photo 2. On the group hike on the Ponce de Leon Springs State Park Field Trip.
On Monday, 22 November, 2 days before our family packed up and moved on from Pensacola with our next Navy job, Matias and I visited Jim at the UWF Michael I. Cousens Herbarium. Accompanied by Duane Tant and Kimberly Bremner, we had a behind the scenes tour of the amazing work that Jim has accomplished over his 48 years as curator of the herbarium and the more than 27,500 specimens he maintains. As promised, he had beautifully mounted Matias’ specimen of Agrostis perenens from Ponce de Leon State Park and even listed Matias T. Dunn as the collector along with Jim Burkhalter, the identifier.
Photo 4. Jim Burkhalter, Matias Dunn, and Lizzy Jenny displaying the new Agrostis perennans specimen at the Herbarium.
As mother and Longleaf Pine Chapter President, I couldn’t have been prouder of the accomplishment and really, all our time in Pensacola over our brief two and a half years. As Chapter President I learned a tremendous amount about the incredibly extensive biodiversity of my temporary Florida panhandle home, while also connecting with so many brilliant plantsmen and women in the area. To join forces with our neighboring Chapter and have such an awesome last trip really sealed my experience. I am so proud to have had the pleasure and opportunity to have been a part of the Florida Native Plant Society. I look forward to seeing the Longleaf Pine Chapter continue to grow as a botanical leader in the panhandle, led by our new President, Kimberly Bremner! Furthermore, I look forward to taking these experiences with me and my family as we move on to our next duty station with the Navy and mine and Matias’ next stage of our botanical careers.
Photo 5. Jim and Matias in the field together.
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