History of the Florida Native Plant Society

In late 1980 or early 1981, a small group of botanists, environmentalists, and one botany student met in the office of Bill Partington at the Environmental Information Center of the Florida Conservation Foundation in Winter Park, Florida. Partington, the Foundation’s director, had been instrumental in the campaign against the Cross-Florida Barge Canal.



The group shared a growing concern about the destruction of Florida’s native plants and the increasing spread of invasive species. They asked Partington to help establish an organization devoted to protecting and promoting Florida’s native flora. That meeting marked the birth of the Florida Native Plant Society (FNPS).

Among the ten who formed the FNPS steering committee were:

• Dick Workman, Senior Environmental Scientist, Missimer and Associates, Cape Coral
  
• Barbara Whittier, Biology and Environmental Science Teacher, Lyman High School, Longwood
  
• Dr. Henry Whittier, Professor of Biological Sciences, University of Florida
  
• Norma Jeanne Byrd, Manager of a native plant nursery, Sanibel
  
• Buford Pruitt, Biologist, Water and Air Research, Inc., Gainesville
  
• Clay Thompson, Botany student, University of Central Florida
  
• Carol Lotspeich, Environmental Consultant, Winter Park
  
  

The committee determined that the Society’s focus would be to educate the public, develop local ordinances, create information resources, lobby for legislation, produce educational materials, work with developers, and promote local membership chapters.

Partington agreed to serve as the first director of the Florida Native Plant Society, a role he held until 1986.

Around 1981, Partington called Peggy Sias Lantz and asked her to contribute an article to the new Society’s newsletter. Although the newsletter did not yet exist, Lantz accepted the invitation and wrote a piece titled “The Aeolian Harp Tree,” about the Sabal palmetto (cabbage palm). When she delivered the article, she discovered there was no publication yet in place—so she volunteered to create one.

That decision launched The Palmetto, with Lantz as its first editor, a position she held for fifteen years.

Partington’s leadership and organizational skill were instrumental in establishing the Society’s early momentum. He organized the first conference at Rollins College, developed connections with leading scientists and conservationists, and encouraged the formation of local chapters. His innovative ideas also extended to humor—he created the “Calamity Calendar,” which humorously chronicled Florida’s environmental mishaps, and distributed bumper stickers reading, “Leaving Florida? Take a friend.”

Under Partington’s leadership, FNPS gained a strong foundation and a growing membership. When the Society later became independent, he was honored with a lifetime membership for his contributions.

Lantz named the newsletter The Palmetto and asked her brother, Dr. Fred Sias, a skilled letterer, to design the masthead. Bill Partington contributed a semi-circular logo, and together these became the banner for each issue for the next fifteen years.

The first issue, published in February 1981, featured articles by:

• Dr. Taylor R. Alexander, University of Miami, "An Exotic Plant Pest"
• Peggy Lantz, “The Aeolian Harp Tree”
• Dr. Daniel Austin, Florida Atlantic University, "Endangered? Or Exotic?"
• Ken Morrison, Bok Tower Gardens, "On Dead Trees"

That same issue announced the first Florida Native Plant Society Conference, held at Rollins College on April 24–25, 1981. The event was co-sponsored by the Florida Conservation Foundation, the Sanibel-Captiva Conservation Foundation, and the Environmental Studies Program at Rollins College. Over 200 people attended, with Dr. Wayne King of the University of Florida serving as keynote speaker.

During the conference, an interim board of directors was elected, including Dr. Daniel Austin, Wilhelmina Greene, William Hammond, Dr. Daniel Ward, Dr. Bijan Dehgan, Joyce Gann, Norma Jeanne Byrd, Carol Lotspeich, K. Terrance Mock, and Peggy Lantz.

By the end of its first year, FNPS had adopted bylaws, elected officers, established standing committees, and seen at least five chapters form—in Central Florida, Naples, South Brevard, Tampa Bay, and Palm Beach.

The Palmetto expanded from eight to ten pages and began printing its first color elements, thanks to Tony Cavalieri, the printer who handled every issue for fifteen years.

Lantz ensured that The Palmetto never lacked for content. She wrote much of the organizational material herself but regularly received submissions from professors, gardeners, and Society members across Florida.

Producing The Palmetto before home computers was a labor-intensive process.

Articles arrived typed, handwritten, or even dictated over the phone or cassette tape. Lantz retyped every submission on her electric Dvorak typewriter, editing for grammar, clarity, and organization. She then sent the manuscripts to a CompuServe service for professional typesetting. Photographs were resized and screened for print, and final layouts were done manually.

Using “paste-up boards” on a light table, Lantz waxed and positioned each column of text and wrapped the artwork with tape to create boxes and borders. Once complete, she delivered the finished boards to the printer, who photographed, plated, printed, folded, collated, and stapled each issue by hand.

This painstaking process connected editors, writers, and printers through shared dedication rather than technology. The result was a beautiful, content-rich publication that reflected the passion behind the Society’s mission.

By 1985, FNPS had expanded to fourteen chapters, each promoting native plants and conservation throughout Florida. Under the leadership of President Sherry Cummings, the Board of Directors determined that the Society had matured enough to function as an independent organization.

In the Winter 1985–1986 issue of The Palmetto, the Board announced:

FNPS contracted with Crow-Segal Management Co. of Winter Park to handle administrative tasks such as bookkeeping, membership records, and correspondence. However, the arrangement proved unsatisfactory, and the Society later contracted with Don Lantz, Peggy’s husband, who managed FNPS business operations from their home.

During the transition, boxes containing FNPS files were mistakenly taken away by a garbage truck before Don could retrieve them—resulting in the loss of many early records. The Lantz home subsequently became the unofficial headquarters of the Florida Native Plant Society.

Despite these challenges, FNPS membership and activities continued to grow. In 1985, the Society held its first photography contest, one of many programs designed to engage members and highlight the beauty of Florida’s native plants.

Through the dedication of its founding members, the Florida Native Plant Society grew from a small gathering of conservation-minded individuals into a statewide organization devoted to education, advocacy, and stewardship.

The vision that began in a Winter Park office in 1980 continues to thrive today through local chapters, publications, events, and community programs. The Society’s work reflects the same spirit that inspired its founders — a commitment to protecting Florida’s native plants and the natural heritage they represent for future generations.