Conservation of Native Plants and Their Habitats
Conservation is Key!
FNPS focuses on conservation including the preservation and restoration of rare plants and their habitats.
Conservation of Florida's native plant species and their habitats are inherent in the mission of FNPS. We work to conserve them in many ways: supporting acquisition of conservation lands, supporting good management of those lands, acquiring and managing lands of particular importance to our unique and rare species.
The conservation efforts of FNPS are strongly grounded in botanical and environmental science. They are based on empirical data on the effects of land management, species rarity, biogeographical history, invasive species control and current data on plant taxonomy and genetics.
Explore our featured projects to see examples of some of our major recent projects.
FNPS funds conservation projects.
Many of these projects are funded by FNPS' annual Conservation Grants. These grants are funded on the basis of application quality and fund availablity.
FNPS also funds other conservation projects identified by leadership as providing important conservation benefits to the flora of Florida.
Your financial contributions make these grants possible.
For many years, FNPS has supported state and local acquisition of conservation lands. We operate at both the state and local level to support public acquisition and appropriate management of lands that protect intact ecosystems, native flora, and wildlife. At the state level, FNPS was a participant in the renewal of the Florida Forever Program, and has supported the ongoing funding of land acquisition programs
FNPS continues to support full funding for the Florida Forever Programs including funds for further acquisitions and management.
Recently, FNPS took a new step, working with generous grant providers, FNPS has acquired land that supports the endangered plant Warea amplexifolia (clasping warea) and will be managing it for the benefit of this rare species found only in Florida.
The Florida Native Plant Society is working with conservation partners and concerned citizens to preserve and restore native species on preserved lands.
Thanks to the success of our Citizen Science Project to Map Rare Plant Species, we were able to share GIS data with our conservation partner, Putnam Land Conservancy (PLC). Working together and engaging the assistance of scientists, students and concerned citizens, we have identified an undeveloped area of sandhill that if protected, will preserve important wildlife habitat and a natural corridor between publically-protected conservation lands. The project area is home to numerous rare plant and animal species including clasping warea (Warea amplexifolia), a critically endangered plant species, the Florida sand skink (Plestiodon reynoldsi), Florida black bear (Ursus americanus floridanus), gopher tortoise (Gopherus polyphemus), and Sherman’s fox squirrel (Sciurus niger shermani).
Please join us in thanking our partner Putnam Land Conservancy for all the great work they are doing!
Jim Buckner shows off clasping warea plants at a parcel preserved and managed by Putnam Land Conservancy