Landscape Awards for Restoration
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2023 Award of Excellence
West Campus Nature Trails
- Project Owner: Sun City Center Audubon Club
- Project Designer: RSS Services and Quest Ecology Inc.
- Project Contractor: RSS Services and Quest Ecology Inc.
- Award Category: restoration
- Location: Sun City Center
Sun City Center (SCC) has 37 acres of historic pine flatwoods with four nature trails maintained by SCC Audubon Club. The trail is well-known amongst SSC residents for the many native Maypops (Passiflora incarnata) and the zebra longwing and gulf fritillary butterfly population they sustain.
“The creativity to raise funds by Audubon members and community residents to restore this site is amazing to see,” said Lynda Davis, FNPS Executive Director, “they are promoting the use of native plants and educating the residents at the same time.”
2023 Award of Excellence
Mead Garden Uplands
- Project Owner: Tarflower Chapter of the Florida Native Plant Society
- Project Designer: Ron Blair, Amanda Martin, Amanda Freed
- Project Contractor: Tarflower Chapter of the Florida Native Plant Society
- Award Category: institutional
- Location: Winter Park
The presence of 100-year-old longleaf pines provided the inspiration for the Tarflower Chapter, The City of Winter Park, and Mead Botanical Garden to embark on restoration of the sandhill community by removing exotic plants and planting native grasses and wildflowers. In return, the site has expanded its gopher tortoise population and provided educational trails to visitors.
“Mead Botanical Garden is a wonderful example of what urban green space can become through partnerships,” said Lynda Davis, FNPS Executive Director, “they are a respite for visitors and residents alike and provide an oasis for wildlife.”
2023 Award of Excellence
Mark Miller's Home Landscape
- Project Owner: Mark Miller
- Project Designer: Mark Miller
- Project Contractor: N/A
- Award Category: residential
- Location: Ft. Myers
The residential home of Mark and Teresa Miller was one of only four top winners and the only residential winner of this annual award. Since 2005, the Millers have been adding native vegetation to their residential lot. Historically a pine flatwoods, the Millers have continued to project the adjacent wetlands and added species that are compatible to the site. After construction of the home, the applicant stated that “native plantings around the home began immediately, with cabbage palm, cocoplum, coontie (the owner’s favorite), Simpson stopper and wild coffee replacing the bahia grass.” Mr. Miller not only grew many plants from local seed sources, but also derived inspiration from “a desire to create a wildlife-friendly, hurricane-resistant, drought-tolerant upland landscape system (not just a collection of plants), and to maintain a functioning wetland habitat.”
“As the top residential winner, the Millers successfully combined the single-family subdivision aesthetic with native plant enhancement and wetland protection,” said Lynda Davis, FNPS Executive Director, “the Millers prove that native landscapes can co-exist in subdivisions and benefit wildlife.”
2021 Award of Merit
Wood Stork Pond
- Project Owner: The Shores of Long Bayou Condominiums
- Project Designer: Meadows Tree Service
- Project Contractor: A & M Tree Service
- Award Category: restoration
- Location: City of Seminole, Pinellas County
The wetlands committee of The Shores of Long Bayou Condominiums Home-Owners’ Association is committed to removing invasive Brazilian pepper (Schinus terebinthifolia), jumbie bean (white lead) tree (Leucaena leucocephala), and carrotwood (Cupaniopsis anacardioides). These invasive plants were out-competing mangroves surrounding one of our dozen stormwater reservoirs, Wood Stork Pond, within our nature reserve, that protects the habitat of both waterfowl and wildlife.
The ultimate goal of our project was to restore tidal flushing to the mangroves surrounding Wood Stork Pond. Ditches dug decades ago to drain land or control mosquitoes had filled in and were choking the mangroves. Removing invasive plants and dredging the canal provide the life-giving brackish flushing needed to guarantee mangrove longevity.
For more information about this project, please see Ernie Franke's presentation at our 40th Annual Conference.
2018 Award of Excellence
Kitching Creek Central Flow way, Martin County
- Project Owner: Martin County
- Project Designer: Martin County and Tetra Tech Inc.
- Project Contractor: Michael Yustin & Aquatic Vegetation Control
- Award Category: institutional
- Location: Martin County
2016 Award of Excellence
Perico Preserve Restoration
- Project Owner: Manatee County
- Project Designer: Stantec Consulting
- Project Contractor: Creative Wetlands, HRWP, Manatee Co. staff & volunteers
- Award Category: restoration
- Location: Bradenton
Primary Restoration Goals:
- Restore and re-create a diversity of high quality upland habitats on the site, which could feasibly be managed by County staff. Seed harvested from a nearby native flatwoods was used to improved habitat quality in the uplands
- Create wetland habitats on the site with a focus on supporting wading birds. Wetlands and islands that could support a rookery were created.
- Provide excellent opportunities for wildlife viewing and passive recreation.
- 176-Acre Parcel
- 56 Acres of Upland (pre-restoration)
- 98 Acres of Wetland (pre-restoration)
- 22 Acres of Bay Bottom (Submerged Land)
- Acquired by Manatee County on 11/26/2007
- Purchase price for property was $6,000,000
2015 Award of Excellence
Florida International University Nature Preserve
- Project Owner: Florida International University
- Project Designer:
- Project Contractor:
- Award Category: institutional
- Location: Miami
The Florida International University (FIU) Nature Preserve is a 16-acre environmental education facility dedicated to sharing the ecological knowledge about the Florida Everglades with FIU students and the university community. Thanks to significant restoration efforts this facility has developed within the last 5 years to become a key feature of the university campus and a valuable natural habitat.
FIU opened its doors in 1972 as a public research institution after the old Tamiami airport closed in 1966. Luckily, the current Nature Preserve land was located between several airport runways and was minimally disturbed, preserving its original soil and geology. Yet, while Tamiami airport was active, trees were not allowed to grow on the property due to interference with planes, making all the trees within the Nature Preserve only about 50 years old. The Nature Preserve was co-founded in 1978 by the Department of Earth and Environment and the Department of Biological Sciences, with faculty from these departments guiding its development. As time went on, faculty from departments such as landscape architecture, anthropology, education, and the honors college got involved as they realized the true value of having this outdoor classroom on campus. Ultimately, the Office of University Sustainability was charged with its management with the creation of a full-time position geared mainly towards the stewardship of the FIU Nature Preserve. This led to the inclusion of the Nature Preserve in the university master plan, safeguarding its future into the coming decades. In 2013, the university wholly embraced the preserve by investing close to three quarters of a million dollars into restoring its facilities.
With hopes to recreate the area’s original structure and function, considerable planning had to be done, most importantly documenting the organisms living within it. A catalogue of species was developed: 265 plants, 110 birds, 46 butterflies, 19 reptiles and amphibians, 9 fishes, and 4 mammals, including several state and federally listed species. Initial restoration efforts began in the 1970’s, but took on a new level of efficiency from the early 2000’s. Restoration work started at the southern end of the Nature Preserve and as staff and budgets grew, restoration efforts moved northward into the pine rockland area and the freshwater wetlands. The current hardwood hammock area entailed goals such as 1) surveying existing plants, 2) removing pre-existing invasive exotic species (mainly Casuarina equisetifolia), 3) planting native trees, 4) maintaining those plants to full maturity, and 5) monitoring plant composition.
The restoration efforts in the hammock were accomplished with great success, with that area being the ecologically “healthiest” part of the preserve to this day. In 2010, restoration began in the pine rockland area. The area had been so overgrown with hardwoods that it was completely indiscernible as a pine rockland except to those with a keen eye. Hundreds of native and exotic trees were dropped and stumps removed mechanically, simulating the role fire plays in this ecosystem. This showcased the existent slash pines and allowed for sunlight and rainwater to hit the soil, enabling many herbaceous species to grow and flower, really bringing attention to our restoration efforts. Since the soil and geology were intact, pine rockland plants moved in without any need for soil amendments.
Management evolved to monitoring for the following: saw palmettos, slash pines, recent plantings, endangered species, and incoming invasive species. Yet, the natural fire regime was still absent. So, in 2016 during Spring break, a prescribed fire was performed in the pine rockland habitat thanks to support from the Florida Forest Service.
This project, while still very much underway has bolstered a lot of university attention. The FIU Nature Preserve is the only university facility wholly dedicated to environmental education. There are 24 interpretive trail signs and about 100 tree tags lining the 1+ miles of trails throughout the preserve. With an approximate 15,000 annual visitors including 3,000 annual attendees to our various programs and events, our work interfaces with many individuals. More than 25 FIU courses from 9 different departments use this outdoor classroom each year, as well as many Miami-Dade County public school groups, local environmental clubs, camp groups, and nearby community members. The Nature Preserve provides many urban residents with an Everglades adventure that they may not have experienced otherwise by eliminating barriers such as travel distance, financial burden, and fear of wildlife/getting lost.
2012 Award of Excellence
Back Dune Restoration at White Sands Cabana Club
- Project Owner: Key Beach, Inc.
- Project Designer: Florida Native Plants Nursery & Landscaping
- Project Contractor: Florida Native Plants Nursery & Landscaping
- Award Category: restoration
- Location: Siesta Key
Cabana Sands, 6250 Midnight Passage Road, Sarasota FL 34242
Before restoration, the beach dune at White Sands Cabana Club was seriously degraded by a large tree canopy of invasive exotic species including Australian pine, Brazilian pepper and carrotwood. Native understory plants were smothered by a dense layer of Australian pine needles carpeting the ground. Only a few hardy native sabal palms and sea grapes persisted beneath the exotic canopy, accompanied by sparse patches of Florida privet and nickerbean in the more open areas.
The restoration process began with removal of all exotic plants listed on Sarasota County’s invasive plant list. Heavy equipment could not be used on the back dune, so trees were cut and lifted off using a large crane and disposed of offsite.
During the restoration, 85 trees were planted, including sabal palms, sea grapes, and red cedars. A small front-end loader was used to transport the palms. All other plants were installed by hand to minimize disturbance to the dune, including 600 pots of muhly grass, and 450 sea oats. Additionally, 100 assorted dune wildflowers and vines were planted, including dune sunflower, firewheel and railroad vine.
This twelve-year cooperative effort of private and public entities resulted in the restoration of one of the last, large back dune ecosystems remaining on Siesta Key.
2012 Award of Excellence
Restoration of Longleaf Pine Woods
- Project Owner: Peggy Sias Lantz
- Project Designer: Peggy Sias Lantz
- Project Contractor: Green Isle Gardens
- Award Category: restoration
- Location: Red Gate Road, Orange County, Florida
The name of the project is Restoration of Longleaf Pine Woods. The location of this project is Red Gate
Road, Orange County, Florida, east of Ocoee and west of Pine Hills. The purpose of the project is to
restore a badly overgrown five-acre woods to its longleaf pine/sandhill habitat to encourage return of
gopher tortoises, Lupinus aridorum, and other native species of both plants and animals.
2010 Ecological Restoration Award of Excellence
Highland Oaks Mitigation Project
- Project Owner: Laura Shepard, Agent Coastal Systems International, Inc.
- Project Designer: Laura Shepard, Agent Coastal Systems International, Inc.
- Project Contractor:
- Award Category: restoration
- Location: Coral Gables
This project began with the removal of invasive plant species and debris and restoration of the site’s natural hydroperiod. The site was replanted with native freshwater wetland species, and the restored wetlands now interact naturally with the nearby Oleta River.
2010 Ecological Restoration Award of Honor
Peck Lake Park Mitigation Project
- Project Owner: Martin County BOCC
- Project Designer: Martin County Environmental Quality Program
- Project Contractor: Habitat Restoration and Earth Balance
- Award Category: restoration
- Location: Martin County
High value was placed on use of native plants and their relationship to local native plant communities during the restoration of this disturbed area. Exotic species were so pervasive that clearing and burning was used prior to the installation of native plants. Trail signs aid protection of the restoration area and increase the public’s knowledge of plants and ecosystems.
2009 Award of Honor
McKay Creek Greenway Natural Area Habitat Restoration
- Project Owner: Pinellas County Extension
- Project Designer: Debbie Chayet & Vernon Bryant, Largo, FL
- Project Contractor:
- Award Category: restoration
- Location: Largo
The McKay Creek Greenway is a green corridor located in Pinellas County. The 400-acre Walsingham Park, Pinellas Extension, the Heritage Village historical complex, the Florida Botanical Gardens, 60-acre “The Natural Area”, Animal Services, 23-acre Ridgecrest Park and 157-acre Taylor Park are all part of the Greenway.
The site includes pine flatwoods, xeric hammock, forested wetland, and scrub hardwoods, and 26 state and/or federally listed species make the Greenway their home. Too close to major roads for prescriptive fire, inappropriate successional native plants thrived, with oaks and grape vines shading out under-story vegetation. Due to the inappropriate habitat, quail and gopher tortoise migrated away from the area.
Habitat restoration and enhancement began with the elimination of Brazilian pepper, climbing fern, air potato, Guinea and cogon grass. After exotic removal, 6,500 native plants were installed and established. A winding interpretive trail was created, enhanced by 17 educational signs containing information about habitat restoration, prescribed burning, native habitats, native plant species, wildlife needs, exotic invasive plants, and the benefits of dead tree snags.
Volunteers and staff continue to maintain and upgrade the site on a regular basis.
2009 Award of Honor
Lee County Mitigation Park
- Project Owner: Lee County Port Authority
- Project Designer: Johnson Engineering, Inc., Ft. Myers, FL
- Project Contractor:
- Award Category: restoration
- Location: Ft. Myers, FL
Lee County Port Authority’s Mitigation Park was created to address the County’s future mitigation needs in advance of planned expansion projects. At nearly 7,000 acres, the Mitigation Park contains the single largest freshwater marsh in Lee County, which covers over 1,000 acres. In addition to wetland areas, several fallow farm fields in the park required restoration.
Aerial photos from 1953 were used to discover original drainage patterns and flow ways. A total of 406 acres of marsh and wetland creation was proposed after review of these historic photos. Before proceeding with the restoration, a two year study of rain fall and groundwater monitoring was performed, which helped to identify proper elevations for the target hydroperiod for each wetland type.
Over 150,000 cubic yards of organic material removed from wetlands impacted by the construction of a new airport terminal were used in the restoration. More than 800,000 plants were installed in the created wetlands, with an 80% survival rate. An additional 1,370 acres of uplands and wetlands were enhanced, reducing invasive exotics to only 5% coverage.
To date, restoration of the Mitigation Park has cost $7.8 million. 5,042 of the total 7,000 acres in Mitigation Park are preservation lands. Of this total, 3,378 acres are wetlands and 1,664 acres are comprised of uplands. The Mitigation Park also provides important connectivity to other preservation areas such as the 60,000 acre Corkscrew Regional Ecosystem Watershed
2009 Award of Excellence
Hutchinson Island Restoration Project
- Project Owner: Martin County Board of County Commissioners
- Project Designer: Michael Yustin, Steve Woodmansee and John Bradford
- Project Contractor:
- Award Category: restoration
- Location: Stuart, FL
Over the years, Martin County has acquired more than 350 acres of sensitive coastal habitat. Many sites have been disturbed by mosquito control projects, road building, and construction. The subsequent invasion of exotic plants, which often developed into monocultures, competed with native species for dominance.
Restoration was a top priority, and efforts were focused on restoring 1 linear mile of coastal habitat at Bob Graham Beach, Curtis Beach, Alex/Beachwalk Pasley, Santa Lucea and Jensen Beach. $750,000 was spent removing exotics from 50 acres, and 20 acres were vegetated with native plants appropriate to the coastal strand.
Meadow Beauty Nursery was hired to collect seeds and grow many of the plants since some species needed for restoration were unavailable. Nearly 16,000 plants were installed and volunteers contributed approximately 1,000 hours of time to the restoration effort. Signs highlighting the problem of exotics and the benefits of using native plants were placed on site to educate visitors about the importance of the restoration to the health of the coastal strand.
2008 Ecosystem Restoration First Place
Possum Branch Preserve
- Project Owner: Pinellas County Board of Commissioners
- Project Designer: Paul Berlage, P.E., Stephen Robinson, Belinda B Lambert
- Project Contractor: Biological Research Associates, Inc.
- Award Category: restoration
- Location: Safety Harbor, Pinellas County
Possum Branch Preserve is a 25.4-acre parcel in upper Pinellas County. The site consisted of flatwoods and bottomland hardwood forest prior to the construction of the Lake Tarpon Outfall Canal, when large amounts of dredged spoil material were deposited over the area. Subsequently the land was used as pasture.
Numerous exotics were present, including Brazilian pepper (Schinus terebinthifolius), Chinese tallow (Sapium sebiferum), camphor (Cinnamomum camphora) and tropical soda apple (Solanum viarum).
Situated at the intersection of two major arterial roads, the site was proposed for commercial zoning when public outcry prompted the County to purchase the property. A variety of habitats were incorporated into the design, including an oligohaline marsh, a forested seep slope, freshwater marshes, open water, hardwood hammock, cypress swamp and pine flatwoods. This diversity was expected to provide an abundance of wildlife and thus an opportunity for passive recreation. Signs have been posted at each gate entrance, explaining the purpose and nature of the site. Possible future additions include educational kiosks, benches, plant identification labels, as well as partnerships with local schools for use as an outdoor classroom.
The wetter eastern border was steered towards a hardwood hammock, augmented with such species as southern magnolia (Magnolia grandiflora), pignut hickory (Carya glabra), wild coffee (Psychotria nervosa) and lizard’s tail (Saururus cernuus). The southern border provided the beginnings of a flatwoods community – longleaf pine, saw palmetto (Serenoa repens), beautyberry (Callicarpa americana) and wiregrass (Aristida stricta var. beyrichiana) were installed.
A significant benefit of this project is water quality improvement. Stormwater from adjacent developments is routed through the Preserve’s wetlands before being discharged into the Lake Tarpon Outfall Canal, and then into Lake Tarpon, a designated Outstanding Florida Water.
2007 Ecosystem Restoration Second Place
Felts Audubon Preserve Restoration
- Project Owner: Manatee County Audubon Society
- Project Designer: Manatee County Audubon Society and Florida Department of Environmental Protection
- Project Contractor:
- Award Category: restoration
- Location: Palmetto, FL
Feltz Audubon Preserve, Corner of 24th Avenue East and Experimental Farm Road , Palmetto, FL
Improvemets to disturbed uplads and wetlads to improve habitat quality and aesthetics.
2007 Ecosystem Restoration Third Place
Circle B-Bar Reserve
- Project Owner: Polk County Environmental Lands Program
- Project Designer: Laura Namm NeSmith, Water & Air Research, Inc.
- Project Contractor:
- Award Category: restoration
- Location: Lakeland
Circle B Bar Reserve, 4399 Winter Lake Road Lakeland, Fl 33803
Improvement of habitats using fire, mechanical treatment, and planting to restore uplands acquired by Polk County as pasture into higher quality wildlife habitat.
2005 First Place
Chapman’s Pond and Nature Trails
- Project Owner: Gainesville Regional Utilities
- Project Designer: Meghan E. Pressley
- Project Contractor:
- Award Category: restoration
- Location: Gainesville
7100 SW 41 Place, Gainesville, FL
(Off Tower Road, east of Kanapaha Veterans Memorial Park)
2005 First Place
District Seven Outdoor Advertising Sign Mitigation Tree Planting
- Project Owner: Florida Department of Transportation
- Project Designer: Will Moriarty, Fla Dept. of Transportation
- Project Contractor:
- Award Category: restoration
- Location: Tampa
2005 Runner Up
Lake Forest Pond
- Project Owner:
- Project Designer: Post, Buckley, Schuh & Jernigan
- Project Contractor:
- Award Category: restoration
- Location: Panama City Beach
Restoration of a lake shoreline and littoral zone.