Featured Projects - Citizen-science


FNPS has a hands-on approach to conservation.  The projects listed here are large conservation and restoration projects involving many FNPS members and FNPS leaders in multiple capacities.  They range from buying and managing land to improving the protection and management of that land for target species, to major relocations of rare plants from areas to be developed or otherwise made unsuited to areas where the species can be protected and managed and their habitats improved.

The Council of Chapters spearheaded the development of six regional native plant brochure.  Each brochure has easily gown plants (trees, shrubs, and herbaceous species) characteristic of the region.  The brochure is full color and distributed through the FNPS chapters.

Poster versions are available for sale from our TeeSpring Store.

  Email the Project Contact

One side of the unfolded native plant brochure.

 

 

Florida torreya (Torreya taxifolia), is North America's most endangered conifer, and its habitat is the steep ravines along the Apalachicola River in north Florida and extending in similar habitat to about 1 mile into southern Georgia. 

Once growing to mature heights of 30-60ft tall, the few remaining Torreyas now rarely reach above 10ft, with the majority ranging between 2-5ft tall. Few trees reach sexual maturity before dying back to their roots again and (hopefully) resprouting.

So what is killing the Florida Torreya? The reasons for its decline have been hotly debated - though habitat degradation due to development, silviculture, climate changes, and other human causes have all contributed. The trees are also susceptible to damage by deer rubbing. Over the years, many hypotheses have been purposed for the disappearance of Torreya, however, the primary culprit of the death and decline of this species was named in 2011: Fusarium torreyae

This fungal pathogen was unknown to science until recently identified and described by Dr. Jason Smith at the University of Florida. Jason suspects this fungus evolved in Asia along with relatives of Torreya taxifolia native to that region and was likely introduced through the import of those non-native species for horticultural uses, though more work will be needed to know for sure. 

The FNPS TorreyaKeepers project is focused on working with private landowners to locate and conserve trees on private property.  This project will expand upon the work that Atlanta Botanical Garden (ABG) is doing on public lands and help to conserve more of the genetic diversity of Florida Torreya.  In partnership with ABG we collect seeds and cuttings for propagation and genetic safeguarding by ABG in their nursery.  We developed a brochure to help private landowners identify Florida Torreya and distinguish it from other similar-looking trees. We also developed a brochure on best management practices to help private landowners protect the species on their properties.

Partners

Atlanta Botanical Garden

Torreya State Park

Sponsors

Florida Forest Service

Jelks Family Foundation

Many individual donors - thank you!

Updates

Dec. 23, 2019 -
   Blog Article
   Photographs

Resources

TorreyaKeepers Website:  torreyakeepers.fnps.org

Torreya taxifolia (Florida torreya).  Photo by Bill Boothe.

what-we-do/Resize_Torreya%207324%20cage%20Gholson%20NP.jpg

FNPS volunteers caging a Torreya tree to protect it from deer, who like to rub on the trees.

what-we-do/first%20tree%2C%20first%20day.JPG

Torreya taxifolia (Florida torreya).  Photo by Lilly Anderson-Messec.