Munn Park in downtown Lakeland. 9am-4pm. The Heartland Chapter of FNPS will have a booth to display our brochures. We will be selling books and native Florida plants. Come stop by our booth and learn more about Florida's native plants.

 

 

Meet 9am, Mar. 13, Lower Wekiva River Preserve State Park, 8300 West State Road 46, Sanford Join the Florida Park Service biologist on a hike through the Sandhill Nature Trail and eventually ending up at the Wekiva River. The park is approximately 18,000 acres of sandhill, scrub, flatwoods and wetland communities. The property was purchased to protect the shores of the Wekiva River, St. Johns River and Black Water Creek. The property is part of a larger wildlife/habitat corridor that stretches to the Ocala National Forest. Free. For reservations: 407 349-0551.

Top Local Water-wise Native Plants and Where to See Them 6:30pm, Apr. 12, Environmental Studies Center, 2985 Osprey Trail, Longwood Central Florida has a rich native plant palette, but some plants are easier to grow and more drought tolerant than others. Deborah Green, a specialist in water-wise native plants, has given many workshops on the topic during her 9 years as Water Conservation Coordinator for the water utilities of Volusia County. She developed a series of demonstration landscapes, two of which won awards from Florida Native Plant Society (FNPS), plus a series of educational flyers on the topic. Using media and live plant material, she will teach how these plants grow in the landscape and where to find them. Deborah is the Cuplet Fern Chapter's State Representative, a local author, and has been a FNPS member for 22 years. Free. 407 349-0502.

 

Paul Rebmann will lead a joint field trip of the Pawpaw and Sea Oats chapters to Crescent Lake Conservation Area.  This is a St. Johns Waster Management District property northeast of Seville and southwest of Bunnell, at the south end of Crescent Lake in northwest Volusia county. The small butterworts - Pinguicula pumila, as shown here - are blooming.
To carpool, meet at the Ormond Beach Publix, Granada and Williamson to depart at 8:30 am.
Or if coming from other directions (Flagler & St. Johns Counties) meet at the conservation area parking lot at 9:15 am. <- note new time!
This is a moderate to slightly strenuous walk of about 2  miles (NOT the entire 3-1/2 mile loop) on mostly sand roads.  There is a porta-potty at a picnic-camping area not far off the trail we will be passing on the way in and out.

After lunch at a casual Mexican eatery in Crescent City, we will visit Newbold Wildflower Seed Farm near Crescent City.

Click the more details link for important navigational & trail information.

Contact: Paul Rebmann, wildflpaul@earthlink.net 386-290-9381 for more information or to sign up. 

9-11 a.m. (Central Time) Landbird Monitoring Protocol & Database

1-3 p.m. (Central Time) Analysis & Mapping tools

 

Guided hikes at 8:00, 9:30 and 11:00 a.m.   Details 407 349-0959

 

Our visit to Werner Boyce State Park is on a Sunday starting at 10 a.m. and will last about 2 hours; there are no facilities. After observing examples of invasive plants near the parking area, we’ll walk a trail passing through several natural communities including uplands, wetlands, and salt barren. Conditions could be wet and/or muddy in places, but otherwise not difficult.   Directions: Meet at the far west end of SR52 (west of US19) at 10 am. 

Hosted by the Georgia Botanical Society.  Lots of Feild trip choices and affordable!  Friday night lecture by Gil Nelson.   Details and registration information at: www.gabotsoc.org/?page_id=23

Contact: Jim Drake drake3800@charter.net

 

 

2-4 p.m. the Seminole Audubon Society (SAS) March program will be presenting the touring documentary film “Kilowatt Ours: A Plan to Re-Energize America,”. It is the story of filmmaker and conservationist Jeff Barrie’s journey across the U.S. to document our energy-relating problems and present practical, cost-saving solutions for consumers to apply to their lives. The two-part SAS program will also feature local conservationist Joseph Manning’s account of his personal experience at the United Nations Climate Change Conference held in Copenhagen, Denmark this past December. A student at Haggerty High School, Manning attended the conference as representative of the Sierra Student Coalition. The meeting will be held at the Seminole County Library in Sanford (150 N Palmetto Avenue, Sanford). Information call 407- 977-4389.

 

Sandhill Communities.
Dr. Craig Huegel, a FNPS Pinellas Chapter member, has published several books and numerous articles about Florida native plants and wildlife. His newest book, Adding Life to Our landscapes: Designing for Wildlife with Florida's Native Plants should be published in 2010. Dr. Huegel will provide an in-depth look at one of Florida's most beautiful and diverse ecosystems, but one that is now globally imperiled. 

 

 

Call Marion County Parks & Recreation Department at (352) 671-8560 and speak with Cathy Norris.

Pleae read the Announcement above.

 

6:30 PM  

The meeting program will be a DVD presentation on Native Florida Wildflowers from the Florida Wildflower Cooperative.

This will be a great lead-up to the 4th annual Florida Wildflower and Garden Festival in Deland on March 27.

The March plant of the month is Coontie.

FYI - The March meeting is back at Sica Hall on our regular meeting night. 

Joe Murphy is the Florida Coordinator for the Gulf  Restoration Network (GRN).  He works with local organizations in Florida on behalf of GRN to protect and restore the Gulf Coast of Florida. Joe Murphy is a native Floridian who grew up on the Gulf Coast of Florida and now lives in Hernando County, Fl. with his wife and three dogs. Joe has worked on conservation and coastal issues as an advocate and community organizer in Florida since 1990, working for groups like the Sierra Club, Florida PIRG, the Endangered Species Coalition, and Oceana. Joe also volunteers with the Hernando Audubon Society and Florida Defenders of the Environment. He enjoys kayaking and fishing along the Gulf Coast of Florida, and is always looking for an excuse to spend time along Florida's Nature Coast. 

Time:  6:30 PM

Location:  Regency Square Library, 9900 Regency Square Blvd., Jacksonville, FL 32225

Agenda:  Business meeting followed by guest speaker

Program:  Dr. Marc Minno, published author and expert on Florida butterflies.  He will discuss imperiled butterflies of Florida, butterfly gardens, and native plants and butterflies.  Dr. Minno will sell copies of his books following his presentation.

Dr. Minno received a Bachelor’s degree in entomology from Purdue University, a Master’s in entomology from the University of California at Davis, and a Ph.D. in zoology from the University of Florida.  He works as a Supervising Regulatory Scientist for the St. Johns River Water Management District in Palatka.  Dr. Minno has written or co-authored many scientific and popular articles on butterflies and moths as well as the following books of local interest, Butterflies of the Florida Keys (Scientific Publishers, 1993), Florida Butterfly Gardening (University Press of Florida, 1999), Butterflies through Binoculars: Florida (Oxford University Press, 2001), Florida Butterfly Caterpillars and Their Host Plants (University Press of Florida, 2005), and Rare, Declining, and Poorly Known Butterflies and Moths (Lepidoptera) of Forests and Woodlands in the Eastern U.S. (U.S. Forest Service, 2009).

 

Speaker: Mark L. Johnson, MLA, ASLA (Pine Lily President)

Subject:  Making Natives Work: Designing Home Landscapes

 

Time: 9 am
Enjoy a 3-mile hike through a diversity of habitats in the park's northern wilderness area. See the fringe trees blooming in the spring. 

Pine Lily Chapter will have an information booth, so please stop by.  Volunteers always needed for the booth.  Contact Jenny

 

Meet at the Model Dairy Parking lot (about 100 yds southwest of the park entrance off US 301) at 9:00 am. 

The Harry P. Leu Gardens is located at 1920 North Forest Avenue, Orlando, Florida 32803

Entry into the gardens is free to the public during the event.  Be sure to bring your garden wagon to take all of the great buys home.  Learn more at http://www.leugardens.org/events.html.

Click HERE to add the event to your OUTLOOK CALENDAR.

 

Time:  12:00 Noon, bring lunch; hike begins at 1:00  PM

Location: Ft. Clinch State Park, 2601 Atlantic Ave., Fernandina Beach, FL 32034 

Dr. George Weaver will lead a walk along the Sopchoppy River to see native shrubs (Azalea, et. al.) in bloom.  Meet at Crawfordville Winn Dixie parking log 3/21/10 to carpool to the trail at the lower bridge at Bradwell Bay. 

Join us for a weekend trip to the Tallahassee area, to see spring ephemerals and rare plants! Bring your tent or RV, or stay in a "Yurt" at Torreya State Park. We will be visiting this park, Apalachicola Bluffs and Ravines Preserve, and other places in the surrounding area and on the drive from Pinellas to Leon County.

Information about Torreya State Park

Hiking Trails at Torreya State Park

Information about Apalachicola Bluffs and Ravines Preserve

 

Gardening speakers, demonstrations & wildflower and general gardening and related vendors. Call (386)738-0649

 

 

This is a vital meeting to discuss the future of the chapter.  All Pine Lily Members are welcome to attend.

Location:  tba

 

2724 S Ponte Vedra Blvd, Ponte Vedra Beach, FL 32082 (just south of the GTM Environmental Education Center on A1A)

Lecture will feature an overview of the most common and damaging invasive plants in NE Florida.

 

Friday, 9:00 am – 5:00 pm

Saturday, 9:00 am – 3:00 pm

The Pine Lily Chapter will have an information table at this event.  Jenny needs help with coverage. Please volunteer a couple of hours.

 

 

Cheryl Peterson of Bok Tower Gardens will describe the methods used at the conservation garden at Lake Wales' Bok Tower Gardens. Members and guests will travel to the Gardens on Saturday, April10. 

April's meeting is Tuesday, April 6, 2010 at Leu Gardens, 7:00 PM. Meetings are open to the public.   

Bill Bissett, ASLA, co-owner with his wife Nancy of The Natives, will share his unique and sustainable landscape design philosophy with us. His designs stress the necessity of environmentally functional landscapes, over the non-functional landscapes usually seen in institutional commercial and residential work. This philosophy has led to many successfl and sustainable design projects, for which he has received many statewide awards.

 

Saturday, 10 am - 2pm
  GTM Environmental Education Center - 505 Guana River Road, Ponte Vedra Beach FL 32082

Part of a national movement to get families involved in outdoor activities together, the GTM Research Reserve will host this day of family fun and exploration featuring educational and recreational activities centered around the estuary and upland habitats.  Highlights include: Family Estuary Explorer program where YOU get to be the reseracher (call to reserve space) and Ripple Effects family friendly kayak trips (registration and fee apply).  Collect memories and stamps in your GTM Passport as you walk the trails and learn about the animals, habitats, and history of the Guana Peninsula.  $3 per vehicle

Contact: GTM Research Reserve - (904) 823-4500

 

 

WHEN: Saturday April 10, 2010; 7:30 am

 

WHERE: Meet in the Publix Parking Lot on West Nine Mile Road & Pine Forest Road (2180 W Nine Mile Rd, Pensacola, FL 32534-9472)

 

WHAT: In partnership with the Francis M. Weston Chapter of the Audubon Society, there will be an all-day field trip to Dauphin Island and Grand Bay Savanna to see the birds passing through and the plants that are growing there.

 

WHO: Anyone interested in FL Native Plants. Bring a friend!

 

WHAT TO BRING: Water, picnic lunch (there are restaurants on Dauphin Island if you prefer), hat, binoculars, camera, bird & plant guides, insect repellant; Wear boots.

 

 

In Beautiful downtown Winter Garden. Learn more at http://www.springfeveringarden.com/.

Click HERE to add the event to your OUTLOOK CALENDAR.

 

Field Trip: Apr 10 (Sat)

Flagler County’s Linear Park

Leader:  Mark Wheeler  Home: 386 586-6580 

 

Time:  11:00 AM - 4:00 PM

Location:  Walter Jones Historical Park, 12471 Mandarin Rd., Jacksonville, FL 32223; 904-268-0784 or mandarinmuseum.net

Ixia will have a booth at this event.  Please join us, and other organizations, in celebrating the beautiful St. Johns River and the park 

We are sharing a hike with the Tarflower chapter.  The hike will be led by our Cuplet Fern member, Beth Jackson and the hike will be on an Orange County property.

 

Find natives here!  The Suncoast Chapter has our sale area just inside the gate.  Our plants are appropriate for west central Florida including Hillsborough, Pasco, Polk, Manatee, and Hernando counties.   Proceeds from the plants you buy go to support our Suncoast Chapter. 

Our speaker is Sid Taylor who has been with the Florida Dept. of Agriculture since 1993 and is the Resident Park Naturalist at Tillis Hill in Citrus County.  Come see a sampler of our Central Florida spring blooming wildflowers with an introduction to families and the significance of species. After our cold winter we’ll be glad to see spring flowers and she will teach us what to call them and why! This is a fine opportunity to learn to identify native wildflowers and plants in their natural habitat. 

Central Florida's water conservation event of the year is being organized by the USGBC LEED for Homes committee. This free 2-hour workshop will be held April 13 6-8PM at the Orange County Extension Center on Conway. In this workshop, find out about upcoming stormwater regulations and how they will impact you and your yard, where to obtain a rain barrels, gutter systems, and cisterns, and how rain sensors save water and money. Learn about native plants suitable for water-wise landscapes and new regulations in support of Florida Friendly landscapes. Finally learn about water efficiency rebates available from local utilities, how to select most water efficient fixtures and to calculate pay back for fixtures being replaced.

The Extension Center is at 6021 S. Conway Road, Orlando, FL 32812. Cuplet Fern Chapter’s own Gabrielle Milch and Deborah Green will be speakers, as will FNPS Executive Director Karina Veaudry. To register, call 407-637-2525.

 

Time:  6:30 PM

Location:  Location:  Regency Square Library, 9900 Regency Square Blvd., Jacksonville, FL 32225

Agenda:  Business meeting followed by guest speaker

Program:  Neil Armingeon, the St. Johns Riverkeeper, will join us for an in depth presentation and discussion on “An Update on Issues Facing the St. Johns River”.

Neil Armingeon previously served as the Environmental Director of the Lake Pontchartrain Basin Foundation in New Orleans. For over 10 years, he galvanized diverse coalitions of citizens in support of a clean, sustainable Lake Pontchartrain Watershed and developed and directed grass-roots campaigns that integrated science, advocacy, and public policy. Prior to his work in with the Foundation, Neil was Project Director for the North Carolina Coastal Federation, one of the state's largest environmental groups, where he directed advocacy and hands-on regulatory education programs.

Neil has a bachelor of science degree from North Carolina State University and a master's degree in Environmental Management from Duke University.

 

Speaker:  Ginny Stibolt -- author of Sustainable Gardening for Florida, (a must-have reference for Florida's gardeners, landscapers, and property managers.  This is an action book filled with doable projects and methods designed to benefit Florida's ecosystems, published by University Press of Florida.)

Subject:  Use of native plants in a sustainable landscape and the use of rain gardens to capture stormwater on your property.

Ginny also will be signing books!

 

Plant Sales, exhibits, music, guided walks, food, children's activities. VOLUNTEERS NEEDED. 

The Pine Lily Chapter will have a display at this event.  We could use some additional help to cover the table even if only for an hour or two.  Contact Jenny with your availability.

 

Sponsored by Wilcox Nursery, 12501 Indian Rocks Road, Largo.
http://www.wilcoxnursery.com

Native plant experts will be on hand to give guidance about adding natives to your landscape. There will be educational talks at 9:30 am, 11:00 am, and 1:30 pm

To volunteer for this event, please contact Mary Sanders: (727) 733-0552 

Time: 10:00 AM—12:00 PM. Picnic facilities available.  Bring lunch and stay after the hike.

Location: Theodore Roosevelt Area, 13165 Mt. Pleasant Road, Jacksonville, FL 32225

Additional Information:  Join us for a hike along the St. Johns River and experience both the problems and the magnificence of this precious resource.  The St. Johns River flows 310 miles from south to north until it empties into the Atlantic Ocean at Mayport.  We will not only learn more about The River, we will also learn about the native plants along its banks and in the water and hear about the  eco-system. Wildlife surrounds more than four miles of these scenic hiking trails, including rare birds, raccoons, foxes and turtles. The preserve is accessible from the Arlington Expressway and Atlantic Boulevard on the east side of the city. There is no entrance fee.

 

 

Earth Day at ESC and Rick will be leading two native plant hikes that day.

 

Plant sales, exhibits, music, guided walks, food, & children's activities. VOLUNTEERS NEEDED. 

    Sid Taylor will take us to a sandhill area that was burned in January, so it should be lush with new growth & wildflowers. We may also see red-cockaded woodpeckers and fox squirrels. Pack a bag lunch, and we’ll eat in the picnic area after our 2 hour walkabout.  Directions: Tillis Hill is located in Citrus County at 925 W. Stage Coach Dr. (CR491) Inverness, 34452. To carpool from west Pasco, meet at 8:45 am in the strip plaza on the NE corner of US 19 & SR 52 near Save-a-Lot. ( NOTE: new meeting location ) 

Environmentally Sensitive Gems of Sarasota County
Bruce Holst, botanist at Selby Botanical Gardens and Serenoa Chapter member, will discuss Selby's collaboration with Sarasota County to conduct inventories of select preserves purchased through the ESLAP program, and show slides of the areas and of some of the plants. 

“Certifying a Backyard Wildlife Habitat” Elizabeth Flynn, NWF Habitat Steward

 

The April plant of the month is Blue-eyed grass.

 

Marc Minno, PhD is a member of the Paynes Prairie chapter of FNPS an expert and published author on Florida butterflies.  Professionally, he is a senior regulatory scientist for the St.Johns Water Management District. 

Dr. Minno will be speaking on the Imperiled Butterflies of Florida.  Florida has reached a tipping point in the conservation of our native butterflies.  Southern Florida especially has seen a tremendous decline and loss of butterflies.  Two endemic skippers are presumed extinct and a number of other butterflies are barely surviving.   Butterflies have also declined in Central and Northern Florida.  We will discuss Florida's rarest butterflies and how they got that way.

Good photography and a talk that emphasizes importance of native plants to our rare butterflies are guaranteed extras in this presentation.

Marc is the author or coauthor of six books on butterflies, including Florida Butterfly Gardening: A Complete Guide to Attracting, Identifying, and Enjoying Butterflies.  We have invited him to have his books available for sale at the meeting.
 

 

Location:  Museum of Science & History (MOSH), 1025 Museum Circle, Jacksonville, FL 32207.  A $5 donation is requested

Time:  6:00 PM

Program:  Join the Ixia Chapter and the St. Johns Riverkeeper and MOSH for an Earth Day celebration featuring Florida nature photographer, John Moran and his Journal of Light: A Photographer’s Search for the Soul of Florida

“If Florida had a Photographer Laureate, John Moran should hold that title.” –Gary  Mormino, Florida Studies Program, University of South Florida.

Traveling the Sunshine State with his cameras, John Moran seeks his vision of natural Florida as it must have appeared to Ponce de Leon and other early strangers in paradise. Moran’s work celebrates the magic of a unique landscape born of water and blessed with beauty beyond measure.

Moran’s remarkable Journal of Light speaking programs, based on his book and touring museum exhibit of the same title, highlight a 20-year odyssey to discover the soul of one of the most photographed states in the country, and feature his striking photographs of the alligators, beaches, birds, rivers, springs, palms, turtles and flowers that make Florida the amazing place we call home. Moran's ever-evolving speaking programs have been called “exquisite,” “powerful,” “lyrical,” and “like nothing I have ever seen.”

 

WHEN:  Thursday, April 22, 2010, 7 p.m.

WHERE: Pensacola Junior College, Pensacola Main Campus, 1000 College Blvd., Pensacola, FL 32504; Baroco Science Center, Room 2142.

WHAT:  Meeting Program Presentation: "USA National Phenology Network."

Phenology is the study of recurring plant and animal life cycle stages, such as leafing and flowering of plants, maturation of agricultural crops, emergence of insects, and migration of birds. The USA National Phenology Network (USA-NPN) brings together citizen scientists, government agencies, non-profit groups and students of all ages to monitor and identify these environmental trends so we can better understand the impacts of climate change on plants and animals in the United States.

George Kish from the USA-NPN will present an overview of this program at a joint meeting of the Francis M Weston Audubon Society and the Longleaf Pine Chapter of the Florida Native Plant Society and explain how we may contribute observations from our field trips to this program.

For more information, see: http://www.usanpn.org/

WHO:  Members of the FNPS, the Francis M Weston Audubon Society, guests, and anyone interested in birds and/or native plants. Guests are welcome!

 

Historic Spanish Point is a 30-acre historical, archaeological, and environmental museum overlooking beautiful Little Sarasota Bay in Osprey. There you can experience pre-history by stepping inside "A Window to the Past," an archaeology exhibit about the Gulf Coast region's earliest people. This is the only place in the United States where you can be surrounded by a 15-foot-high prehistoric shell mound called a "midden," view a recreated dwelling from 1,000 years ago, and see artifacts from the past. 

In the Kit Land Nelson Park, 111 N. Forest Avenue, Apopka, FL. Learn more at http://apopkawomansclub.org/apopka-art-and-foliage-festival.

Click HERE to add the event to your OUTLOOK CALENDAR.

 

Time:  7:00 AM

 

Location:  Jennings State Forest is the destination.  Meet at McDonalds on CR 21 (Blanding Blvd.) at 7:00 AM.  Ixia stops flowering once the sun reaches it, thus the early start. 

Link to Map and address:  ...

http://maps.google.com/maps?ie=UTF8&q=mcdonalds+middleburg,+FL&fb=1&gl=us&hq=mcdonalds&hnear=middleburg,+FL&cid=0,0,8118523878821807136&ei=CXmZS5eoM8mztgeX3OG2CQ&ved=0CAkQnwIwAA&z=16
 

Additional Information:  We will join the Audubon Society on this field trip and will look for Ixia in bloom and also look for a rare sparrow.  Trip is led by Ixia and Audubon member, Pete Johnson and you may contact him @ 904-536-4806 (cell).

 

Anne Cox, of Ecolo-G, on Identifying Martin County's Endangered Plants. On Saturday May 8 we will have a field trip to the Jupiter Inlet Lighthouse Natural Area. 

We will divide into small groups for short tours to show form, foliage, and sizes of full grown natives in a garden setting.

 

Place: Pinellas County Extension, 12520 Ulmerton Road, Largo
Time: 7:00 pm

 

Time: 9:00 am
Bruce Turley, past president of the Pinellas Chapter and owner of Wilcox Nursery and Florist in Largo, will lead a loop hike through salt marsh and coastal uplands. Fort DeSoto has some of the best diversity of coastal plants in west-central Florida. If possible, we will also hike the Arrowhead area with coastal hammock and scrub. 

To volunteer your yard, send an email to Jan Mangos at j.mangos@att.net.

 

Florida's Reptiles - Exotic vs. Native
Brian Pavlina, Environmental Specialist with Sarasota County, will discuss the benefits of native reptile species and why exotic animals pose such a problem for the environment and public. He will discuss the basics of reptiles while showcasing live animals. 

Karen Fraley is a member of the Serenoa Chapter.  She is an expert on the ethnobotany of Florida and an ecotourism provider.  She is the owner of  Around the Bend Nature Tours, is active in environmental education, and has a degree in environmental horticulture. 

LOOKING AHEAD!!

FNPS Annual Conference - May 20 - 23, 2010

Looking ahead in 2010, the FNPS Annual Conference theme will be "Rooted in History, Forever Blooming!"  This conference will be held at the Leon County Civic Center in Tallahassee.  The special 30th Anniversary conference will honor our FNPS history and the natural heritage of North Florida.  Mark your calendars now and go to www.fnps.org for updates. 

 

 

We will be attending the annual FNPS Conference and all members are welcome.  This year, the conference will be held in Tallahassee, May 20-23, and titled “Rooted In History, Forever Blooming”.

For additional information:  http://www.fnps.org/pages/conference/

 

The theme for this year's conference is "Rooted in History, Forever Blooming." 

Tallahassee

Join us for our 30th Anniversary "Rooted in History, Forever Blooming"  info at: www.fnps.org/pages/conference

 

Place: Pinellas County Extension, 12520 Ulmerton Road, Largo
Time: 7:00 pm 

Please go to our website for information on our Monthly Meetings and Field Trips. 

The Pinellas Chapter is teaming with the Suncoast Sierra Club to bring the Wild & Scenic Environmental Film Festival to Pinellas County this summer. The Festival is the biggest environmental film festival in the U.S. and some of the best films are sent “on tour” across the country. The mission of the Wild & Scenic Environmental Film Festival is to inspire people and unite communities to heal the earth. Come expand your mind and learn more about improving your local environment and beyond. 

Bring photos of your garden to share.  Bring your native plant gardening questions.  This will be our annual "share day" where the meeting is yours.  Please bring your photos on a thumb drive or CD.  Plan to talk for no more than 5 minutes and keep the theme to native plant landscaping. 

Time:  6:30 PM

Location:  Location:  Regency Square Library, 9900 Regency Square Blvd., Jacksonville, FL 32225

Agenda:  Business meeting followed by guest speaker

Program: Terry Zinn, a founding member of the Florida Wildflowers Cooperative, is our featured speaker.  His PowerPoint presentation will provide an overview of the cooperative of wildflower seed growers along with planting and production information related to the seed industry.  At the conclusion of his presentation we will have the opportunity to purchase Florida wildflower seeds.

Growers of Florida wildflowers have taken a major step toward increasing the supply of native Florida seed available for beautification projects and consumer use.  Currently, wildflower production in Florida falls far short of demand.  This results in seeds for large scale Florida highway beautification projects, totaling millions of pounds annually, being purchased from major seed producing states such as Texas.  A group of Florida wildflower producers, working in conjunction with the Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services, and the University of Florida’s Institute of Food and Agriculture Sciences (IFAS), is developing strategies to increase planted wildflower acreage and seed production to better meet the demand for native species.

 

Place: Pinellas County Extension, 12520 Ulmerton Road, Largo
Time: 7:00 pm 

Lake Harney Wilderness Area (LHWA) 2395 Osceola Fish Camp Road, Geneva, FL 32732). Located on 310 acres on the shores of Lake Harney and the St. Johns River, LHWA offers a diverse assemblage of habitats, which includes a host of wildlife, such as turkey, White-Tailed Deer, Great Horned Owls, lots of songbirds and wading birds in addition to three active Bald Eagle nests.

The field trip will include a walk along the historic Flagler Trail to the St. Johns River and a second trail to Lake Harney. Please wear comfortable hiking shoes and bring binoculars, hats, sunscreen and water. Car pool from the Library at 8 a.m. or meet at LHWA at 8:30 a.m. Details and registration 407-977-4389.

 

This is our annual joint meeting with Sierra and Audubon.  Sierra is hosting.  Date may be revised.  Program and location to be announced.  Expect a pot luck dinner and program. 

Some of the topics to be covered are these:  How are springs formed?  What do they do?  How do they recharge the aquifer?  And what is the pumping effect?

Place: Pinellas County Extension, 12520 Ulmerton Road, Largo
Time: 7:00 pm

 

 

This meeting is a preview of the Fall Landscape Tour.  Homeowners will talk about their yards.

 

Ann Paul is a Suncoast NPS member and expert on birds.   She will be speaking on the herons and egrets of Florida 

Our chapter will be hosting a guided tour to see our recenty adopted Chapter Native Plant: Robin's Mint (aka Long-spurred Mint, Dicerandra cornutissima) in bloom in it's native habitat. 

Our January 2010 speaker, Dave Bowman, with the FDEP Office of Greenways and Trails as offered to give a guided tour of this portion of the Cross Florida Greenway where this plant naturally exists.

This will be a lot of fun.  We are planning for a picnic lunch afterward so stay tuned!

 

John Miller is a Suncoast NPS member whose primary area of expertise is geology.  He will be speaking on some aspect of the relationship of our native plants to geology.  

Annual business metting and election meeting with powerpoint program of highlights of this years field trips and fun projects.

Place: Pinellas County Extension, 12520 Ulmerton Road, Largo
Time: 7:00 pm

 

 

Expect a brief business meeting (to elect our 2011 Board of Directors) followed by a program. 

The date for this meeting will be announced later.