Live blogging from the conference: Saturday

Saturday at the conference: 

FNPS held its annual membership meeting, winners of the plant ID contest were announced, and Palmetto awards were presented. Then everyone turned out for keynote speaker Roger Hammer.
Saturday keynote speaker Roger Hammer entertained a full house.
His theme was "La Florida" so he showed us how
Ponce deLeon probably appeared here.		 He also had wonderful slides of some of the flowers
that would have inspired the name.
We had many great speakers...
Bill Berthet talked about rare butterflies of NE Florida. He also led one of the field trips. Andrea Delong-Amaya talked to us about the cool projects at the Ladybird John Center in Texas. They've been created innovative venues for kids including this Stumpery and bird nests that kids can play in.

Lunch Break

Many attendees spent lunchtime out on the back deck: the pavilion.
Roger signed his books along with other authors at lunch time out on the pavilion.
Some movers and shakers for FNPS.

Afternoon sessions:

The afternoon presentations included the special homeowners' workshop.
Ixia members and landscape architects, Laurie Sheldon and Jake Ingram, presented the workshop
o a group of more than 60 participants. Many of them bought native plants from our vendors to get started right away.
The homeowners workshop included landscaping principles and personal
experience with natives in your yard. Hint: They grow!

The silent auction room was busy as the bidding time drew close.

Linda Schneider won the quilt raffle.


FNPS president, Steve Woodmansee, won the kayak raffle.
REI donated this item to the conference.

The Saturday Evening Social

The committee arranged for a Low Country boil in the Dolphin Plaza located in Hanna Park, which includes miles of Atlantic Ocean Beach. The food was great and so was the company.
Dunes next to the Dolphin Plaza, the location of our Saturday evening social.

Our performers at the Saturday evening social: Bella Voce.
We were treated to a wonderful selection of 16th century Spanish pieces to complement the conference theme: "La Florida"

The dune vegetation included some windswept magnolia trees.

Magnolia grandiflora

And so another conference ends...


People were off on field trips this morning to conclude the 2013 conference. Thanks to everyone who came. You made it fun for all of us on the committee.

The organizers of the 2014 conference were in attendance and were taking notes and soaking in some of our experiences. It will be hosted by the Coccoloba Chapter in Ft. Myers at the Florida Gulf Coast University from May 15 - 18, 2014. See y'all there!

More detailed summaries of some of the presentations will be posted here in the next few weeks.

Photos and text posted by Ginny Stibolt.

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