32nd Annual FNPS Conference Field Trips
We're All Over the Map By Cindy Liberton, 2012 FNPS Conference Committee For many traveling to the annual Florida Native Plant Society Conference, it's all about the field trips – exploring new territories and seeing how the ecosystems are expressed in a different part of Florida. We have something for everyone this year , from the intrepid trekker to the cultural enthusiast. Conference Field Trips Preserving the Hydric Heart of Florida We start with the Green Swamp and its huge mosaic of uplands and wetlands. Four rivers, the Hillsborough, Withlacoochee, Ocklawaha and Peace, reach out to provide much of central Florida’s water supply. The Southwest Florida Water Management District (SWFWMD) has purchased approximately 110,000 acres, known as the Green Swamp Wilderness Preserve . When combined with another 63,522 acres of adjoining publicly owned land, there are about 172,988 acres of the Green Swamp under public ownership. An additional 6,000 acr