Care to help a rare plant species with your loppers and hand saw?



Etoniah Rosemary (Conradina etonia) is a narrow range endemic mint species only known from Etoniah Creek State Forest and private land adjacent to the Forest (Figure 1). Dunn’s Creek Rosemary (C. cygniflora), an additional narrow range endemic mint species, was once considered the same species but further research determined it is a distinct species which occurs in roughly the same region.
Figure 1. Etoniah Rosemary (Conradina etonia)
In areas where fire has been excluded populations of these mint species are declining. These populations would benefit from small-scale hand removal of shrubs near individual plants in areas that will not be burned or mowed. This involves cutting and removing sapling woody species like Sand Live and Laurel Oaks, Crooked Wood, etc. with loppers, hand saws, Root Jacks, etc..

This work is to be done in Florida scrub in spring, so will be sunny, windy, and perhaps cold or hot and dry. Volunteers will need to bring sunglasses/eye protection (for abundant, pokey scrub plants), hat, work gloves, closed toed shoes (tennis shoes are fine), and appropriate clothing to guard against abundant briars, cacti, stinging/biting insects, Poison Ivy, Stinging Nettle, and Saw Palmettos. This will be a good workout in a truly beautiful place. Any amount of time will help the plant immensely; older plants will increase flowering and fruit production and seeds in the seedbank will increase germination from the increased sunlight, as a direct result of your work.

If you're interested in volunteering please let your chapter president and Todd Angel know and bring loppers, mattocks with cutting edge (not pick), hand saws, or other tools to remove small to medium sized saplings.

This workday is being coordinated by Todd Angel, Conservation Chair, and Michael Jenkins, Biologist, Florida Forest Service.

08:00 start time March 16-17, 2019
Etoniah Creek State Forest
Contact: conservation@fnps.org

Saturday: Web Event | Facebook Event
Sunday: Web Event | Facebook Event


Announcement written by Todd Angel and posted by Valerie Anderson.




Comments

Hawthorn Hill said…
Please keep me apprised of work days once they've been scheduled.

huegelc55@aol.com
January 10, 2019 at 7:31 PM
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