Florida Native Plant Society Blog

Call for Research Track Papers and Poster Presentations The Florida Native Plant Society Annual Conference will be held at the University of North Florida, Jacksonville, Florida, May 14-17, 2020. The Research Track of the Conference will include presented papers and a poster session on Friday May 15 and Saturday May 16. Researchers are invited to submit abstracts on research related to native plants and plant communities of Florida including preservation, conservation, and restoration. Presentations are planned to be 20 minutes in total length (15 min. presentation, 5 min. questions). Abstracts of not more than 200 words should be submitted as a MS Word file by email to Paul A. Schmalzer paul.a.schmalzer@nasa.gov by February 1, 2020. Include title, affiliation, and address. Indicate whether you will be presenting a paper or poster.

All photos, video, and article by Mark Kateli, Cuplet Fern Chapter President The Timucuan trail primarily treks northeast of the famous spring. It winds through diverse riparian, wetland, and transitional xeric hammock plant communities that are accessible through boardwalk and cleared paths. The synergism of environmental interests was thick as the 100% humidity on a summer morning. It’s always an exciting time when nature enthusiasts come together. Every person attending had a story, an experience, or something to add to the conversation about plants and animals. David Rakes and Lavon Silvernell, our field trip leaders, shared their ecology knowledge with the people in the front and back of the group respectively. While traversing mucky areas, John Benton led a third splinter group of people that wanted to stay dry. The experience left all of us feeling grateful and happy that we took the time to travel to this special place. Above: The arboreal manatee treesnail, Drymaeus