Florida Native Plant Society Blog

By Shirley Denton Common Eastern Bumble Bee ( Bombus impatiens ) foraging on a Partridge Pea ( Chamaecrista fasciculata ) in Split Oak Forest WEA in Orange County. Photo by Valerie Anderson. Two native insects have been in the news, and not in a good way. The first, the bumblebee, is an important native pollinator. The second, the lightning bug, needs native habitats. Neither is a single species, but together, they demonstrate the importance of maintaining healthy native plant ecosystems in balance with other environmental factors. Both demonstrate the importance of climate. Both demonstrate the importance of human behavior. Fireflies in Maryland CC BY-NC-ND 2.0 by Robert Sullivan The bumblebee study (published in Science) showed that populations in North America and Europe have plummeted as a result of increasingly extreme high temperatures. The number of areas populated by bumblebees has fallen 46 percent in North America and 17 percent in Europe. The data ...

by Stacy Klema, Cuplet Fern Chapter Board Member This land management review happened in January. Please follow and adhere to CDC guidelines pertaining to the public health crisis at this time.  The beautiful FWC sign at the main entrance. Late this past January, a two-day land management review was performed at Tosohatchee Wildlife Management Area - a 30,701 acre property located in Orange County. Every five years the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission evaluates the property, along with representatives from user groups, the Florida Forest Service and the Florida Native Plant Society. It is our job to document the land use, management practices, make suggestions and applaud efforts. With this particular review, we found a lot of great things happening on the property. A roller chopper. Tosohatchee encompasses close to a dozen natural Florida communities. Some of these include scrubby flatwoods, bay gall, floodplain marsh and sw...

Dear Member, I am writing to everyone in our Florida Native Plant Society family regarding the spread of Coronavirus disease (Covid-19). With the number of confirmed cases doubling every 2 days, there is a definite need for proactive measures to contain the spread. Your health and well-being are our #1 priority! Together we can help prevent the continued spread of the disease by following guidelines recommended by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC): The virus is thought to spread mainly from person-to-person. • Between people who are in close contact with one another (within about 6 feet). • Through respiratory droplets produced when an infected person coughs or sneezes. These droplets can land in the mouths or noses of people who are nearby or possibly be inhaled into the lungs. Many businesses and organizations are cancelling events in support of the CDC’s recommendations on social distancing (6-foot safe distance zone) and avoiding large crowds to lim...

This Action Alert was distributed via email to members of the Villages, Marion Big Scrub and Sumter Chapters because the Ocala meeting location is local for them, relative to members of other chapters.  However, the scale and scope of the proposed M-CORES toll roads makes them relevant to all Florida residents.  If you wish to attend the meeting and submit comments, or otherwise provide comments to FDOT, details are provided below. The Florida Department of Transportation (FDOT) has scheduled a meeting of the Northern Turnpike Connector Task Force for 10:00-4:00 on Wednesday, March 25, at the Hilton Ocala (3600 SW 36th Avenue) in Ocala .   You are receiving this Action Alert because you are a member of either the Villages, Sumter, or Marion Big Scrub Chapter of FNPS and therefore live near the meeting location, and within or near the study area for the proposed toll road. If so, the 40-mile road would impact your community and quality of life directly....

This Action Alert was distributed via email to members of the Magnolia and Sarracenia Chapters because the meeting location in Monticello is local for them, relative to members of other chapters.  However, the scale and scope of the proposed M-CORES toll roads makes them relevant to all Florida residents.  If you wish to attend the meeting and submit comments, or otherwise submit comments to FDOT, details are provided below. The Florida Department of Transportation (FDOT) has scheduled a meeting of the Suncoast Connector Task Force for 10:00-4:00 on Tuesday, March 24, at the Monticello First Church of the Nazarene (1590 N Jefferson Street) in Monticello .   You are receiving this Action Alert because you are a member of either the Magnolia or Sarracenia Chapter of FNPS and therefore live near the meeting location, and within or near the study area for the proposed toll road. If so, the 140-mile road would impact your community and quality of life directly....