Florida Native Plant Society Blog

Florida's 60-day legislative session begins today, and several environmentally-damaging bills have already been proposed. In even numbered years we get the “gift” of an early Florida Legislative Session. The 2024 Session commenced in Tallahassee today, Tuesday, January 9th and will conclude on Friday, March 8th. The Florida Native Plant Society (FNPS) has been active during the many weeks of Committee meetings held at the Capitol in preparation of the Session. We have identified a number of bills that would impact FNPS members and mission in either positive or negative ways and are in the midst of developing the necessary advocacy strategies to either advance them, modify them or keep them from being enacted altogether. Each FNPS member plays a vital role in those efforts by staying aware, being engaged, responding to Calls for Action and imparting your knowledge and expertise as a resource to policymakers. Here is a preview of What We Know So Far (powerpoint slides). Thank you fo...

As we reflect on 2023, our thanks to our members, Chapters, Board, supporters, and staff. During times that can be challenging, FNPS continues to inspire, educate, and advocate for our native plants and their habitats. 2023 Spring Our Virtual Conference in April was attended by 356 people and we heard from 38 speakers. This was closely followed by our 3 amazing Field Days in May - Naples ( details | photo album ), Tallahassee ( details | photo album ), and Sanford ( details | photo album ). Hosted by Chapters, these events gave folks the opportunity to come together, socialize, explore new areas, and learn about new topics. Chelsea LeNoble presents at the 42nd Annual Conference Sanford Field Days to the group at Dees Brothers Brewing.   Tallahassee Field Days attendees admire the restored longleaf pine understory at the Coastal Plains Institute. Summer A quiet time for being outdoors, our teams made the most of this relative downtime to work on FNPS. Thanks to Melanie and the Co...