Florida Native Plant Society Blog

Submitted by by Steve Franklin, Guest blogger I feel certain that, like me, most of you can recall more than one occasion when you didn’t explain your thoughts about a subject as well as know you can. I’m currently experiencing one of those moments. On the day before Earth Day, a few other volunteers and I conducted an educational field trip event for the first graders from Lake Alfred Elementary School. My portion of the program involved taking them for a short hike on one of the trails at Mackay Gardens and Lakeside Preserve, which is located in the City of Lake Alfred. Throughout the hike, I was discussing map reading, hiking safety, trail etiquette, and what it means to be a good steward of the land. However, I’m not certain that I did a good enough job of explaining the importance of being thoughtful and considerate of others when we’re out to enjoy the clean, wholesome fun that nature-related activities provide. Did I instill in them a new appreciation of nature and a co...

By Cindy Liberton, 32nd Annual FNPS Conference Planning Committee Corridor Expedition route Here we are again, between Earth Day 2012 and Arbor Day, holidays best spent outdoors. Earth Day was originally intended as a date to commemorate humankind's relationship with the planet. Since its start in 1970 , we have seen the event evolve, wax and wane, but, to me, April 22nd means a day for celebration, reflection, and lots of community events.  Each event, in every, community, wouldn't happen without volunteers.  And that is a big thing, and something to reflect upon. 2012’s Earth Day in Florida was especially remarkable to me because of some specific volunteers, both renowned and unsung. On this Earth Day, just over the Florida state line, four intrepid environmentalists completed day 97 of the "1000 miles, 100 Days”  Florida Wildlife Corridor Expedition . Their efforts to spotlight the remaining greenways and wildlife corridors of Florida have made the news thr...