Florida Native Plant Society Blog

Produced and Submitted by Mark Kateli, Tarflower Chapter This was yet another great year with the "sister society" collaboration for the Central Florida Native and Wildlife Friendly  Yards Tour .  Florida Native Plant Society Tarflower and Cuplet Fern chapters, and the Orange Audubon Society, host this event annually. It's a great exercise to help strengthen our bond around a common mission. This year, we had well over 100 attendees.  A special thanks to noted environmental journalist Kevin Spear that published an article in the Orlando Sentinel that promulgated the event to people outside our usual sphere of influence. Being Tarflower chapter Treasurer, I firmly believe that as we prosper, so will our neighboring chapters.  I look forward to hearing from chapters that border Orange County- Lake, Osceola, Brevard, Volusia, and Polk chapter Treasurers- for more collaborative ideas that amplify attention t...

by Mark Kateli, Tarflower Chapter I thought I knew my FNPS tribe! We were the rough riders of the Florida landsc ape that understood natural beauty in a manufactured civilization. But here in Camp Kulaqua (run by Seventh Day Adventists) I found pillows, pressed sheets, and (gasp!) Wi-Fi. Accommodations Being a city boy this was certainly a welcomed sight as we are all accustomed to so many amenities that are taken for granted every day. That being said, this was certainly not the retreat I had envisioned in my head- chilly nights, encircled around a campfire in the middle of nowhere, listening to coyotes howling away, and cold showers in the morning. This was, comparatively, upscale living. Opening Night Friday was an informal social gathering in the evening by the entrance lobby. I did, as usual, hobnob with some other local chapter members. In particular, I had a long conversation with Ina Crawford of Sweetbay Chapter. It was as though the heavens were listening to...

Everyone in your FNPS chapter is a winner when you encourage Landscape Awards applications submissions from your region.  Help People Showcase the Beauty of their Florida Native  Landscapes… That’s why we are members of FNPS, right? Native plants bring life to this landscape! Here’s all you do… Check out the categories and criteria for the 2016 Landscape Awards . Select a landscape or two in your area to represent your chapter. Get moving – the deadline is March 18th. . Here’s what is in it for you… STAR Chapter recognition at FNPS Annual Conference in Daytona Beach May 19-22. Prestigious local press release promoting your chapter. Esteemed recognition in FNPS publications and website. Increase your odds of success… Print out the first two pages of the Landscape Awards application (back-to-back on the same sheet of paper) and create awareness by distributing to local organizations including: Chapter meetings and events Garden Centers ...

#GivingTuesday By Andy Taylor The Florida Native Plant Society was happy to participate in 2015 #GivingTuesday!  What is #GivingTuesday you ask? It is a global initiative of giving back following Thanksgiving, Black Friday and Cyber Monday.  You can read more about #GivingTuesday here . FNPS participated by using our social media pages to look back on some of the work the Society has done and opportunities to give, either financially or as a volunteer. You can donate financially to FNPS at this link . Did you know your employer could double or even triple your donation??  Until December 15, 2015 , Double the Donation has made their database free to see if your employer makes donations.  Please check it out at https://doublethedonation.com/giving-tuesday/ Sunrise at DeSoto Park by Georgia Wilson. Some of the programs and projects we looked back at for #GivingTuesday: FNPS chapter field trips: Georgia Wilson recently took this beautiful photo...

By Karina Veaudry New Villages Chapter Officers! Inaugural Meeting On Friday, January 30th, Steve Turnipseed, inaugural President, led The Villages Chapter inaugural meeting.  Steve had signed up interested persons through website and newspaper publicity ads and we were expecting 30 to 40 people.  By the start of the meeting, 162 people had filed in and we scrambled to set up enough chairs.  It was standing room only!  Within the first 15 minutes, a VP of Programs, VP of Field Trips, Secretary, Treasurer and Chapter Representative were confirmed.  Steve is a strong leader with excellent communication skills.  He has already given tasks and they are on their way to opening a bank account, etc. – and they have the next 4 months speakers recommended and are lining them up.  This chapter will be very successful. I talked about the history of the FNPS, its mission, typical chapter meeting format, chapter initiatives, field trips, membership due...

Back row: Mark Miller, Pat Moyer, Lowe's employee Sandra; front row: Suzy Callanan and Barbara Wallace. This was a fun event on Saturday, July 5th from 10am-2pm at Lowe's in Estero (southwest Florida).  Coccoloba Chapter representatives, along with UF/IFAS Lee County Master Gardeners, set up a table at Lowe's on Corkscrew Road to explain the importance of native plants, low-impact landscaping, Lee County fertilizer ban, etc. The morning started off rather busy.  The local News-Press ran an article informing readers the volunteers would be at the store to answer gardening questions.  Several customers indicated they came to Lowe's just to talk to volunteers and get information!  One man walked in with a list of questions on a small sheet of paper explaining that his wife sent him down.  When they saw the Slime Monster poster several commented they had seen the commercials and enjoyed them.  One gentleman was really happy (somewhat stunned) to see the ...

Starting over I recently relocated from the northeast corner of Florida to my hometown of sunny Miami. As such, I had to leave the Ixia chapter, which had become something of a family to me. Most of what I've learned over the past several years is the byproduct of being involved with that small, warm group of people. I am sincerely grateful that they were able to tolerate my obnoxious sense of humor long enough to identify specimens for me on field trips and during meetings. Nonetheless, the landscape in Atlantic Beach (where I'd lived for the past 4 years) is dramatically different than that which is found in "the 305," and I'm discovering that I’m not quite back to square one regarding my knowledge of local natives, but I'm far back enough to recognize that there's a whole lot more to know. I've always found that if I really want to learn about AND remember new species of flora, doing so in their respective natural settings is the best way to go. ...

The zebra longwing is a fall favorite throughout the state. Fall is THE best time to enjoy Florida's natural areas. The weather is cooler, the mosquitoes are fewer, and there are plenty of plants and animals to see in the fall. Visit a bunch of Florida's state parks this fall. Your use and support will help financially and it will also help the parks to make their case to the state that they are worth saving.  You'll be voting with your dollars. And you'll be in the midst of "The Real Florida!" What could be better? Find an FNPS chapter near you and join it--TODAY! FNPS Chapters If you're not a Florida Native Plant Society member, now is a great time to find a chapter. Fall is the beginning of their programs and field trips. There are 37 chapters across the state. Find your local chapter on our website http://fnps.org/chapters Many people appreciate the fine work our native plant society does for Florida and her ecosystems, but for some...