Florida Native Plant Society Blog

Submitted by Donna Bollenbach Registration is now open for the 2017 FNPS Conference. If you know you’re going, you should register early. If you’re undecided, I'm going to try to persuade you! Consider this a sneak preview of what’s in store for you…. Reason #1: There’s Nothing Like It South Florida Water Management Photo of Kissimmee River Restoration Florida Native Plant Society President, Catherine Bowman sums it up: There is nothing like it :  You will be in a place of awe inspiring, thought provoking, energizing beauty in the heart of Florida.  The Kissimmee River and Everglades Restoration Areas will extend before you to the south, as the headwaters of the St. Johns River, with its restoration projects and recreational opportunities, flow to the north.  River Ranch, once a cattle trail stop, then a dude ranch, is now a comfortable resort in this rustic, history-rich part of Florida. From River Ranch, the Florida Trail will take you ...

Submitted by Sonya Guidry The Pawpaw Chapter of the Florida Native Plant Society recently held a South Volusia Landscape Tour that included many of the native landscapes  that will be featured on FNPS Conference Fieldtrip "K" Landscape Bus Tour on Thursday, May 19th. They ended their yard tours at the Marine Discovery Center , the location for the  Kayak (paddle) - Lagoon Restoration Tour , FNPS Conference Fieldtrip"I" ,  on Thursday, May 19th.  Here is a glimpse of some of the  tour's native yards, and the Marine Discovery Center... Renee Luedke's Port Orange home.   Surprise, her front yard has no grass to mow!   Elizabeth ponders the diversity of plants in Renee's front yard. Most of the 16 tour visitors are gathered around Renee as she talks about her landscape.   Mike visiting from the UK notes Renee's creative bird feeders... including the log filled with peanut butter suet. Elizabeth Flynn will be ...

Our conference begins on Thursday May 15th with field trips and a nature journaling workshop. If you wish to sign up, get there early.  There are still openings for some of the field trips and for the workshop. See below for the workshop details. Elizabeth gives pointers at the 2013 conference. Nature Journaling at the FNPS Conference! by Elizabeth Smith This Thursday I’m thrilled to be leading a Nature Journal Workshop for the 34 th annual Florida Native Plant Conference in Ft. Myers, Florida!  Just one of the many exciting events at the 4-day event, the Nature Journal Workshop is open to 10 aspiring journal-keepers.  The workshop takes place Thursday, May 15 th , from 1pm to 4pm at Florida Gulf Coast University (see conference site for exact location).  We still have spaces open! At the workshop, you’ll learn the basics of starting a nature journal and have the opportunity to start a journal page with the art supplies provided.  Yes – a...

Children's Garden Treehouse. Photo c/o Naples Botanical Garden. During the upcoming Florida Native Plant Society Conference, one of the Sunday field trips is destined for the blossoming 170-acre Naples Botanical Garden (NBG; 4820 Bayshore Drive; 239-643-7275). This non-profit organization was incorporated in 1994, so staff, members, and visitors are celebrating the Garden’s 20th anniversary this year. In this spirit, NBG is currently building the impressive Eleanor and Nicholas Chabraja Visitor Center to welcome guests starting in fall 2014. Participants in this field trip can expect to pass by exciting, new construction on their way to four main locations: 1) Vicky C. and David Byron Smith Children’s Garden, 2) Kathleen and Scott Kapnick Caribbean Garden, 3) Karen and Robert Scott Florida Garden, and 4) Mary and Stephen Byron Smith Family River of Grass. Guaiacum sanctum . Photo c/o Naples Botanical Garden. Your journey into the Smith Children’s Garden will begin by w...

Posted by Laurie Sheldon The F.N.P.S. Annual Conference is less than a month away, and I'm sure that everyone is starting to get excited about the fabulous lineup of speakers. There's so much more to this event than listening to brilliant lecturers and attending the evening social events. In fact, some of the biggest draws to the Conference are the field trips! Scheduled the Thursday before the Conference begins and the Sunday after it ends, these excursions vary widely in length, difficulty, and setting and are an excellent resource for those hoping to familiarize themselves with regional flora and fauna. If you're having a hard time deciding which trip(s) you'd most enjoy, let the following blog be your guide. This year's Sunday field trips include… This spring-fed pond at End of the Road Ranch supports an abundance of wildlife. Field Trip M: End of Road Ranch Landscape Tour This ten-acre country property, located outside of North Ft. Myers,...

Posted by Laurie Sheldon The F.N.P.S. Annual Conference is less than a month away, and I'm sure that everyone is starting to get excited about the fabulous lineup of speakers. There's so much more to this event than listening to brilliant lecturers and attending the evening social events. In fact, some of the biggest draws to the Conference are the field trips! Scheduled the Thursday before the Conference begins and the Sunday after it ends, these excursions vary widely in length, difficulty, and setting and are an excellent resource for those hoping to familiarize themselves with regional flora and fauna. If you're having a hard time deciding which trip(s) you'd most enjoy, let the following blog be your guide. This year's Thursday field trips include… Observation tower at CREW Field Trip A: CREW Marsh Roger Hammer, noted author, and Deb Hanson, CREW Education Specialist, will lead you through CREW - the largest intact watershed in southwest Florid...