2011 ANNUAL REPORT
Preserving Florida’s Natural Heritage –Native Plant by Native Plant Community
Heighten One’s Sense of Awareness
Message from the President
I have always been drawn by the outdoors. Bad days and cranky moods are easily transformed into peace, calm, and quiet when one is enveloped by Florida’s nature. Exhilaration upon nding a rare plant, or one in spectacular ower, or the colorful bees that visit them, my awareness intensi es as I re ll the well of my soul. Florida’s nature occupies such obvious respites as the grand functioning ecosystems of Everglades National Park, but also is present in small parcels of conservation land surrounded by suburbia such as Pine Shore Park, a splendid hidden retreat close by. A er experiencing them, we naturally want to support and promote the expansion of these native plant habitats.
We plant natives to restore what is so o en lost in typical urban se ings, and we protect existing ora so that they are not lost to us. I myself have used native plants in an a empt to re-create native plant communities. I’ve re-created globally imperiled pine rockland as well as rockland hammock in order to bring about what is right, and provide wildlife a place to live, as well as creating my own hidden retreat. To the astonishment of my neighbors, my yard is full of wildlife activity, as Everglades Racers, Screech Owls, Silver Argiopes, Red Banded Wasp Moths, a zillion bu er ies, and so much more show up, now having a refuge that had not existed since the developers came 50 years ago. How pleasing it is to see things improve, rather than watch them disappear, which is too o en the case.
Restoration of our native habitats begins with the native plants appropriate to our areas. e continued protection of our remaining natural habitats is also critically important. A er all, these are the refugia where our native wildlife still survives. For these reasons I actively support the Florida Native Plant Society.
ese pages illustrate some of the many Florida Native Plant Society achievements in 2011. Help us continue to preserve Florida’s natural heritage, native plant by native plant community.
Best Regards,
Steven W. Woodmansee President, Florida Native Plant Society
“Of all the questions which can come before this nation, short of the actual preservation of its existence in a great war, there is none which compares in importance with the great central task of leaving this land even a be er land for our descendants than it is for us.”
~ eodore Roosevelt
Cover photo: e St. John’s River swells with fall rains. e marshes of the Puzzle Lakes region provide important habitat for numerous species of sh and bird life. Photo by Carlton Ward, Jr. – CarltonWard.com; FloridaWildlifeCorridor.org
Our Guiding Principles
e Florida Native Plant Society has been protecting Florida’s natural heritage for 32 years. With a reputation for responsible stewardship, the Society promotes sustained care of native habitats for today and for future generations. Grounded in science, the Society provides information and takes action to protect Florida’s native plants and natural communities upon which our wildlife depends. e Society’s reputation springs from the highest ethical standards and its credibility is based on a track record of commitment to public trust.
Mission
e Florida Native Plant Society promotes the preservation, conservation, and restoration of our native plants and native plant communities.
Vision
e Florida Native Plant Society preserves the state’s natural heritage. From the Panhandle to the Keys, native plant communities are being restored, created, and preserved through advocacy, leadership, and the dedication of our membership. rough education and programming, we ensure a future that sustains ecosystem health.
Below: Cypress stand (Richard Brownscombe)
Conservation and Advocacy
e Society pays a ention to the management of public lands. is is the main key to protecting our native ora.
Land Management Partners
In 2011, the Society once again provided the brain trust of its members to the bene t of state lands. Our Land Management Partners accomplished an amazing feat by participating in 100% of the state mandated Florida Department of Environmental Protection’s land management reviews. Over 60 experts from our membership were a part of this massive e ort that took place at various locations from the Panhandle to the Everglades. Lands being reviewed included Florida State Parks, Florida Wildlife Management Areas, and Florida State Forests.
With 3.8 million acres of conservation lands, it is imperative that the Society be involved in state land management reviews, new and updated management plans, and amendments to existing plans. Public participation is the only way to assure that our state lands are being managed properly and the native ora and fauna protected.
Whether at the statewide level or the chapter level, members continued to work with local and regional agencies to monitor,
survey, and protect native species and provide land managers with biological and ecological knowledge. Examples include:
• Members participated in stakeholder groups with both the St. John’s River Water Management District and the Southwest Florida Water Management District.
• The Land Management Partner Chair provided input on a multiuse trail system that will go through Seabranch and Savannas State Parks.
• Over 30,000 acres of critical habitat for the Florida panther, black bear, wood stork, crested caracara, gopher tortoise, snail kite, American swallow-tailed kite, and sandhill crane in Hendry County were reviewed by members of the Coccoloba Chapter on behalf of the Florida Forest Service and the Florida Wildlife Conservation Commission.
Below: Members of the Land Management Review team at St. Sebastian River Preserve State park (Vince Lamb)
Under re again, 2011 was a challenging year in the legislature, in the water management districts, and in county and city commissions throughout the State.
Science and Policy
Lighting up the action alert bu on, the Florida Native Plant Society rallied its members and resources on several policy issues in 2011. From weighing in on the Water Management District’s a empts to dispose of surplus lands in the Suwannee River WMD to proposed expansions of hunting opportunities within sensitive ecosystems, the Society continued to use science to drive policy decisions.
e Society’s science-driven approach is always present, but sometimes what’s really needed is plain common sense. Unfortunately, that was not on display when two Florida lawmakers led the Jack Nicklaus Golf Trail bill, requiring the Division of Recreation and Parks to hire Jack Nicklaus to build golf courses in state parks in every region of the state. e plan included an option for hotels on the park sites, and exempted the projects from all local zoning and development rules. e leadership of the Florida Native Plant Society sent a le er of objection to the Acquisition and Restoration Council and initiated a priority Action-Alert notice to its members who, in addition to other concerned Florida citizens, made it their business to contact their elected representatives on this issue. e bill failed.
Whether it was a local or statewide issue, members were active serving the public good and protecting Florida’s native plants and natural communities from special interests. Examples include:
• The Society stood up for enforcement when the State of Florida a empted to thwart implementation of the EPA’s water quality regulations.
• The Society supported the proposed addition of an internal directive to the Forest Service Manual requiring the development of invasive species control plans for national forests.
• The Society encouraged less frequent roadside mowing in Jackson County to promote growth of wild owers.
“Man shapes himself through decisions that shape his environment.” – Rene Dubos
Right: Blanket ower and common buckeye at PEAR Park; sandhills in bloom (Peg Urban)
Awards and Accolades
e Florida Native Plant Society continues to promote excellence in conservation, science, landscaping, and volunteer service through a variety of grants and awards.
Research Grants
e Society’s Science Endowment Fund supports original research on the conservation of native plants and natural communities. In 2011, the Society awarded over $4,000 in grants to advance and to recognize the best minds in the eld while advancing the literature on Florida’s native biological diversity. To this end, three projects were supported:
• “ Conservation genetics of the endangered key tree cactus Pilosocereus robinii,” a study by Tonya Fotinos from Florida International University.
• “ Evaluating ploidy in the endangered Florida endemic Lupinus aridorum,” a study by Glenn Bupp from Florida Institute of Technology.
• “ Evaluation of clonal spread and ages of Serenoa repens in a threatened ecosystem,” a study by Mizuki Takahashi from Bucknell University.
Landscape Awards
e Florida Native Plant Society’s Landscape Awards promotes the use of native plants in yards and properties to homeowners, businesses, agencies, and landscapers. We recognize outstanding e orts that make Florida feel like Florida. With a large applicant pool, the Society bestowed accolades to the best of the deserving applicants:
• An Ecosystem Restoration Award of Excellence was presented to Lake County’s Gardens Pavilion at PEAR Park.
• An Institutional Landscape Award of Excellence was presented to Tampa Bay Water and Water & Air Research.
• Institutional Landscape Awards of Honor and Merit were bestowed upon the City of Tampa for their work at Cotanchobee Fort Brooke Park and the University of South Florida Park at Riverwalk.
• A Residential Amateur Landscape Award of Excellence was presented to John and Nancy Henkelman.
“Look deep into nature, and then you will understand everything be er.” – Albert Einstein
• A Residential Amateur Landscape Award of Honor was presented to Julie Wert and Richard Stau er and the Award of Merit was presented to Birdgarden.
• A Residential Amateur Landscape Honorable Mention was presented to Alex and Freda Green.
• A Residential Professional Landscape Award of Excellence was presented to Dr. & Mrs. Joseph Sachs.
Palmetto Awards
e Florida Native Plant Society bestows various awards to members and chapters for their contributions to our mission. e Society recognizes outstanding contributions to the ongoing advancement of our mission by the dedication of our members and volunteers.
e 2011 Green Palme o Awards for service, education, science, and outstanding chapter were presented to Gwen Burzycki, Lavon Silvernell, Nadine Foley, Nancy West, and the Paynes Prairie Chapter.
e 2011 Silver Palme o Awards for providing the greatest assistance to the President were presented to Sue Dingwell, Daphne Lambright, Ina Crawford, and Dave Feagles.
e 2011 Mentor Award for outstanding contributions to the science and practice of native plant conservation, preservation, and restoration was presented to Loran Anderson.
Education and Outreach
e Florida Native Plant Society has educated a generation of Floridians on the importance of native plants and native plant communities.
In 2011, the Society used the internet and social media more than ever with a blog, twi er, and of course, our comprehensive website. Still, good old fashioned presentations and educational curricula ruled the day.
By sharing the treasures of our native landscapes with our children, we demonstrated a love for the natural world that is authentic and permanent. We taught our children to respect a world vulnerable to the exigencies of development and the pressures of a burgeoning population. We continue to instill in children and families a respect for the native systems that support life and provide guideposts for the preservation of our native plant resources.
Le to right: Planting endangered cacti (Jon Moore). A dragon y rests on a trail sign at PEAR Preserve (Peg Urban). University of Central Florida students plant cypress trees at Allen Broussard Conservancy (Vince Lamb). FNPS members help children, families, and communities learn to respect the natural systems that support life (Richard Brownscombe)
Chapters
e Florida Native Plant Society has more than
3,000 members, organized in Chapters throughout the state. Our members are the lifeblood of the organization.
Members of the Florida Native Plant Society served as ambassadors throughout the state, promoting our mission and guiding principles in multiple ways, from planting native gardens and installing botanical exhibits in public parks to hosting workshops and eld trips.
Events can be Eye Openers
When the Pawpaw Chapter of northeast Volusia County se led on a native plant landscape tour as a way to raise awareness about native plants in their communities, its members learned about the complexities of successfully producing this event. Arranging for aprons and signs with the Florida Native Plant Society logo, lemonade stations, printed guides, helpful volunteers directing tra c, and eight properties sca ered across the county were just the beginning. To their surprise, tickets to the June weekend event sold out quickly. Local native plant nurseries, working in partnership with the chapter, reported that they could have sold hundreds more tickets. Tickets consisted of booklets containing biographies of the owners of each property, along with maps to the locations, and descriptions of the home gardens. Sightseers were treated to personalized tours by the homeowners along with mini-lectures on the use and cultivation of the many native plants that embellished their homesteads with swaths of colors and textures. e three months of planning, arranging for publicity, and countless volunteer hours paid dividends by educating the public about the diversity of natives that can be used in landscapes.
“I am myself and what is around me, and if I do not save it, it shall not save me.” – Jose Ortega y Gasset
Citrus
Coccoloba
Cocoplum
Conradina
Broward
Cuplet Fern
Dade
Eugenia
Heartland
Hernando 11. Ixia 12. Lake Beautyberry 13. Lakelas Mint 14. Longleaf Pine
Lyonia 16. Magnolia 17. Mangrove
18. Marion Big Scrub
19. Naples
20. Nature Coast
21. Palm Beach
22. Pawpaw
23. Paynes Prairie
24. Pine Lily
25. Pinellas
26. Pineywoods
27. Sarracenia
28. Sea Oats
29. Sea Rocket
30. Serenoa
31 Solidago
32. South Ridge
33. Sparkleberry
34. Sumter
35. Suncoast
36. Sweet Bay
37. Tarflower
38. University of Central Florida
39. University of Florida
e Florida Native Plant Society’s members enable us to be responsive locally. Chapters provide a vehicle and a voice for our members at the community level.
Our Chapters are one of our greatest strengths, working as a group on the issues that a ect their local area. Chapters schedule formal programs, send Society representatives to council meetings, and conduct numerous projects to promote Florida’s native plants and natural communities.
Wild about Wildflowers
e Ixia Chapter worked on several fronts to bring native wild owers to the City of Jacksonville. Working in partnership with the city’s Economic Development Council (JEDC), Ixia rst created a wild ower garden on a three-quarter acre parcel of land located on a busy intersection that sees over 10,000 cars passing daily. With a groundswell of support for the native garden, the Chapter then pursued a resolution by the Jacksonville City Council supporting the planting of wild owers and incorporating native plantings in corridor fashion throughout the city and along its roadways. As a result of hundreds of volunteer hours that included sowing seeds, installing the garden and working on the resolution, Jacksonville is becoming one of the more native plant friendly cities in Florida. All of this hard work paid o for the JEDC when they were awarded a grant from the Wild ower Foundation. e grant award was largely based the Chapter’s support and continued e orts to plant native wild owers, their labor of love.
Working on the Ground
e Florida Native Plant Society is an active participant in helping communities throughout the state go native.
• Planted over 6,000 bald cypress trees as part of a restoration program
• Designed, installed and maintained native plant demonstrations gardens
• Led guided walks through conservation and wildlife management areas
• Performed surveys of native trees and plants on city, county, and state lands
• Participated in broadcast radio programs about native plants
• Published hundreds of informative, entertaining newsle ers containing valuable and practical material on native ecosystems and plants
• Weeded, planted, flagged, and mulched native plants in a mesic hammock
• Hosted seminars for the general public on the use of native plants in landscapes
Our members back up our mission with action on-the-ground.
• Led wading trips for school children through state preserves
• Provided native plants for sale at wildflower festivals, holiday events, botanical garden and master gardener plant sales
• Presented exotic and invasive plant identification and removal classes
• Sponsored beginning level botany classes open to the public
• Planted natives in an historical garden located at a pioneer house built in 1875 by se lers to Merri Island
• Taught children how to plant and maintain native plant gardens at their schools
• Rescued native plants from sites that were to be cleared and moved them to protected areas
Le to right: Exploring natural Florida on an FNPS eld trip. (Richard Brownscombe).
Cloudless sulfur bu er ies and Florida paintbrush (Peg Urban)
2011 Conference
e Florida Native Plant Societ y’s Annual Conference is a agship program, providing opportunities for members to renew their enthusiasm and shared passion for Florida’s natural heritage.
e 31st Annual Conference of the Florida Native Plant Society was held in Maitland on May 19th – 22nd in 2011. Hosted by the Cuplet Fern, Lake Beautyberry, Pine Lily, and Tar ower Chapters, it truly was a group e ort. With over 370 registered program participants and nearly 100 eld trip participants, the event was popular, energizing, educational, and fun for all.
The theme “Patios, Preserves and Public Spaces: Making Connections” was well represented by a host of speakers, including keynote speakers Rick Darke who presented “Livable Florida: Native Design,” Dr. Rutherford H. Platt who spoke about “Blooming Cities: Restoring Nature in Urban America,” and Sister Patricia Siemen who talked about “Earth Jurisprudence: Protecting Nature’s Rights to Exist.” Other notable speakers included:
• Akers Pence
• Andy Kittsley
• Bruce Means
• Courtney Knickerbocker
• Craig Huegel
• Eric S. Menges
• J. Christopher Haney
• Jim Coulliard
• Mark. L. Johnson
• Michael Bowles
• Reed Noss
• Rick Baird
• Walter K. Taylor
• Zach Welch
Most sessions were lled and discussions of topics spilled into the hallways and continued into the evening events. All told, there were over 40 speakers and 20 local eld trips that supported our successful 31st Annual Conference.
Top to bo om: General meeting at the FNPS State Conference. (Vince Lamb). Conference eld trip to PEAR Park (Peg Urban)
Financial Summary 2010-2011
Florida Native Plant Society Partnerships 2011
A. L. Anderson County Park
Agriculture Center Discovery Garden, Tavares
Alfred B. Maclay Gardens State Park
Allen Broussard Catfish Creek Preserve State Park
Altamonte Springs Valley Garden Club
Apalachicola River Wildlife and Environmental Area
Apalachicola National Forest
Archbold Biological Station
Arthur R. Marshall Loxahatchee National Wildlife Refuge
Atlantic Ridge Preserve State Park
Audubon of Florida
Audubon St. Petersburg
Bald Point State Park
Big Cypress National Preserve
Bill Frederick Turkey Lake Park
Blowing Rocks Preserve
Blue Springs State Park
Bluffs Park
Bok Tower Gardens
Boyd Hill Nature Preserve
Brevard County Environmentally Endangered Lands
Brooker Creek Preserve
Broward County Secret Woods Nature Center
Caladesi Island State Park
Carlton Ward Photography
Cedar Point Environmental Park
Charlotte County Parks
Charlotte Harbor Environmental Center
Circle B-Bar Reserve
City of Fort Lauderdale
City of Gainesville
City of Jacksonville Economic Development Commission
City of Pensacola
Clark Bay Conservation Area
Coastal Wildlife Club
Cooperative Invasive Species Management Areas
Corbett Wildlife Management Area
Crystal Lake Preserve
Crystal Springs
Dade Battlefield Historic State Park
Deep Creek Preserve
Devil’s Millhopper
Dinner Island Wildlife Management Area
Disney Wilderness Preserve
Dr. Julian G. Bruce St. George Island State Park
DuPuis Reserve
Eckerd College
Ed Yarborough Nature Center
Edgewater-Oak Hill
Emerson Point Preserve
Enchanted Forest
Englewood Center for Sustainability
Englewood Community Garden
Environmental Confederation of Southwest Florida
Etoniah Creek State Forest
Everglades Coalition
Everglades National Park
Fairchild Tropical Botanical Gardens
Fakahatchee Strand Preserve State Park
Fern Forest Tallahassee
Florida Association of Native Nurseries
Florida Conservation Coalition
Florida Department of Environmental Protection
Florida Division of Plant Industry
Florida Endangered Plant Advisory Council
Florida Exotic Pest Plant Council
Florida Forestry Service
Florida Institute of Technology
Florida Invasive Species Partnership
Florida Keys Land and Sea Trust
Florida Master Naturalist Program
Florida Natural Areas Inventory
Florida State College of Jacksonville
Florida State University
Florida Trail Association
Florida Wildflower Foundation
Florida Wildflower Growers Coop
Florida Wildlife Conservation Commission
Florida Wildlife Federation
Forever Florida
Francis S. Taylor Wildlife Management Area
Friends of Brooker Creek Preserve
Friends of Sarasota County Parks
Friends of Tampa Bay National Wildlife Refuge
Friends of the Hammock Park
Friends of the Island Parks
Friends of Weedon Island
Full Circle Farm
Gainesville Friends of Nature Parks
Gasparilla Island State Park
Georgia Botanical Society
Georgia Native Plant Society
Gholson Nature Center Park
Governors Square Park
Graham Swamp Preserve
Half Moon Wildlife Management Area
Harbor Pointe Condominium Association
Hinson Conservation and Recreation Area
Holey Land Wildlife Management Area
Indian Mound Park
J.R. Alford Greenway
John D. MacArthur Beach State Park
John Pennekamp State Park
Jonathan Dickinson State Park
Jones-Hungryland Wildlife and Environmental Area
Keep Brevard Beautiful
Keep Brevard Beautiful Florida Friendly Grants Program
Kentucky Native Plant Society
Kissimmee Audubon
Kissimmee Prairie State Park
Ladybird Johnson Wildflower Center
Lake Blue Scrub
Lake City Audubon
Lake Jackson Mounds State Park
Lake Lotus Park
Lake Manatee State Park
Lake Panasoffkee Neighborhood
Lake Wales Ridge Ecosystem Working Group
Lake Worth Tree Board
Lakes And Hills Garden Club
Langford Park
Lemon Bay Conservancy
Lemon Bay Park
Leon County Solid Waste Facility
Leu Gardens
Lovers Key State Park
Lyonia Environmental Center
MacArthur Beach State Park
Manatee State Park
Martin County Environmental Studies Center
Martin County Land Acquisition Selection Committee
Matanzas River Basin Biodiversity Initiative
Merritt Island National Wildlife Refuge
Miami Blue Chapter of North American Butterfly Association
Miami-Dade County Parks & Recreation
Mississippi Native Plant Society
Moccasin Lake Nature Park
Morningside Nature Center
Morris Bridge Wilderness Park
Mote Marine Laboratories
Mounts Botanical Garden
Myakka River State Park
Native Plant Society of Texas
Nature Coast Regional Envirothon
North Florida Water Management District
Northrop Grumman
Northwood Green LIFE
Oakland Nature Preserve
Ochlockonee River State Park
Ocklawaha/Save the Rivers
Okaloacoochee Slough State Forest
Okaloacoochee Slough Wildlife Management Area
Orlando Wetland Park
Osceola County Master Gardeners
Palm Beach Audubon
Palm Beach County Cooperative
Extension Service
Partnership for a Sustainable Future
Pasco County Environmental Lands
Paynes Prairie Preserve State Park
PEAR Park Association, Inc.
Pelican Island National Wildlife Refuge
Pine Jog Environmental Education Center
Pinellas County Parks & Natural Resources
Pinellas Living Green Expo
Progress Energy
Rotenberger Wildlife Management Area
Rotonda West Aquatics Committee
Salt Lake Wildlife Management Area
Sarasota County
Savage/Christmas Creek Preserve
Savannas Preserve State Park
Save The Manatee Club
Secret Woods Nature Center
Shadow Bay Park
Shoreline Restoration Coordinator
Marine Discovery Center
Sierra Club of Florida
Silver River State Park
South Florida Water Management District
Southeast Florida Scrub Ecosystem
Working Group
Spirit of the Wild Wildlife Management Area
St. Joe Bay Buffer Preserve
St. John’s River Water Management District
St. Lucie Inlet Preserve State Park
St. Marks National Wildlife Refuge
St. Marks River State Park
St. Sebastian River Preserve State Park
Stephen Foster State Park
Stetson University
Sugar Mill Botanical Garden
Suncoast Writer’s Guild
Suwannee River Water Management District
Suwannee Ridge Wildlife and Environmental Area
Suwannee River State Park
Sweetwater Oaks Garden
Sykes Creek
Tampa Bay Refuge
Tennessee Native Plant Society
The Gillespie Museum
Three Lakes Wildlife Management Area
Tiger Creek Preserve
Titusville Garden Club
Torreya State Park
Tosohatchee Wildlife Management Area
Town of Melbourne Village
Trout Lake Nature Center
Turtle Mound
Twin Rivers State Forest
University of Central Florida
University of Florida County Extension
University of South Florida
Viera Regional Park
Virginia Native Plant Society
Volusia County Land Acquisition and Management
Wakulla County Public Library
Wakulla Springs
Wakulla Springs State Park
Wall Springs County Park
Warea Tract of the Seminole State Forest
Watermelon Pond Wildlife and Environmental Area
Weedon Island Preserve Cultural and Natural History Center
Welaka State Forest
Whitney Laboratory for Marine Bioscience
Winding Waters Natural Area
Winter Garden Chamber of Commerce
Withlacoochee State Forest
Wolf Creek Trout Lily Preserve
The Florida Native Plant Society PO Box 278, Melbourne FL 32902-0278 (321) 271-6702
info@fnps.org Follow FNPS online: www.fnps.org
