Palmetto
Each year, the Florida Native Plant Society provides a limited number of conservation grants to fund native plant conservation projects. Grant recipients agree to provide a presentation to an FNPS chapter, present their research at the FNPS annual conference, or provide a written summary for an FNPS publication. The 2009 Conservation Grants have been awarded to the following three projects:
Population Monitoring and Ex Situ Conservation of Linum arenicola (Small)
The Key West Tropical Forest and Botanical Garden (KWBG) proposes to monitor the 4 known populations of Linum arenicola in Monroe County.
This rare endemic is a candidate for listing and is known from only from 5 sites in Miami-Dade and 4 sites in the Keys. It was last surveyed in 2005 just before the Keys were subjected to the storm surge generated by Hurricane Wilma. This followup survey will gauge the impacts of the storm on the 4 island populations and identify locations where seed can be collected to establish an ex situ conservation site at KWBG. Funding to create the ex situ site will be provided through a separate grant awarded by the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation Nature of Learning program. The project will comply with the guidelines established by the Center for Plant Conservation. This project is sponsored by the Dade Chapter.
Big Sweetwater Creek Botanical Survey
This project consists of an in-depth botanical survey of the biologically rich Big Sweetwater Creek basin, in Torreya State Park, Liberty County.
The survey area encompasses roughly 2,000 acres of the unique ravine and slope
forest habitat characteristic of Torreya State Park. It is a recent addition to the Park and has never been subjected to a comprehensive survey. The list of rare plants that could potentially be documented is extensive. The occurrences of all plant species of conservation interest, and all sightings of invasive plant species (EPPC Category 1 and 2 species), will be documented using GPS. The data on native species will be submitted to the Florida Natural Areas Inventory for inclusion in their database. The Florida Park Service has endorsed the project, will provide in-kind services, and will use the information to guide their future protection and management of the Park. This proposal is sponsored by the Magnolia Chapter.
Mariposa Key Restoration
Removal of litter and invasive exotic species, including Brazilian pepper, carrotwood, Australian pine and others, will be concentrated on 1.5 acres of coastal berm habitat on 6-acre Marioposa Key, which is located in the Terra Ceia Preserve State Park and Terra Ceia Aquatic Preserve in Manatee County. Many native species will benefit. Rare plant species that may be present include mock vervain (Glandularia spp.) and wild cotton (Gossypium hirsutum). Consulting firm WilsonMiller will match the FNPS grant funds by providing labor, and the Florida Park Service will provide equipment and other support. The Florida Park Service has acknowledged that budget constraints would preclude their implementation of this project without the support of FNPS. WilsonMiller will issue a press release announcing the project and identifying FNPS as the source of funding. The project is sponsored by the Serenoa Chapter and will be coordinated by two ecologists employed at WilsonMiller. ❁
Palmetto seeks articles on native plant species and related conservation topics, as well as high-quality botanical illustrations and photographs. Contact the editor for guidelines, deadlines and other information at pucpuggy@bellsouth.net, or visit www.fnps.org and follow the links to Publications/Palmetto.
The purpose of the Florida Native Plant Society is to preserve, conserve, and restore the native plants and native plant communities of Florida.
Official definition of native plant: For most purposes, the phrase Florida native plant refers to those species occurring within the state boundaries prior to European contact, according to the best available scientific and historical documentation. More specifically, it includes those species understood as indigenous, occurring in natural associations in habitats that existed prior to significant human impacts and alterations of the landscape.
Organization: Members are organized into regional chapters throughout Florida. Each chapter elects a Chapter Representative who serves as a voting member of the Board of Directors and is responsible for advocating the chapter’s needs and objectives. See www.fnps.org
Board of Directors
Executive
President
Committee
Directors-at-Large, 2008–2010
Vacant (2 positions)
Rick
Directors-at-Large, 2009–2011
Terry
Debbie
Martha
To
To
Webmaster ......................................Paul Rebmann
Accounting Services ............................ Joslin & Hershkowitz
Administrative Services .......................Cammie Donaldson
Palmetto
Features
4 2009 FNPS Landscape Awards
From a suburban retreat to a mitigation project spanning thousands of acres, native plants are the stars of the show at the FNPS Landscape Awards. Read about the winners for 2009, and start planning your entry for 2010.
6 2009 Palmetto Awards
Whether your Palmetto Award is silver or green, it means you’ve given your all to FNPS. Meet the recipients of the 2009 Palmetto Awards and learn about the achievements that brought them honors at the 2009 FNPS Conference.
12 Florida Magnificent Wilderness
An eye-riveting coffee table book filled with James Valentine’s captivating pictures and the plain words of Dr. Bruce Means should reside on every native plant lover’s book shelf. Mike Wisenbaker’s review gives us many reasons to add the book to our collections.
ON THE COVER:
Scrub jays (Aphelocoma coerulescens) at the Jupiter Ridge Natural Area, one of the many field trip locations enjoyed by participants of the FNPS 2009 Annual Conference. Photo by Dr. Anne Cox.
Make a difference with FNPS
Your membership supports the preservation and restoration of wildlife habitats and biological diversity through the conservation of native plants. It also funds awards for leaders in native plant education, preservation and research.
● New member/gift membership $25
● Renewing individual $35
● Family or household $50
● Contributing $75 (with $25 going to the Endowment)
● Not-for-profit organization $50
● Business or corporate $125
● Supporting $100
● Donor $250
● Lifetime $1,000
● Full time student $15
Please consider upgrading your membership level when you renew.
The Palmetto (ISSN 0276-4164) Copyright 2009, Florida Native Plant Society, all rights reserved. No part of the contents of this magazine may be reproduced by any means without written consent of the editor. The Palmetto is published four times a year by the Florida Native Plant Society (FNPS) as a benefit to members. The observations and opinions expressed in attributed columns and articles are those of the respective authors and should not be interpreted as representing the official views of the Florida Native Plant Society or the editor, except where otherwise stated.
Editorial Content: We have a continuing interest in articles on specific native plant species and related conservation topics, as well as high-quality botanical illustrations and photographs. Contact the editor for submittal guidelines, deadlines and other information. Editor: Marjorie Shropshire, Visual Key Creative, Inc. ● pucpuggy@bellsouth.net ● (772) 232-1384 ● 855 N.E. Stokes Terrace, Jensen Beach FL 34957
FNPS Landscape Awards
Each year at the Annual Conference, FNPS honors the use of native plants in restorative and traditional landscape installations with the “Design With Natives” program, which gives amateur and professional designers an opportunity to share their efforts and be honored for their achievements. We congratulate the winners of the 2009 “Design With Natives” Awards, showcased here.
Jim Bierly sited his new home to save existing longleaf pines and worked with the builder to clear only 1/3 of the one acre lot for house, drive and landscape.
The standard builder’s landscaping package included non-native viburnums, camellias and azaleas, and community deed restrictions required the installation of turf grass and in-ground irrigation. Bierly gradually removed non-native plants and replanted with natives. The initial amount of turf grass has been reduced by 50%, and native Florida species now compose 95% of the landscaping.
Three butterfly/hummingbird gardens were planted with nectarproducing plants. A fish pond 8 feet in diameter was installed and stocked with mosquito fish (Gambusia species) and aquatic species including water lily (Nymphaea species) and lizard’s tail (Saururus cernuus). Last year a bog garden was built which includes cardinal flowers (Lobelia cardinalis) and scarlet hibiscus (Hibiscus coccineus) as well as other wet area plants.
Over 100 pine trees of various sizes grow near the property, and pine needles and various oak leaves are used exclusively for mulch.
The garden receives many visitors. Garden walks have been attended by neighbors, local newspaper reporters, members of the Citrus Chapter of FNPS and area garden clubs.
Shoppers and diners approaching the front of Amy’s Gourmet are welcomed by cabbage and paurotis palms, marlberry, sand cordgrass, gamagrass, Bahama coffee, and silver oxeye daisy.
Other species included in the design are Simpson’s stopper, myrsine, needle palm, gaillardia, gumbo limbo, and Spanish stopper.
Screening the parking lot are slash pines, blolly, silver saw palmetto, cocoplum, and pineland privet. An attractive center parking island is planted with live oak, green buttonwood and Walter’s viburnum.
Roadside plantings feature live oak, black ironwood, pigeon plum, firebush and Simpson’s stopper, and the retention basin is lush with bald cypress, buttonbush, wax myrtle, pond apple, and hedge of Florida privet.
In 2006 the Town of Ponce Inlet constructed a multi-purpose Town Hall building and a Police Station on 9.6 acres of coastal strand and maritime forest. The Town’s plan fit the public buildings into the naturally existing topography and environment and created an aesthetically pleasing landscape using native plants.
Because native plants are defined by their presence at the time Juan Ponce de Leon landed in Florida in 1513, it is only fitting that the town named for Ponce de Leon would endeavor to preserve its native plant resources around the Town Hall & Police Station.
Only the roads and building footprints were cleared and most of the remaining vegetation was preserved. Where land was disturbed during construction it was re-vegetated with native plants.
Continued on page 8
2009 Palmetto Awards
Each year at the annual conference, The Florida Native Plant Society rewards the extraordinary effort of members and chapters who have contributed to the good of the Society.
Green Palmetto Awards
Green Palmetto Awards are given to members who have provided outstanding support in the areas of service, education, science or technical expertise. The Green Palmetto Chapter Award is given to a chapter whose efforts have contributed significantly to the FNPS mission during the year.
Chapter Award: Pinellas Chapter
The Pinellas Chapter is involved with their community on a significant level that provides resources and guidance. They have a strong educational outreach program, including the PowerPoint presentation In Harmony with Nature, which gives viewers information on healthy landscapes and gardening with Florida native plants. In Harmony with Nature was developed in partnership with the St. Petersburg Audubon Society, and has been presented to thousands of people at environmental events, neighborhood association meetings, garden clubs, civic groups, and state conferences held by Audubon of Florida
and FNPS. Designed to make people aware of environmentally friendly approaches to home property management, it has also been a strong vehicle for introducing the Pinellas Chapter and its mission to the community and local government. The Chapter is a vital member of a county wide environmental coalition, The Alliance for a Livable Pinellas (ALP). The Alliance meets monthly to share news, discuss issues, and to coordinate advocacy strategies when appropriate. Just one result of these meetings is a forthcoming revised city tree ordinance which is more protective of the tree canopy.
Chapter President Bill Bilodeau (pictured right) accepted the award.
Chris Trost: Coccoloba Chapter
Chris Trost has been a stalwart member of the Coccoloba Chapter, serving on the Board of Directors in a variety of offices.
After many years of service on the executive committee she remains active in administrative roles, assisting new Chapter officers. Chris has always been one to see that see that the checklist of needed services required for plant sales, planting projects and outreach meetings was covered by members. Additionally, she has been politically active, attending meetings and organizing letter writing efforts to remind administrative agencies responsible for protecting native plants and their habitats that FNPS is monitoring their activities.
Chris Trost is one of the unsung heroes of FNPS. For more than fifteen years she kept us organized and helped further many successful projects that assist our mission.
Chris devotes her time to take the FNPS message to countless festivals, galas and other public events throughout the county in an effort to educate the public about the superior attributes of native plants and encourage new memberships. Chris will never let an issue go unaddressed and writes politicians and government officials on a nearly daily basis, defending our envi-
ronment, sustainability and of course demanding and encouraging the use of native plants.
George R. Kish: Suncoast Chapter
George R. Kish has been an FNPS member since 1999 and was active from the very beginning. He served as the Suncoast Chapter’s newsletter editor from 2000 to 2002, and still provides plant profiles for the newsletter today. He joined the chapter board in 2000 as Secretary, and was president of the Suncoast Chapter from 2002 to 2005. George is currently a member of Southwest Florida Water Management District’s Green Industry Advisory Committee, representing the Florida Native Plant Society.
George Kish earned his M.S. degree in Environmental Science from Rutgers University, and a B.S. degree in Biological Sciences from Drexel University. He is currently a doctoral candidate at the University of South Florida and his doctoral dissertation will emphasize the relation between plant phenology and climate. George also taught an introductory coarse in environmental science at the University of South Florida, and is often a guest lecturer for courses in the department of geology.
George Kish regularly gives talks to FNPS chapters, non-profit groups, and community development organizations about native landscaping, native grasses, butterfly gardening, and Florida’s ecosystems. He was instrumental in creating Life in our Landscapes, an outreach program funded by a grant from FNPS that encourages big box stores to use native plants in landscaping.
George is one of the authors listed in The Right Plants for Dry Places (second edition), and is one of the authors of The Right Plants for Dry Coastal Places (in preparation).
George has inspired many others to become active in native plant issues, and is one of the reasons the Suncoast Chapter has become so successful.
Marc Godts: Tarflower Chapter
From an early age Marc Godts was exposed to disparate Florida environments. His family spent most weekends camping throughout the state.
Marc earned a degree in Horticulture from the University of South Florida. Over 20 years ago he joined a large landscape construction company, Dobson’s Woods and Water. Marc now manages the company and their two large nurseries. A little over 10 years ago, Marc and his wife Terry began their own nursery, Green Isle Gardens, to grow native plants exclusively. The nursery is located south of Groveland and is open to the public.
Continued on page 10
FNPS Landscape Awards
Lee County Port Authority’s Mitigation Park was created to address the County’s future mitigation needs in advance of planned expansion projects.
At nearly 7,000 acres, the Mitigation Park contains the single largest freshwater marsh in Lee County, which covers over 1,000 acres.
In addition to wetland areas, several fallow farm fields in the park required restoration. Aerial photos from 1953 were used to discover original drainage patterns and flow ways. A total of 406 acres of marsh and wetland creation was proposed after review of these historic photos. Before proceeding with the restoration, a two year study of rain fall and groundwater monitoring was performed, which helped to identify proper elevations for the target hydroperiod for each wetland type.
Over 150,000 cubic yards of organic material removed from wetlands impacted by the construction of a new airport terminal were used in the restoration. More than 800,000 plants were installed in the created wetlands, with an 80% survival rate. An additional 1,370 acres of uplands and wetlands were enhanced, reducing invasive exotics to only 5% coverage.
To date, restoration of the Mitigation Park has cost $7.8 million.
5,042 of the total 7,000 acres in Mitigation Park are preservation lands. Of this total, 3,378 acres are wetlands and 1,664 acres are comprised of uplands. The Mitigation Park also provides important connectivity to other preservation areas such as the 60,000 acre Corkscrew Regional Ecosystem Watershed.
The McKay Creek Greenway is a green corridor located in Pinellas County. The 400-acre Walsingham Park, Pinellas Extension, the Heritage Village historical complex, the Florida Botanical Gardens, 60-acre “The Natural Area”, Animal Services, 23-acre Ridgecrest Park and 157-acre Taylor Park are all part of the Greenway. The site includes pine flatwoods, xeric hammock, forested wetland, and scrub hardwoods, and 26 state and/or federally listed species make the Greenway their home.
Too close to major roads for prescriptive fire, inappropriate successional native plants thrived, with oaks and grape vines shading out under-story vegetation. Due to the inappropriate habitat, quail and gopher tortoise migrated away from the area.
Habitat restoration and enhancement began with the elimination of Brazilian pepper, climbing fern, air potato, Guinea and cogon grass. After exotic removal, 6,500 native plants were installed and established. A winding interpretive trail was created, enhanced by 17 educational signs containing information about habitat restoration, prescribed burning, native habitats, native plant species, wildlife needs, exotic invasive plants, and the benefits of dead tree snags.
Volunteers and staff continue to maintain and upgrade the site on a regular basis.
Over the years, Martin County has acquired more than 350 acres of sensitive coastal habitat. Many sites have been disturbed by mosquito control projects, road building, and construction. The subsequent invasion of exotic plants, which often developed into monocultures, competed with native species for dominance.
Restoration was a top priority, and efforts were focused on restoring 1 linear mile of coastal habitat at Bob Graham Beach, Curtis Beach, Alex/Beachwalk Pasley, Santa Lucea and Jensen Beach. $750,000 was spent removing exotics from 50 acres, and 20 acres were vegetated with native plants appropriate to the coastal strand. Meadow Beauty Nursery was hired to collect seeds and grow many of the plants since some species needed for restoration were unavailable.
Nearly 16,000 plants were installed and volunteers contributed approximately 1,000 hours of time to the restoration effort. Signs highlighting the problem of exotics and the benefits of using native plants were placed on site to educate visitors about the importance of the restoration to the health of the coastal strand.
The original landscaping at this site consisted of a sea of thirsty St. Augustine grass, a single foxtail palm and a ribbon of exotics around the house.
David and Johanna Mills desired a lush, aesthetically pleasing garden that would replace their turf grass with low maintenance native plants, and would require less water and fertilizer consumption.
Cabbage palms and a non-native royal poinciana tree give shade, textural diversity and definition to the once barren front yard. Muhly grass, dune sunflower and beach elder fill out the ground plane and add seasonal interest and color, while coontie, sea grape, firebush, Jamaican caper, Simpson’s stopper, Florida privet and necklace pod blend together nicely to provide a year round mass of intermediate height color and texture. The owners may well have trouble seeing their house from the street in a few years.
Designer Shawnee Bray also included Dahoon holly, silver buttonwood, pigeon plum, Muhly grass, silver saw palmetto, royal palms, and cocoplum in the new plantings.
The SummerCamp Beach Club was built as the commercial and recreational center of the SummerCamp Beach development. Coastal pine flatwoods were the dominant vegetation on the site, and care was taken to preserve as much natural vegetation as possible during construction. 100% of the new plantings are north Florida natives and all are mulched with pine straw. The project includes an in-ground irrigation system installed to assist with the establishment of new plantings, and the system will be turned off as plant establishment dictates. ❁
Among the species they grow are scrub plants, Marc’s favorites.
Marc and Terry created the first educational slide show for the Tarflower Chapter, and it has remained the standard for subsequent editions. For the past 18 years Marc has planned and coordinated the plant sale portion of our booth at the giant H. P. Leu Gardens annual sale, held each March in Orlando. He selects plants, collects them from several nurseries, and arranges and prices them for the sale. Marc also guides our team of volunteers and shares his encyclopedic knowledge with us and those seeking to buy native plants for their home landscapes. During the history of our participation in the
2009 Palmetto Awards
Leu Gardens plant sale, we estimate that he has generated close to $45,000 for our chapter, though no price tag can be placed on the generous way he shares his love for native plants.
Gayle Edwards: Coccoloba Chapter
Gayle Edwards, a member of the Coccoloba Chapter for the last decade, has indefatigably conducted research and demonstration landscapes for butterfly gardening at schools and parks throughout the region. Her crusade to educate Southwest Florida’s new residents about pest plant species and native landscape alternatives has recruited many new members to the FNPS.
As an IFAS extension service volunteer she has kept the FNPS message in the forefront, and influenced IFAS programs to be more natural systems friendly.
SILVER Palmetto Awards
Silver Palmetto Awards reward members of The FNPS Board of Directors who have provided exemplary service.
Robin Caple: Marion Big Scrub Chapter
As a founding member of the Marion Big Scrub Chapter, Robin’s energy, effervescent personality and hard work assisted the chapter in becoming an immediate success.
This year, when chapter leadership waned, she almost single handedly brought it back to life and recruited volunteers to assume officer positions.
Robin is instrumental in managing chapter programming and education and outreach events. Recently, she represented the chapter in the Levy, Alachua and Marion County Florida Forever Listening, a joint project between FNPS and The Nature Conservancy. Robin assisted in the local organization and publicity to produce this event.
As an FNPS Chapter Representative, Robin has participated in discussions and provided helpful recommendations
on a variety of issues. She diligently provides an excellent communication link between the chapter and the Board of Directors.
Paul Schmalzer: Sea Rocket Chapter
Long time member Paul Schmalzer has dedicated great effort to the improving the FNPS Science Advisory Committee’s activities. He has streamlined the conference research sessions, expanded the base of science committee contacts throughout Florida and within various university systems, and has contributed his keen insights
and recommendations to the Society on a regular basis.
In his role as Sea Rocket Chapter Representative, Paul has rarely missed an Executive Committee meeting or a Board of Directors meeting, and is always an active participant in the meetings.
Paul’s professionalism and scientific background have elevated The Florida Native Plant Society to new levels, and have contributed to its effectiveness as an advocate for native ecosystems.
Shirley Denton: Suncoast Chapter
Shirley Denton has been an integral part of the Society’s success for years. During her tenure as Past President she worked to improve the FNPS web site by creating an online membership renewal system and an online donation system. Her efforts to develop opera-
tional progress within the Society keeps FNPS strong and our technology up-to-date.
Shirley is a member of the Chapter Grants Committee, and leads the FNPS Nomination Committee. She is a valuable part of the FNPS leadership team and is dedicated to the success of the Society.
Shirley is a multiple award winner, having received Silver Palmetto awards in 2003 and 2005.
Mary and Ron Echols: Naples Chapter
Over the past several years, Mary and Ron Echols have served the Naples chapter in many leadership capacities. Both Mary and Ron have served as Chapter President.
Ron is currently the Chapter Representative on the Board Of Directors.
Mary attends Board meetings as well, and their wise input is an asset to the Board.
Their consistent leadership has provided the Naples Chapter with good decisions, excellent education and outreach projects, and chapter guidance.
Mary and Ron are stewards at an area preservation site and nature center and continuously spend time educating the general public about the importance of conservation, facts about native plants and native plant communities. They inspire many in the Naples area. ❁
Join us in congratulating this year’s Palmetto Award recipients.
The Florida Native Plant Society maintains an Endowment Grant program for the purpose of funding research on native plants. These small grants are awarded for a 1-year period, and support research that forwards the Society’s mission to promote the preservation, conservation, and restoration of the native plants and native plant communities of Florida.
The grants review committee, consisting of Richard Wunderlin, Carl Weekley, Daphne Lambright, and Paul Schmalzer, reviewed 20 proposals submitted for the 2009 Endowment Research Awards. Four proposals were awarded funding:
Nicholas Buckley, Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of Tennessee. Mating system biology of the Florida native plant: Illicium parviflorum
James M. Heaney, Department of Biology, University of Florida and Florida Museum of Natural History. Systematics, biogeography, and conservation genetics of two Florida endemics, Nolina brittoniana and N. atopocarpa (Ruscaceae).
Herbert Kesler and Jennifer Trusty, Folius Consulting. Evaluation and conservation of Harperocallis flava: A federally endangered plant in the savannas of the Apalachicola River Basin.
Alice A. Winn, Department of Biological Science, Florida State University. Demographic analysis to understand what determines the success and failure of populations of the endangered Florida endemic Conradina glabra
The FNPS Endowment Fund is created and maintained through the donations of members. Please consider supporting native plant research.
Above: 2009 FNPS Conference attendees enjoy an open air reception at the native plant display garden, located at Mounts Botanical Garden in West Palm Beach.
In fall 2006, Pineapple Press released an eye-riveting coffee table book. It is packed with James Valentine’s captivating pictures and the plain words of Dr. Bruce Means. While Valentine is one of Florida’s best nature photographers, Means wears the mantle of one of the state’s most avid ecological advocates.
This book impels us to explore, respect and protect the vanishing vestiges of Florida’s incomparable natural places. For armchair enthusiasts or folks unable to get to these sites, Florida Magnificent Wilderness brings them to our fingertips.
Natural Areas
Florida Magnificent Wilderness: State Lands, Parks and
Review by Mike Wisenbaker
Florida Magnificent Wilderness: State Lands, Parks and Natural Areas
By James Valentine and D. Bruce Means
2006. Pineapple Press, Sarasota, FL.
147 pages, hardcover. $29.95
ISBN: 1561643610
The book reveals that “biologically Florida is Eden.” The Florida Natural Areas Inventory (FNAI), for example, defines 66 distinct major habitats for the state. These include upland, wetland and aquatic ecosystems. Unfortunately, this tantalizing tome reveals that many of our native ecosystems have been forever altered by invasive and exotic species. Still, the state sustains 275 species of trees – more than any state except Hawaii. It also boasts 2,780 species of vascular plants – more than any place in the U.S. east of the Mississippi River. One hundred and forty species of “herptiles” such as turtles, lizards, snakes, frogs and salamanders also find safe haven here. Florida also harbors 210 species of freshwater fishes, 400 species of marine fishes and 348 kinds of birds.
With its array of soil types, benign climate, abundant rainfall, unique geological history and marked variations in latitude, no wonder Florida claims such diversity. The state bears many rivers, streams, lakes and ponds (more than 7,800 greater than one acre in size). It also holds a massive underground aquifer. From this aquifer, 730 known springs issue forth – including almost 40 percent of our nation’s first magnitude springs (those pumping 64.7 million gallons or more of water per day). This state also bears thousands of miles of coastal beaches and estuarine shores where land and sea embrace. All of these wonders are illustrated and discussed in the book.
Our natural lands also cradle wet savannas filled with cunning carnivorous plants such as pitchers, bladderworts, butterworts and sundews. Hardwood forest, pinelands, tropical hardwood forest, rockland hammocks and scrub dot this state. Some of our shrinking habitats include longleaf pinelands called sandhills. While this ecosystem claims the greatest number of breeding birds and flowering plants in the state, 90 percent of its original range has been gobbled up by development over the past 60 years.
Fortunately, our state’s efforts to buy land have been instrumental in maintaining this marvelous biodiversity. “Altogether, publicly owned lands in Florida in 2005 amounted to little more than five million acres or about 14% of all the lands and waters of the state. In some ways that is an impressive record, but it is sad to learn that natural Florida will one day be dispersed among islands of publicly owned lands in a sea of suburban and urban humanity.”
Once you get your hands on this gem, you’ll want to share it with others. I highly recommend Florida Magnificent Wilderness to anyone that wants to know more about Florida’s remarkable natural habitats. ❁
The Florida Native Plant Society PO Box 278 Melbourne FL 32902-0278
FNPS Chapters and
Representatives
For chapter contact information, visit www.fnps.org. Go to Join FNPS and click on the Find a Chapter link.
1. Citrus ...........................Jim Bierly .....................................jbierly@tampabay.rr.com
2. Coccoloba ....................Dick Workman ..............................wworkmandick@aol.com 3. Cocoplum ..................... Volunteer Needed ......................... 4. Conradina ....................Vince Lamb ..................................vince@advanta-tech.com
5. Coontie ........................Kirk Scott ....................................kirkel1@yahoo.com
6. Dade ............................Lynka Woodbury ...........................lwoodbury@fairchildgarden.org
7. Eugenia ........................Sue Thompson .............................susandjesse@bellsouth.net
8. Heartland .....................Amee Bailey .................................ameebailey@polk-county.net 9. Hernando .....................Jim Clayton ..................................geoska10@hotmail.com
10. Ixia ...............................Jake Ingram .................................jakeingramla@comcast.net 11. Lake Beautyberry .........Peg Lindsay..................................pegcondor@embarqmail.com
12. Lakelas Mint ................Ann Marie Loveridge ....................loveridges@comcast.net 13. Longleaf Pine ...............Amy Hines ....................................amy@sidestreamsports.com Cheryl Jones ................................wjonesmd@yahoo.com
14. Lyonia ...........................David Schroeder...........................evolvinglandscapes@yahoo.com
15. Magnolia ......................Ann Redmond ..............................aredmond@mindspring.com
16. Mangrove .....................Al Squires ....................................ahsquires@embarqmail.com
17. Marion .........................Robin Caple .................................robincaple@comcast.net
18. Naples .........................Ron Echols ...................................preservecaptains@aol.com
19. Nature Coast ................Susan Vaughn ..............................vaughn_s@firn.edu
20. Palm Beach ..................Lynn Sweetay ...............................lynnsweetay@hotmail.com
21. Pawpaw .......................Elizabeth Flynn .............................eliflynn@cfl.rr.com
22. Paynes Prairie ..............Heather Blake ..............................butterflygirlh@yahoo.com
23. Pine Lily .......................Christina Uranowski .....................curanowski@aol.com
24. Pinellas ........................Debbie Chayet ..............................dchayet@verizon.net
25. Sarracenia ...................Lee Norris ....................................lnorris@ectinc.com
26. Sea Oats ......................Cindy Maguire ..............................Maguire122@aol.com
27. Sea Rocket ..................Paul Schmalzer ............................paul.a.schmalzer@nasa.gov
28. Serenoa .......................Dave Feagles ...............................feaglesd@msn.com
29. South Ridge .................Karina Veaudry .............................executivedirector@fnps.org
30. Sumter .........................Carol Jean Miller ..........................caroljean_miller@comcast.net
31. Suncoast .....................Kristina Herz ................................heartkh@gmail.com
32. Sweet Bay ...................Robert Silverio ..............................bonsaibob@comcast.net
33. Tarflower ......................Jackie Rolly ..................................j.y.rolly@att.net