WINDERMERE
Observer Serving Southwest Orange County
Lakers star plays through tragedy. 11
YOU. YOUR NEIGHBORS. YOUR NEIGHBORHOOD.
FREE
VOLUME 2, NO. 15
YOUR TOWN BECOME A NATURE DOCENT Do you love the outdoors, enjoy meeting new people and have a few hours a week to volunteer? Oakland Nature Preserve is looking for adults interested in learning about the history, wildlife, plants and restoration efforts at ONP to volunteer to greet visitors, help answer questions and lead an occasional tour. ONP also offers workdays every Monday and Saturday. For details, email Outreach@OaklandNaturePreserve.org. Interested individuals can register online at OaklandNaturePreserve.org. The preserve is at 747 Machete Trail in Oakland.
ENVIRONMENTAL SCHOLARSHIPS
FOR HIGH SCHOOL, COLLEGE SENIORS Seniors at Dr. Phillips, Olympia and West Orange high schools; Windermere Preparatory; Bishop Moore; Lake Highland; and qualified home-school students who are enrolled in a science class are eligible for a $750 Edwin and Paula Brackney Environmental Scholarship. March 13 is the deadline to submit the application plus a reference, transcript, 500-word essay and an explanation of why the applicant deserves the scholarship. Mail application to BCCA, c/o Cogswell, Attn: Brackney Scholarship, 10553 Down Lakeview Circle, Windermere, FL 34786; or emailed to LCogswell55@gmail.com. Florida college students majoring in environmental studies or environmental engineering who have completed their junior year can apply for a $2,000 scholarship. Deadline to turn in applications is April 3, and the submission must include one reference, transcript, 500-word essay, a statement of environmental ethics and why the applicant deserves the scholarship. Send submissions to BCCA College Scholarship, P.O. Box 405, Windermere, FL 34785 or emailed to info@ butlerchainconservation. org.
PRSRT STD ECRWSS US POSTAGE PAID WINTER GARDEN, FL PERMIT NO. 81
*****************ECRWSSEDDM****
Postal Customer
•
THURSDAY, JANUARY 26, 2017
Siblings treasure their historic home in Nehrling Gardens
Few can honestly say they’ve never accidentally killed a house plant before, and even fewer can say they live on a historic site where a famous horticulturist once resided, but such is the life of Nehrling Gardens’ caretakers.
Gabby Baquero
Siblings Caroline and David Chomanics are the caretakers of Nehrling Gardens in Gotha. Caroline, 24, is majoring in environmental studies at Rollins College, and David, 26, plans to continue his education in plant sciences at a University of Florida satellite campus in the fall. GABBY BAQUERO STAFF WRITER
Listening to a discussion between the two siblings will make you question your hearing, as they casually spurt out the scientific latin names for numerous plants that sound like Harry Potter spells to anyone with limited botanical knowledge. But plants, horticultural techniques and the health of the environment are common conversation topics for brother and sister Caroline and David Chomanics, who both work as caretakers in Gotha’s Nehrling Gardens and live in what was formerly the
famed horticulturist Henry Nehrling’s estate in the 1800s. Their unorthodox living situation developed from an impulse decision on Caroline’s part when she stumbled upon the path into the garden four years ago while riding her bike from her family’s home down the street. She noticed the historical marker on the road and decided to venture down the forested path until she came up to the white house and met the then-caretaker who was tending to the plants in the front gardens. A conversation with the caretaker left Caroline in awe, as the caretaker gave her an impromptu
tour of the gardens and shared the names of every single plant they encountered. He informed Caroline he would be leaving in a month and they were looking for a new caretaker. The news excited Caroline because she thought she and David were a perfect match, considering he was studying zoology at the time and she was getting into horticulture. By the next week, the siblings moved in. Fast-forward to four years later, and now Caroline and David can name every single plant in the gardens, too.
Four years of success BRITTANY GAINES STAFF WRITER
For the last four years, the Windermere Wine and Dine has been met with success. In fact, with tickets already completely sold out, the 2017 Windermere Wine and Dine taking place on Jan. 28 is expected to reach new heights.
WINDERMERE
“We’ve grown exponentially from our first year when I hoped we would just have enough restaurants,” said event Chair C.T. Allen. The Windermere Wine and Dine was originally created as a Mustang Foundations fundraiser for the Windermere Elementary School. But as interest increased in the fundraiser, Allen decided to
take it to the next level and open it up to the town of Windermere. “We made it into a Windermere event to include all of the different committees and charities,” she said. And because of the size of the event, it takes everyone’s effort to pull everything together. SEE INCREASED PAGE 4
SEE GARDEN PAGE 4
Sold-out Windermere Wine and Dine expected to see record turnout on Jan. 28.