Florida Native Plant Society Blog

The schedule for the  2017/2018 Land Management Reviews  is out. Being a part of Land Management Reviews is an important part of the Florida Native Plant Society mission to promote the preservation, conservation, and restoration of the native plants and native plant communities of Florida. It is also a very rewarding experience for anyone who has participated in one. At the  Florida Native Plant Society's 37th Annual Conference in May   there will be a special field trip where you can  Learn About Land Management Reviews . The site for the Thursday morning training will be  Lake Kissimmee State Park . Led by Eugene Kelly and Eric Egensteine (Park Manager), this trip is designed to serve as a case study for the state’s Land Management Review process.

FNPS Conference Field Trip Highlight:  Adams Ranch Day: Thursday, May 18 at 9 am. Leaders: Anne Cox and Lee Ann Simmons Rainbow over Adams Ranch,  Bud Adams/Photographer Adams Ranch is a working cattle ranch with a long history of conservation. It is the model of a successful ranch that is also protecting and preserving environmentally sensitive lands. The ranch helps to preserve the rivers, swamps, marshes, prairies and wooded areas that are on its land, and in doing so protects critical habitat for native wildlife, such as bald eagles, alligators, bobcats, turkey, hawks, owls, Caracara and so much more. Caracara, Donna Bollenbach/Photographer This family owned business, established in 1937 by Alto Adams Sr, and his son Alto “Bud” Adams, Jr., is committed to preserving the natural vegetation, wildlife and its Florida heritage through environmental stewardship and a program of total ranch management. The ranch has won numerous conservation awards incl...

In case you missed it, the FNPS Board Meeting and Council of Chapters Meeting was on August 13 at the  FFS Leadership Training Center in Haines City.  If you want to know more about what the Society is doing on the state level to support chapters and further our mission, or if you want to make a meaningful contribution to the society, please consider attending one of the quarterly retreats. Here are some of the  highlights  of what  we discussed and accomplished. To read t he complete summary, along with additional topics, click  here .  Submitted by Donna Bollenbach     FNPS Meets the Wild West…. The venue for the 2017 FNPS conference (May 17-21, 2017) was unveiled and approved by the board, and the winner is  Westgate River Ranch Resort & Rodeo.  In a secluded location just south of US Hwy 60 on the Kissimmee River, Westgate River Ranch is centrally located between the Atlantic and Gulf beaches within Polk C...