serenoa.fnpschapters.orgSERENOA CHAPTER Florida Native Plant Society

- SERENOA CHAPTER HomeLearn More Calendar Newsletters Past Presentations Gallery Resources Grants Contact A Florida Native Plant Society Chapter for DeSoto, Sarasota, Manatee, and Hardee Counties Please join us River of Gold Tickseed In times of drought, tickseed turns the river to gold. Myakka River State Park. Calendar Pretty in pink All dressed up for native plant shopping. Kids can really get into gardening with native plants. Apply for Grant - Calendar Register for current events - Past speakers Watch our past programs on YouTube - Join us at FNPS Join to protect the native plants in Florida Wildflowers and wildlife in Florida Photos courtesy of Fran Palmeri Sneezeweed Saddlebags dragonfly on sneezeweed at Deer Prairie Creek Preserve Clitoria and Spanish moss Clitoria and spanish moss on a barbed wire fence along R64 Manatee County Florida morning glory Endangered endemic Florida morning glory. Wingate Preserve Tarflower Tarflower with a green bee, Sleeping Turtles Preserve Tickseed Tickseed with butterfly, Myakka River State Park Welcome to Serenoa Chapter Who we are and what fun things we do May Field Trip - Stoneybrook Grounds Tour Tuesday, May 21 @10am - Field Trip - Stoneybrook Grounds Tour with Forest Crooke Garden for Birds Find out which native plants will thrive in your zip code with Audubon native plants database 2023-2024 Meetings and Field Trips General Meetings Our General Meetings are in-person and on Zoom at 7:00pm EST on the 3rd Monday of each month, September through May. We first convene for a short business meeting followed by the evening's program. After the presentation, the meeting concludes with a moderated QA session with the speaker. The in-person meetings are held at the Selby Garden downtown campus ( 1534 Mound Street, Sarasota, FL 34236 ), and Zoom meeting registration links are provided below . Please register in advance. For those attending the meeting in person at Selby Gardens: Selby Gardens is currently under renovation so please follow these directions for parking and access to the conference center. For parking: Enter at the construction entrance on Orange Ave just south of US41. Look for FNPS sign. (Palm Ave entrance is closed. Do not go into Parking Garage). Follow construction entrance and park in the parking lot directly east or across from main gardens entrance. Walk across Palm Ave and enter through iron gates just south or to the left of main entrance. Follow path to the right going north past koi ponds continuing to the west of the orchid house to enter conference center on the west side doors. For the best experience we recommend you download the Zoom app ahead of time at https://zoom.us/download . Contact Alison Bishop for zoom technical assistance serenoa@fnps.org or texting her at 941-376-4415. Field Trips There's now something happening at least once a month. Whether it's an educational tour, informal hike, or to advocate, Serenoa is getting out into the community. Some trips have limited availability. Register online in advance to confirm your spot. Please wear appropriate clothing, pack trail snacks and bring water. Details and directions will be emailed to registrants as the trip date approaches. September 2023 Monday, September 18th, 7pm - General Meeting - Native Plants 101 with Jeff Weber Are you new to disvcovering and gardening with native plants? then this introduction is for you! This presentation will help you better understand what natives are, why they are so important, and why each of us should be protecting them and using them in our own yards! You'll also learn about some of our rare natives and some that are true Florida endemics. Register here to join zoom meeting Saturday, September 23rd, 9am - Field Trip - Old Miakka Preserve with Jeff Weber Come with us on a plant walk to learn more about local native plants led by Jeff weber. Register here Jeff Weber , Sarasota County Environmental Specialist Jeff is originally from New Your state but has lived in Florida for the past 53 years. He graduated from Seminole High School in Pinellas County and earned a bachelor's degree in Biology from Eckerd College in St Pete. Professionally, Jeff has enjoyed a nearly 40-year career in the environmental field having worked previously with the Florida Park Service for 8 years and in his current position with Sarasota County Parks, Recreation and Natural Resources Department for the past 30 years. In his current position, Jeff managed 5 county parks and preserves for Sarasota County and enjoys working in such beautiful surroundings and sharing his passion for the preservation and protection of these special places. October 2023 Monday, October 16th, 7pm - General Meeting - Protecting and Sharing Myakka's Magic with Miri Hardy Miri will share with us the current state of Myakka River State Park with a particular focus on native and invasive plants. Register here to join zoom meeting Miri Hardy , Executive Director of the Friends of Myakka River In her new role as Executive Director of the Friends of Myakka River, Miri is working with the board to develop and implement a strategic plan for the organization, which includes building awareness about Friends of Myakka River, further increasing the non-profit's impact through environmental education, and continuing to ensure the organization's long-term financial viability. A Sarasota resident since 2014, Miri holds a PhD in Social Psychology from Washington University in St Louis. She is happiest exploring wild Florida, offentimes on her bike, and capturing its beauty through the lens of her camera. Saturday, October 21st, 10am - Field Trip - Myakka River State Park with Paula Benshoff Do spring burns bring fall flowers? Let's check out prairies that burned this year to see what plants responded with Florida's fall colors. Register here Paula Benshoff i s the author of Myakka and a former Park Naturalist at Florida State Parks. Sunday, October 29th, 9am - Plant Walk - Perico Preserve with Elliot Prout You will learn about the history of the preserve, restoration efforts, and of course a variety of native plants, how to ID them and how you could use them in your landscape at home. Muhly grass and several wildflowers will be in peak bloom! Register here November 2023 Saturday, November 18th, 10am - Field Trip - Carlton Reserve with Meghan Meyer Come with us on a walk to learn more about prescribed fire and native plants with Meghan Meyer. Register here Monday, November 20th, 7pm - General Meeting - FireNative Plants with Meghan Meyer Register here to join zoom meeting Find out more about prescribed fires and their impact on native plants. Meghan Meyer is the Carlton Reserve Land Manager and Environmental Specialist III - Land Manager at Sarasota County Parks, Recreation and Natural resources. December 2023 Monday, December 18th, 7pm - General MeetingChapter Holiday Party Potluck party. Share the holiday joy with chapter members at Sarasota Audubon Nature Center . Saturday, December 23rd, 10am - Field Trip - Beker-South Fork with Tom Heitzman Register here Tom Heitzman is the founder and co-owner of Sweet Bay Nursery. A graduate of Ohio State with a degree in Horticulture with 40 years experience in all aspects of Florida gardening. He a past and current president of Serenoa Chapter of the Florida Native Plant Society, past co-president of FANN and past president of Manatee County Audubon. He enjoys leading wildflower walks and volunteering his expertise to improve the local environment. January 2024 Monday, January 15th, 7pm - General Zoom Meeting - New Developments at Orange Hammock Wildlife Management Area with Hunter Folmar The recent acquisition of orange Hammock, situated between the RV Griffin Reserve and the Longino Preserve, creates a 121,000 acre conservation corridor of environmentally sensitive land between the Peace River, Myakka River and Charlotte Harbor. The WMA protects wetlands critical to the...