[Council of Chapters meeting July 26, 2015]

An informational Roundtable has been scheduled for this coming Sunday.

1.  Please join my meeting, Sunday, July 26, 2015 at 7:00 PM Eastern Daylight Time.
https://global.gotomeeting.com/join/131342429

2.  Use your microphone and speakers (VoIP) - a headset is recommended.  Or, call in using your telephone.

Dial +1 (312) 757-3121
Access Code: 131-342-429
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Meeting ID: 131-342-429

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[Native Landscaping brochure project report]

Attached below is our most recent report for Council and Board.

Thank you to the MANY of you (at least 15 people) who have contributed to this effort recently! Welcome Al Squires who stepped up to help out with the West Coast plant list. Donna Bollenbach has been appointed as Suncoast Rep freeing Janet Bowers for other work. We owe Janet (cake and ice cream, at least) for helping us create the first brochure prototype that helped inspire all that has followed.

Richard

[Re: Council of Chapters meeting July 26, 2015]

Please see attached information sheet on the first "Annual Florida Native Plant Month", an event involving FNPS Chapters and members statewide. The FNPS Board unanimously supported this event and we want to get started immediately.

We are looking for volunteers to work on a sub-committee to work on the details. We have scheduled a 40 minute session at the August 15th Board and Council meeting at Bill Frederick Turkey Lake Park in Orlando. More information about the August 15 meeting will be sent out via email and is also posted  on the Board Forum site at http://www.forum.fnps.org/index.php/topic,1121.0.html.

Please let me know if you want to volunteer to work on the sub-committee for the FL Native Plant Month.
Thanks, Anne Cox, President

[Re: Council of Chapters meeting July 26, 2015]

Mangrove Chapter has posted to our Chapter web site the programs and field trips for our next year (Oct. to May).  Friday, July 31 we will hold a workshop to choose plants for the West Florida Landscape brochure.

[Re: Council of Chapters meeting July 26, 2015]

The Pinellas Chapter's schedule of events is at http://pinellas.fnpschapters.org/data/uploads/pdfs/fnpsprogrambrochure2015.pdf.
In addition, one of our members is doing an edible plant walk at Lynch Elementary in St. Petersburg on August 16th at 6:30 p.m.
Our December 2nd "Holiday Conservation Celebration" event was originally scheduled to be at Pinellas County Extension, but we are holding it at Brooker Creek Preserve instead.
Jan Allyn

[Re: Council of Chapters meeting July 26, 2015]

Sea Rocket Chapter Participates on State Land Management Reviews, July 13 - 16, 2015
By:  Greg Hendricks, Chapter Representative and
Florida Master Naturalist, Merritt Island, FL

Every five years, the Office of Environmental Services, Division of State Lands conducts land management reviews to determine how well state lands are being managed by state agencies.
The Sea Rocket Chapter was invited to participate on state land management reviews as a representative of a conservation organization.  Others participating in the reviews included the Florida Department of Environmental Protection (FDEP), Florida Park Service, Florida Forest Service, Florida Fish & Wildlife Commission, Soil and Water Conservationists,  The Nature Conservancy, and Brevard County Environmentally Endangered Lands staff.

The state lands reviewed included the 7,805 acre Salt Lake Wildlife Management Area (WMA) in Mims, FL managed by the Florida Fish and Wildlife Commission (FWC) and 21,956 acre St. Sebastian River Preserve State Park in Fellsmere, FL managed by the Florida Park Service.  Both public lands were determined to be in excellent ecological condition supporting a wide diversity of native plants and their communities.  The principle issues facing land managers were exotic invasive species control and maintaining appropriate prescribe burning return intervals.  Despite reduced funding and staffing, these public lands represent the “real Florida” at its best thanks to their hard working and dedicated staff.     

Sea Rocket held their annual summer cookout Saturday, July 25th the "Sam's House", an historical pioneer's home built in 1888 on Merritt Island.  This historical property is also a Brevard County Environmentally Endangered Lands property where important Indian River Lagoon native plants can be found as well as evidence of per-Columbian residents once lived.   

[Re: Council of Chapters meeting July 26, 2015]

Hi, this is Donna Bollenbach with the Suncoast Chapter. Janet, our President and former Chapter Rep, asked if I would take over that position, and I was very happy to do so. I am looking forward to meeting everyone in person in August.

On June 28th we participated in an Outreach event at the USF Spring Plant Fest. While we do sell plants twice a year, we were not selling at this event, but educating people on the benefits and purpose of planting natives. Troy Springer, who many of you know, was asked to speak at the event. From the people who dropped by our booth afterwards, I know his talk was very well received.

Our July 15 meeting was a joint meeting with the Audubon and Sierra Club. We do this every year in July, rotating the responsibility for the meeting to each group.  It was very well attended by members from all groups and we had a silent native plant auction which brought in a little extra money for the chapter.

On July 22 we had some fun. We met with members of the Heartland Chapter for a "Suds and Buds" at the Brew Hub in Lakeland. At least 20 people attended,10 from each chapter, and we had a great time drinking craft beers and talking about plants, family, pets and more. It was a great way to get to know other members.

Our Field trip, on July 18th, was to Green Isles Nursery to buy native plants. This is also a July tradition for us. The reasons are simple: It is too hot to do anything else and there is lots of rain to help the new plants get a good start.

[Re: Council of Chapters meeting July 26, 2015]

Pawpaw Chapter Activities Posting for July 26, 2015 Council of Chapters Meeting

Acitivities: Pawpaw chapter continues to be busy with monthly chapter meetings, events and field trips. President, Sande Habali, arranged for for FNPS to have out-reach at Tomoka state park's Polinator Day event in June. Field trips: In June we had a lagoon pontoon boat tour at Canaveral National Seashore; In July we did paddle trip on shady part of Spruce Creek, followed by a tour of historic Gamble Place; This August 22 we will hold a native plant swap at Shell Bluff', a shady park Park in Flagler County.  On Sept 26 we plan to Meet Dr. Susan Carr at Clearwater Lake Recreation Area (Ocala National Forest), followed by a visit to the Carr Family Cabin.  Pawpaw chapter members continue to weed and maiintain the native plant section of the garden at South Daytona's Park of Honor (in exchange for meeting space). Our Conference chairman, Marvette Bagwell,  holds monthly Conference Planning meetings. 

Sept 12 FNPS workshop:  We already have 3 Pawpaw Chapter members signed up to attend the September 12, FNPS Council of Chapters outreach & Landscaping workshop with Ginny Stibolt to be held at Lyonia Environmental Center in Deltona.   We hope our chapter Newsletter and Face Book person can sign up for the October 10 workshop in Stuart as he will be away in September.

Landscape Initiative:  Pawpaw, Sea Oats and Ixia chapter reps met at Judith Zinn's St Augustine home in June, then followed up with telephone conferences to complete the Northeast Florida Region's list of 63 native plants for the landscape brochure.  Ixia chapter rep, Linda Schneider continued to put in extra time entering the companion bullet information.  The Landscape Initiative chairman should have the list now so it can be vetted.

[Re: Council of Chapters meeting July 26, 2015]

Nature Coast Chapter Happenings Forum Report

Nature Coast Chapter meets year round and have field trips every month. For our July meeting we tried something new, Propagation Techniques: Panel Discussion.  Request for propagation information for native plants generated this workshop. Several members with experience with natives focused on an individual method they were familiar with using. One person did a PowerPoint presentation but others did hands-on demonstrations. It was a popular success.

Our August meeting was Movie Night with popcorn, of course! We watched the PBS Nature movie “What Plants Talk About” with a former Conference speaker, plant ecologist JC Cahill. Having a movie night in the summer has become a tradition and a chance to share media many people are not familiar with.

Another summer tradition is a yard tour, usually a member that has a yard featuring natives. This summer we were lucky enough to visit Suncoast member Troy Springer's gorgeous property. Although he’s a professional landscaper, he had many ideas and methods for regular home gardeners. He also took us to see a landscape project he’s helping to develop.  We all learned a lot and got a chance to see native plants as the dominant plantings in traditional landscapes.

We held work days (translate: weeding)at 2 places that have received grants from the Chapter to install native gardens in public places, with volunteers that showed up in spite of inclement weather. We’re excited to be planning a workshop with Ginny Stibolt at our fall plant sale, as part of Florida Native Plant Month, in the cooler and drier month of October!

[Re: Council of Chapters meeting July 26, 2015]

The Sea Rocket Chapter has been active during the month of August maintaining the native plant nursery located at the Enchanted Forest near Titusville.  Their next plant sale will be held during the National Public Lands Day, Sat. Sept. 26th at the nursery.  President Lois Harris gave a presentation at the Port St. Johns Public Library on "Enhancing Home Landscapes with Florida Native Plants."
Greg Hendricks, Florida Master Naturalist, Merritt Island, FL