Our First 25 Years

Florida’s first Coreopsis State Wildflower specialty license plate, WFL 001, was pre-purchased by Gary Henry of Tallahassee in May 2000. Other prominent native wildflower enthusiasts, including Elizabeth Pate, Marion Hilliard, Carolyn Schaag, Laura Mock, Anne MacKay, Frank Walper, and Jeff Norcini, followed Gary’s lead and pre-purchased their own WFL tag.

The story of the Florida Wildflower Foundation began a few years earlier than the first Coreopsis tag.

Beginning in the 1980s, leaders of the Florida Federation of Garden Clubs (FFGC), friends of Gary, had a shared vision – a state wildflower license tag. But first, Florida needed a state wildflower. Orange blossoms, the official state flower, was neither a Florida native nor a wildflower. In 1991, FFGC wildflower enthusiasts, inspired by environmentalist Ladybird Johnson, successfully advocated for the Florida Legislature to designate the genus Coreopsis as Florida’s official state wildflower. At the time, specialty tags were starting to raise funds to celebrate major universities; conserve panthers, bears, and manatees; and commemorate the space shuttle Challenger. Few outside FFGC envisioned a tag featuring the state wildflower or believed it was possible. Many dismissed the wild idea. Statutes required that the Florida Legislature would only consider a bill authorizing a new specialty tag after 12,000 registered vehicle owners signed a petition showing interest in purchasing the tag, and after $30,000 was paid to cover the cost to print the first batch of new tags.

For the most part, and for as long as anyone could recall, the Florida Department of Transportation (FDOT) wildflower program, led by Gary Henry (for 30 years by the time of his retirement in 2001), was the full extent of the state’s wildflower program. Motorists enjoyed the colorful beauty that grew from the expertise, enthusiasm, and hard work of FDOT District Roadside Managers like Ralph Carter, Dick Bush, and William Moriaty. In 1996, FFGC and FDOT began assembling an interagency public-private team to advocate for a State Wildflower license tag. Frank Walper at Keep Florida Beautiful (KFB) rallied his circle of personal and political friends and connections, as well as anti-litter and wildflower enthusiasts, into a Wildflower License Plate Initiative Board. Helen Dull, Gary’s talented coworker at FDOT, sketched a variety of prototype tags to generate excitement and forward momentum.

During that time, Lady Bird Johnson invited the first ladies in the Southeastern states to meet at Calloway Gardens in Georgia to discuss the planting and distribution of wildflowers along our federal highways. Florida First Lady Rhea Chiles was invited, but suggested that Lt. Governor Buddy MacKay’s wife, Anne, represent Florida. That was followed on March 28-31, 1998 with Anne’s visit to the Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center in Austin, Texas, with Gary Henry, Jeff Norcini, and FFGC Roadside Beautification Chair Elizabeth Pate. Together, they delivered presentations at the Managing Roadsides Naturally conference. Mrs. Johnson welcomed 200 delegates from most states. Superbly inspired, Elizabeth motivated garden circle volunteers across Florida to finish collecting more than 12,000 signatures in support of the license plate proposal. In November 1998, statewide enthusiasm for the tag and precedent established by other state agencies made it possible for FDOT Sec. Tom Barry to authorize a $30,000 payment to submit with the signatures to the Florida Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles (FHSMV).

In a letter accompanying the check, Sec. Barry explained to FHSMV the ambition to “establish a native Florida wildflower research program… provide education on the importance of our native flora… foster a native seed industry… and the planting of wildflowers in all public areas of the state through grants to cities and counties. Native Florida wildflower seed, through industry development, would be available to the general public.”

With a friendly assist from Senate President Toni Jennings, then former Governor Buddy MacKay nudged House Bill 1909 by Rep. Suzanne Kosmas, and Senate Bill 1314 by Senator Daniel Webster, through the Florida Legislature. Effective July 1, 1999, the new amendment to state statutes §320.08056 and §320.08058 (27) created the Florida Wildflower License Plate and the Florida Wildflower Advisory Council. The legislation placed the Council under KFB. For reasons unknown, the tag and Council were not placed within FFGC or FDOT.

As prescribed in the new law, the Council rooted itself within KFB, a statutorily recognized entity at the forefront of eliminating litter. Frank Walper, a KFB employee, administered the Council and its business, and he deserves much credit for its earliest success. To design the new tag and ensure the proceeds from the sale of the new tag were managed and invested responsibly, the Legislature instructed some and encouraged other select public and private agencies and organizations to appoint appropriate staff or volunteers to serve on the Council.

Founding members of the Council included:

Though not founders, a few others served and were indispensable at the start:

• Elizabeth Pate – FFGC
• Terrie Fishman – Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services (FDACS)
• Kim Stephens – FDACS
• Kathy Burks – FDEP and Florida Natural Areas Inventory

At Leu Gardens in Orlando on September 2, 1999, the Council met for the first time to organize and elect Rocky Randels as Council chair and Carolyn Schaag as Council treasurer. KFB commissioned Bill Celander, a Tallahassee artist and illustrator, to develop a design for the tag. The only instructions given came from the Legislature: “The word “Florida” must appear at the top of the plate, and the words “State Wildflower” and “Coreopsis” must appear at the bottom of the plate.” Accompanied by Jeff Caster and Jeff Norcini, Gary Henry drove Bill into the Apalachicola National Forest along State Road 65 in Liberty County for a close look at Florida native wildflowers. A few weeks later, Bill showed up at Gary’s office with a mockup that met the statutory requirements. It included caricatures of flowers that share traits of a number of species of the State Wildflower Coreopsis. Copies of the “SAMPLE” tag were sent to KFB, the Council, and FFGC. Everyone was pleased. In February 2000, Bill Celander’s design was approved by the Florida Cabinet. FFGC shared the exciting news in its magazine, Florida Gardener. A month later, March 14-16, at FFGC headquarters, the tag was displayed publicly for the first time at the Blossoms and Butterflies Conference.

On Earth Day in 2000, the Council released its first press release emblazoned with an image of the new tag and carrying this congratulatory message from Lady Bird Johnson:

Saving our legacy of wildflowers, whether in Texas or California, New York or Florida, is something I am convinced can be accomplished with the right combination of workable ideas and citizens with spirit. I commend you and celebrate your efforts! How much richer our world will be because of your good work.

A month later, on May 23, 2000, a garden party and press conference at FFGC Headquarters in Winter Park was attended by many wildflower enthusiasts. Dr. Robert Breunig, Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center executive director, spoke on behalf of Mrs. Johnson. Carolyn Schaag, Anne MacKay, and Rocky Randels delivered remarks about the tag and Council. Forms were available for anyone who wanted to pre-purchase a tag. In June 2000, the first Wildflower tag, WFL 001, was on the road. From then on, the best place to see the most State Wildflower tags was at garden club meetings and events.

Tag sale revenue was collected by FHSMV and distributed to a “wildflower account” maintained by KFB. Explicit statutory instructions mandated that expenditures could only be used “…to establish native Florida wildflower research programs, wildflower educational programs, and wildflower grant programs to municipal, county, and community-based groups. A maximum of 10 percent of the proceeds from the sale of such plates may be used for administrative costs.” Though most suggestions or requests coming from the Council were authorized in a timely manner, all expenditures needed to be authorized by the KFB board of directors. For accounting purposes, Carolyn Schaag, Council treasurer, had to rely exclusively on KFB. Frequently, Carolyn explained to the Council that she had no direct access to tag account bank records. During several tense meetings, Anne MacKay stood up to the KFB board. With poised strength, Anne declared that the under the conditions imposed by KFB, the Council was unable to fulfill its statutory obligation “… to direct and oversee the expenditure of the Wildflower Account.”

Within the Council’s first year, the tag’s visibility on the road grew. Other sources of revenue, apart from the tag, became available. The Council’s statutory authority was limited to revenues collected from the sale of wildflower license plates. On the advice of Tallahassee attorney Don Bell, the Florida Wildflower Foundation was established and able to collect donations from other sources. This revenue could be used for purposes not authorized by the tag statute. Articles of Incorporation for the Florida Wildflower Foundation, Inc., a 501(c)3 non-profit, were filed at the Florida Department of State on Feb. 15, 2001. Quarterly, meetings were at nature-based venues around the state. Lunches were catered by Carolyn Schaag and her husband Ed, and Gary Henry always brought plenty of his homemade toffee. Those who served on the Council were named as founding directors of the new Foundation. When Council meetings adjourned, it became routine for a Foundation board meeting to be called to order. Minutes of Foundation meetings were always preserved, and the revenues and expenditures were carefully accounted for independently of tag funds.

FFGC and FDOT aspired to only plant native ecotype seed. Popularity of the State Wildflower tag, early successes of the Foundation, and generous support from the Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services (FDACS) helped make possible the establishment of the Wildflower Seed and Plant Growers Association Inc., DBA The Florida Wildflower Co-op (Co-op), incorporated on April 9, 2003. The Co-op is a for-profit organization of native ecotype plant growers whose purpose is to expand the ability of small growers and build a statewide and regional market for their products. It has provided invaluable assistance in promoting wildflowers and facilitating the growth of this industry, which still struggles to expand production sufficiently to produce enough seed to meet goals. Co-op founding member Terry Zinn has served in nearly every leadership role at the Co-op and at the Foundation.

By helping consumers understand the meaning and value of regionally adapted native ecotypes, the Foundation has been able to help the Co-op profit. Studies show that plants grow better when closely matched with their regional environmental conditions. This is because species have become genetically adapted to the local conditions to varying degrees, some species more than others.

Growing the body of scientific knowledge of regionally adapted ecotype wildflowers and native seed production in Florida was an immediate and high priority for the Foundation. Beginning in October 2003, a Science Advisory Committee led and shaped the Foundation’s earliest scientific research projects. Esteemed committee members brought immediate respectability and recognition to the Foundation:

• Kathy Burks, Botanist, Florida Natural Areas Inventory (committee chair)
• Dr. Loran Anderson, Professor Emeritus of Botany, Biological Sciences, Florida State University
• Dr. Terril Nell, Professor/Chair. Environmental Horticulture, University of Florida/IFAS
• Dr. Jeff Norcini, Associate Professor, Environmental Horticulture, University of Florida/IFAS
• Dr. Richard Wunderlin, Professor of Botany, Biology, University of South Florida
• Dr. Nancy Coile, Botanist Emeritus, Division of Plant Industry, Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services (FDACS)

Because of frustrations with KFB’s handling of the “Wildflower Account”, the Foundation in 2002 asked FHSMV and the Legislature to redirect the plate proceeds to the Foundation. In 2005, after being turned away at the Capitol in 2002 and 2004, Gary Henry and Jeff Caster met with FHSMV Inspector General John R. Davis in Tallahassee to make him aware of the Council’s frustration, and to ask for an audit of the KFB State Wildflower license plate account. During this difficult time, Gary served as Council chair and volunteered for almost every other duty. His home became Council headquarters. Anne MacKay chaired the Foundation.

Audit findings showed inadequate accounting and inappropriate withdrawals. When KFB was unable (or unwilling) to repay the license plate account, FHSMV instructed KFB to “hand over the checkbook to Carolyn.” Davis approved the Foundation’s plan to deposit nearly $55,000 to restore the wildflower account — mostly with a $49,000 loan from Tallahassee State Bank. Gary left a written record. From then on, license plate sales funds were electronically deposited in the Foundation’s new State Wildflower license plate account. The loan was repaid by the Foundation in less than a year.

Finally, on the third try at the Capitol, KFB opposition had been silenced. Effective July 1, 2007, it became official — the Council within KFB was statutorily abolished and the Foundation was entrusted with full authority and accountability for all expenditures (see SB 2052 by Sen. Paula Dockery and HB 7199 by Reps. Stan Mayfield and Trudi Williams.

Down came the old www.FloridaWildflowerCouncil.org website and up went the new www.FloridaWildflowerFoundation.org. DePalma Enterprises, manager of FFGC’s website, agreed to do the same for the Foundation.

One consequence of the elimination of the Council was the end of the statutory participation of FDOT, FDEP, UF/IFAS, Florida Association of Counties, and the Florida League of Cities. Any further relationship with these agencies and organizations needed to be cultivated by the Foundation. FFGC, however, maintained an unconditional and strong relationship, some say a maternal bond, with the Foundation. Carolyn Schaag served 24 years as the Foundation’s FFGC liaison, and recruited Ramona Johnson to be her successor.

For the first five years, volunteers alone steered the Council and Foundation. Except for contracted professional legal, audit, and website services, everything was done by a volunteer. Volunteers marketed the tag, did banking and accounting, managed research projects, and developed and delivered educational pamphlets, posters, and presentations. Volunteers created a grant program and awarded and administered grants to local agencies and organizations. By late 2005, total revenue from sales of wildflower tags, at $15 each, surpassed $1 million. A victim of their own success, Foundation volunteers reached their limit on what could be accomplished. Some were being asked to do too much too often. The Foundation board urged Gary Henry to be the first executive director. For part-time duties, he accepted a small fee and served for three years.

In 2006, the Council began a long and mutually beneficial friendship and collaboration with the McGuire Center for Lepidoptera and Biodiversity at the Florida Museum of Natural History, University of Florida. The Center, with its Butterfly Rain Forest exhibit, had just opened in 2004. A $90,000 grant from the Foundation jumpstarted the Museum’s pollinator garden, a display representing the natural life cycle of native pollinators, and several popular educational publications. In December 2007, the board established the Gary Henry Endowment for the Study of Native Wildflowers at the University of Florida in Gainesville. The endowment supports at least one graduate or post-graduate student per year. The Foundation’s research program now supports internal projects as well as university and industry research projects.

Other highlight accomplishments of the early years include:

• Purchased wildflower seed planter for use by growers
• Funded research to develop Florida native wildflower seed specifications
• Awarded research grants directly to Florida farmers
• Awarded planting grants to communities, garden clubs, and volunteer organizations
• Awarded education grants to schools, garden clubs, and volunteer organizations
• Recognized outstanding wildflower displays managed by FDOT maintenance units
• Published a Wildflower Information Sheet of recommended Florida wildflower species (this is believed to be the Council’s first educational publication)
• Established a planting grant program
• Established a fully operational website
• Developed Foundation membership and wildflower brochures
• On July 19-20, 2007, the Council was one of five co-sponsors for a national Native Wildflower Seed Production Research Symposium that was held in Orlando at Leu Gardens.
• Strengthened partnerships with the Florida Association of Native Nurseries, Florida Native Plant Society, Co-op, FFGC, and FDOT

Throughout the first 25 years, FDOT and the Foundation have collaborated on research projects, posters, brochures, presentations, trainings, websites, publications, and a guide to roadside meadow site selection, site prep, planting, and care. Vouchers to purchase native seed from the Co-op have been presented to FDOT maintenance units that have won FFGC Paths of Sunshine Awards. Like a monument, the Foundation’s Viva Florida collection of John Moran portraits of wildflowers is on permanent public display in the lobby of the Hayden Burns Building, the FDOT headquarters at 605 Suwannee St., Tallahassee. Before finding a home there, the photo collection traveled the state in 2013 and 2014 – from Okeechobee in South Florida to Madison in North Florida – in celebration of the 500^th anniversary of Ponce de Leon’s naming of La Florida, “land of flowers.”  The Foundation looks forward to the next 25 years with the same commitment as always to doing what it can to help FDOT continue a 50-year tradition of displaying roadside wildflowers, under the stewardship of Gary Henry (1971- 2001) and Jeff Caster (1993-2020).

When Gary Henry was ready to be fully retired, the board of directors wasn’t really sure if another qualified individual would apply for the position with the start-up Foundation. Some say it was the reputation and charisma of Foundation Director Dr. Walter K. Taylor, University of Central Florida (UCF) professor emeritus of biology, that legitimized the Foundation for the most desirable candidates for the job. Lisa Roberts, owner of an Orlando-based public relations company, a former journalist, and an artist, was selected as a part-time executive director. She became the Foundation’s first full-time employee in 2009. Looking back, selecting Lisa from a large pool of highly qualified applicants was, to date, the Foundation’s smartest and most significant action. Lisa’s enthusiasm for wildflowers and her artistic and communications talents were a perfect match. Within Lisa’s first year, tag sales and non-tag revenues soared, and the Foundation had its first strategic plan built on the pillars of Research, Education, and Planting. By hard work and commitment to the Foundation’s mission and to Florida native wildflowers, Lisa became a respected and influential leader of the Foundation and a popular conservation leader throughout the state. For good reasons, board director David Fasser nicknamed Lisa “Wonder Woman!”

During her 13½ years at the Foundation’s helm, Lisa attracted the people and donations needed to support the Foundation, cultivating countless opportunities for increasing the visibility, enjoyment, and benefits of Florida native wildflowers. Guided by the Foundation’s strategic plan, she created a slate of new education, research, and planting programs. She recruited a roster of well-known Florida wildflower enthusiasts and experts to help as contractors, including wildflower nursery owner Claudia Larsen; Dr. Jeff Norcini, who had conducted extensive wildflower research; influential native plant enthusiast Eleanor Dietrich; Stacey Matrazzo, who had an environmental education background and broad design and communications experience; and web designer Cindy Liberton. Dixie Tate became the second full time employee serving as Annual Fund Manager from 2013 to 2015.

Always looking up to the Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center, the Foundation believed it could establish a similar venue in Florida. Lisa and then Foundation Chair Terry Zinn visited the center in Austin and interviewed staff. A vision came into focus for a Florida Wildflower Center. A request for proposals was published, seeking an optimal place to settle. Several very good proposals were considered. During the board’s planning and deliberation, it became apparent that such an endeavor would siphon limited resources away from mission-critical programs. The board realized that developing the Foundation website into a virtual center of knowledge and information was the best path to follow. In fact, the website now is the go-to place for all things related to Florida native wildflowers.

Curiosity and thirst for knowledge about native wildflowers, bees, and butterflies was driving interest in the tag and the Foundation. In 2009, a model county resolution was developed by the Foundation. The resolution, which recognizes the historical, environmental and cultural significance of Florida wildflowers, is a pledge by local governments to conserve wildflowers through such management practices as reduced mowing. Wakulla County adopted the first resolution, followed by Gadsden, Leon, Lake, Marion, Brevard, and Volusia counties. As of 2024, 37 counties and four municipalities have wildflower resolutions in place.

Another program supported graduate students of Dr. Richard Wunderlin as they worked to add herbarium specimens to the Atlas of Florida Plants at the University of South Florida in Tampa. When that support ended in 2019, funding was given to support work being done by the non-profit Institute for Regional Conservation in South Florida to advance their Natives for Your Neighborhood program.

In 2011, the Foundation funded a four-year study by Dr. Jaret Daniels (University of Florida) that examined how insects use different types of urban landscapes. The Foundation also supported Dr. Daniels’ 2016 research into the effects of systemic insecticides on Monarch caterpillars, as well as milkweed propagation methods. Results of these studies were published in peer-reviewed scientific journals.

In January 2021, Dr. Daniels’ team began sifting through scientific literature in search of best practices for the establishment of urban native wildflower habitat corridors. The project includes the writing and publishing of a guide to establishing such corridors.

To help meet the immense need for information and education, the Florida Wildflower Symposium was launched in September 2008 at Harry P. Leu Botanical Gardens in Orlando. More than 100 people attended the half-day program. By 2012, the event grew to include two days of field trips, presentations, and workshops. It was held at a different venue each year, including Bok Tower Gardens, Wekiwa Springs State Park, Silver Springs State Park, and the UF/IFAS Extension Straughn Professional Development Center in Gainesville. After the 2019 event, the Foundation paused to evaluate its effectiveness and impact on staff. Since before the coronavirus pandemic of 2020, the event has yet to be resurrected. To fill the gap, the Foundation began presenting monthly webinars, which have reached thousands of people.

Internally, the research program performed three-season roadside wildflower surveys in 2009 and 2010 in the Big Bend, Central Florida (St. Johns River to the Sea Loop), and Corkscrew Swamp (Southwest Florida) vicinities. The Loop route and Big Bend area were re-surveyed (and in the Big Bend case, expanded) in 2020. Since 2020, other counties have been surveyed. Survey results are used to write management plans for FDOT, counties, and utilities that have rights-of-way along the routes. With plans implemented, roadside wildflower populations thrive and multiply, providing “pollinator pathways” for insects through urban areas and between woodlands and agricultural fields.

The education program also includes a variety of Foundation-produced publications, including the 24-page magazine “20 Easy-to-Grow Wildflowers.” Other publications include brochures on attracting birds, bees, and butterflies with Florida’s native wildflowers, as well as handouts on native wildflowers for aquatic, shady, and dry landscapes, groundcover alternatives, and much more. All are available in Spanish. Demand for Foundation publications is brisk, with thousands of copies distributed annually for use at meetings and events throughout the state.

In late 2017, the Foundation also published the Wild About Wildflowers Activity Guide, which is keyed to third- and fourth-grade Next Generation Sunshine State Standards. The activity guide has been adapted for after-school use and is used by such entities as Girl and Boy scouts and 4-H. Downloads of the PDF copy have been requested more than 800 times from as far away as the Dominican Republic.

In 2018, the Foundation received an $11,305 grant from Duke Energy to assemble 50 kits containing the activity guide and classroom supplies. The kits were given to teachers through the non-profit A Gift For Teaching in Orlando.

Most of the Foundation’s grant-giving is now found within its planting program. The Seeds for Schools program, which provided wildflower seeds for establishing campus gardens, launched in 2009, with La Florida Community Planting micro-grants coming online in 2010. The La Florida program, which provided $500 grants for small projects, was very popular at first. Ultimately, due to lack of qualified applications, it was eliminated after the 2015–16 fiscal year. A third program, Viva Florida, began in 2011 to provide grants for native plant landscape demonstration gardens at botanical gardens, city and county parks, extension centers, and other public places. The Viva Florida program has helped establish (with mixed results) over 70 demonstration gardens throughout the state.  For many years , volunteer jurors for selection grant recipients include Jeff Norcini, Marc Godts, Tom Heitzman, and Jeff Caster.

In 2016, the Seeds for Schools program became Seedlings for Schools. Teachers, who had marginal results with native wildflower seeds, now receive a small shipment of wildflower seedlings in September. If their gardens are successful and they submit a survey with photos, they are eligible to receive a second shipment of plants in spring. More than 280 schoolteachers have established campus gardens within the program.

Conserving naturally occurring native wildflowers on public and private land has proven to be less expensive and more effective than establishing new plantings at degraded sites. Since its founding, the Foundation has worked closely with FDOT to preserve naturally occurring native wildflowers on roadsides. It has helped shape the Department’s policy on wildflower management and assisted in many other ways to achieve the goals of the Wildflower Program.

Herb Hiller, a well-known advocate for preserving and promoting the unique charm of “old” Florida, met several times with the Foundation board of directors, explaining his assertion that roadside wildflower conservation could be promoted through ecotourism. In 2010, the Foundation accepted a Visit Florida grant to write a marketing plan for wildflower tourism in the Panhandle. As a result of the marketing plan, Eleanor Dietrich was hired as a contractor in 2013, followed by Liz Sparks in 2017, to serve as liaison to FDOT while establishing a group of “wildflower watcher” volunteers to be known as the Florida Panhandle Wildflower Alliance. More than 700 people participated in that 16-county network to keep wildflowers on roadsides. The Alliance Facebook page is maintained by the Foundation and has 4,300+ members. Relationships from the program make it possible for the Foundation to collaborate with individual counties throughout North Florida.

As part of the Panhandle project, the Foundation was awarded a second Visit Florida grant to re-produce the brochure, “Native Wildflowers of Florida’s Panhandle,” which includes a map of wildflower routes and features 40 photos of common regional wildflowers. The original Panhandle route was the result of a research project performed in 2010 by Drs. Gil Nelson and Jeff Norcini, who surveyed spring, summer, and fall wildflower species along roads south and west of Tallahassee. As Alliance members worked with their counties to pass resolutions protecting roadside wildflowers, viewing routes expanded throughout the region.

In October 2018, the wildflower tag got a new look, designed by Caley Curchy of Lake Wales. The plate features a butterfly alongside two species of Coreopsis, Florida’s official state wildflower. 

The Foundation’s book, Native Plants for Florida Gardens by Stacey Matrazzo and long-time board member Nancy Bissett debuted in 2019.

In spring 2020, at the start of the COVID pandemic, the decision was made to close the Foundation’s office in Maitland. Quickly, staff adapted to work from home, and to this day, the Foundation prospers without brick and mortar. In May 2020, Jeff Caster retired from FDOT, mostly ending the Department’s historic and dedicated partnership with the Foundation and commitment to native wildflowers, for the time being.

Gary Henry passed away on August 8, 2020, in his will leaving a generous gift of $150,000, the largest gift ever received by the Foundation. He was the first person to become a member of the Foundation’s William Bartram Legacy Society, which recognizes those who leave a legacy to the Foundation after death. During his lifetime, Gary donated tens of thousands of dollars, always before anyone asked. During a Foundation meeting in 2015, Gary voiced his joy, stating, “In every way, this Foundation has exceeded my wildest dreams, more is being accomplished than I thought possible, and the people I have met have given me the best times of my life. Thank you.” In gratitude and honor of Gary, his gift was placed in the Foundation’s Gary Henry Endowment for Wildflowers which has grown to exceed $300,000. Gary’s nephew, Jeff Henry, is excited to carry on Uncle Gary’s legacy, finding the Foundation mission to be a perfect fit with his professional interest in integrating sustainability and best practices for the natural environment into transportation engineering projects.

In the fall of 2021, Lisa Roberts retired. Still in the middle of a pandemic, Lisa’s wildflower friends gathered by Zoom to celebrate her success and the joy of retirement. Thanks to Lisa, the position’s pending vacancy attracted dozens of applicants. Through a rigorous series of interviews, long-time Foundation employee Stacey Matrazzo was selected by the Board to be the second full-time executive director. The transition was seamless. In her first three years leading the Foundation, Stacey has built a winning team of full time employees: Rose Kinane, Emily Bell, Jenny Ryan, and Marina Mertz, each with distinct areas of responsibility matching their talents and interests. Together, they are having measurable success in all program areas. Tag sales continue to grow (ranked #20 among over 150 specialty plates), and the same for Foundation memberships and donations. Foundation revenues continue to exceed expenditures. In 2023, at the Board’s annual meeting, hosted by David Price at Bok Tower Gardens, a new strategic plan was approved.

More and more, the Foundation is known for its educational events. Foundation staff and volunteers are building a statewide community of wildflower enthusiasts. Since 2020 during the pandemic, educational programing has expanded to include a steady stream of free webinars, with recordings available 24/7. Live presentations by Stacey, staff, and volunteers are in high demand. Through Foundation sponsored educational events, both share their experience with native plants and wildflowers. In 2021, the Foundation website got a makeover, and visibility on social media skyrocketed, keeping many eyes on the Foundation.

Women have long been heroes of the environmental movement. Rachel Carson, Marjorie Stoneman Douglas, and Claudia “Lady Bird” Johnson have changed the way we think about the natural world. The Foundation is fortunate to claim our very own environmental champions. Nancy Bissett, Anne MacKay, and Carolyn Schaag have dedicated much of their lives to the mission of protecting, connecting, and expanding wildflower habitat throughout the state. In honor of their significant contributions, the Foundation, together with the Florida Native Plant Society (FNPS), celebrated them at the 2022 FNPS conference. Executive Director Stacey Matrazzo hosted a panel discussion with Carolyn, Nancy, and Anne to find out what inspires them in their work to protect Florida’s wildflowers. Each has shaped the conservation movement uniquely.

Nancy Bissett has been a long-time leader in Florida’s native plant research and conservation. As cofounder of The Natives Inc., along with her husband, Bill, Nancy started propagation experiments with Florida scrub species, among others.

Carolyn Schaag, FFGC president from 1999-2001, was a driving force to establish the State Wildflower license plate and the Foundation. Carolyn was the Foundation’s first treasurer and has served on the board since day one. She’s been on the FFGC board of directors for 40 years, with 16 of those as an officer.

Anne MacKay was invited to plan the planting and distribution of wildflowers along federal highways with Lady Bird Johnson at Calloway Gardens in Georgia, sparking her involvement to help establish the state wildflower license plate. Anne chaired the Foundation board from 2004 through 2009.

With a $10,000 donation from the Foundation, FNPS raised $15,000 during their weekend conference, enough to start a conservation internship program to honor these three visionary wildflower advocates. The program will provide opportunities for college students and emerging young professionals to work on native plant conservation and education projects.

In May 2023, Marc Godts and April McClain hosted the Foundation’s Wine and Wildflowers celebration at Green Isle Gardens in Groveland. The nursery specializes in Florida native plants and wildflowers. Old and new friends gathered to grow understanding of native plants and wildflowers. Thanks to Marc and April’s generosity and leadership, others followed and gave sponsorships and donations, far exceeding expectations.

Standing on the shoulders of Nancy, Carolyn, and Anne, Foundation Chair Sara Burke (2023-2025) is leading a Backyard Revolution, encouraging Floridians to discover and enjoy a new landscape aesthetic that shifts with the seasons and provides wildlife habitat; to rethink home and community landscapes as places for both people and nature to thrive together. Board directors Ramona “Mona” Johnson and CJ McCartney both bring vast leadership and horticultural and botanical knowledge to the Foundation. By their generosity, enthusiasm, and expertise, the Foundation has, for the first time, a strong presence and influence on conservation throughout South Florida. Mark Russell and Kody Smith bring extensive landscape design expertise to the board. Through education and effective community engagement, board director Fatima Elkott is determined to extend the “sustainability” movement in Florida and to increase access to nature in underserved communities, especially for children. She’s making plans to attract a diverse mix of talented young leaders to the Foundation. And in 2024, former Foundation contractor Geena Hill joined the board, bringing her expertise in entomology and Florida’s ecosystems.

Much of the successful growth in tag sales can be attributed to the increased visibility of the Foundation through a monthly newsletter, weekly plant profiles, pollinator profiles, and member profiles. In the waning months of these first 25 years, the State Wildflower Tag is more popular than ever. The Wildflower tag ranks #20 out of 150 with just over 33,000 total Wildflower tags on the road. Detailed information about Foundation activity and fiscal resources can be found in monthly board agenda packages that always include a treasurers’ report and executive director’s report. As of August 2024, and thanks to Marissa Kaprow, treasurer since 2015, the Foundation continues to be financially secure with over $1,500,000 in its accounts.

As a capstone to its first 25 years, the Foundation is in the process of asking the 2025 Legislature to increase the voluntary annual specialty tag fee from $15 to $25. (Currently, only a few specialty tags receive a $15 annual fee, with most set at $25.) Such an increase was first pursued in 2013 in House Bill 265 sponsored by Rep. John Wood, whose late mother, Ella P. Wood, was a FFGC president. The Legislature approved the increase unanimously with bipartisan support, but Gov. Rick Scott vetoed the bill. The $10 fee increase is expected to generate more than $300,000 in additional annual funds, which will be earmarked for the development of a native seed partnership that will support a university-based native plant research center.

There continues to be no known political or organized opposition to the Foundation.

Annual reports

• 2022–23
• 2021–22

• 2019–20
• 2018–19

• 2017–18
• 2016–17

OUR FOUNDATION IS ITS PEOPLE

Committee and event volunteers

• John Beacham
• Emily Bell
• Robert Bowden
• Theresa Bradley
• Sara Burke
• Dick Bush
• Keri Byrum
• Andrew Castanheira
• Jeff Caster
• Kim Coker
• Jaret Daniels
• Dara Dobson
• Tina Drake
• Fatima Elkott
• Calvin Ernst
• David Fasser
• Terrie Fishman
• Alan Franck
• Zak Gezon
• Michael Gilkey
• Marc Godts
• Tom Heitzmann
• Gary Henry

• Herb Hiller
• Craig Huegel
• Melissa Hunt
• Sonya Jarrett
• Marissa Kaprow
• Rose Kinane
• Stephen Kintner
• Gage LaPierre
• Claudia Larsen
• Brightman Logan
• Anne Mackay
• Stacey Matrazzo
• CJ McCartney
• Jim McGinity
• Terril Nell
• Jeff Norcini
• Elizabeth Pate
• Kathleen Patterson
• Carlos Perez
• Kelly Perez
• Wendy Poag
• Matt Powers
• David Price

• Chris Radentz
• Joan Randolph
• Steve Richardson
• Lisa Roberts
• Nan Roberts
• Nancy Rodlun
• Mark Russell
• Carolyn Schaag
• Robert Schubach
• John Sibley
• Jeff Smith
• Liz Sparks
• Paul Stevenson
• Gail Taylor
• Walter Taylor
• Donna Torrey
• Jen Tyson
• Chad Washburn
• Dena Wild
• Eileen Zebroski
• Terry Zinn

Generous support from the following organizations and individuals has sustained the Foundation’s research, education, and planting programs and projects.

Organizations

• Alan and Linde Katritzky Foundation
• Allstate Foundation
• Audubon Florida
• Bee Kind Shop
• Butterfly Club of Solivita
• Dixie Crossroads Restaurant
• Duke Energy
• EnviroPro Tree Farm
• Ethos Vegan Kitchen
• Felburn Foundation
• Florida Association of Native Nurseries
• Florida Botanical Gardens Foundation, Inc.

• Florida Master Naturalist Program
• Florida Power & Light
• Florida Scenic Highways Program
• Florida Wildflower Seed and Plant Growers Association
• Full Sail University
• Green Isle Gardens
• Hitchcocks Charity Foundation
• JCR Consulting
• Jelks Family Foundation
• Maitland Rotary Club
• Newton Fund

• Nextera Energy Foundation Inc.
• Orlando Utilities Commission
• SMW GeoSciences Inc.
• Stanley Smith Horticultural Trust
• Talk of the Town Restaurant Group
• Target
• The Brown Foundation, Inc.
• The Wildflower Foundation, Inc.
• W. T. Bland Jr. Charitable Trust
• Wildflowers of Florida Inc

Individuals

• Karen Berkley
• Sara Bradshaw
• Gloria Brooke
• Lucile Capo
• Eleanor Dietrich
• Amy Franqui
• Mary Frazier
• Marc Godts
• Todd Goodman
• Mary Helmstetter
• Gary Henry
• Ms. Patti Henry/Gary Henry
• Tom Hewitt
• Lauren Hindman and Tim Sallin
• Marissa Kaprow

• Linde Katritzky
• Gail Keeler
• Stephen Kintner
• Sanne Kure-Jensen
• Brightman Logan
• Travis and Karen MacClendon
• Anne and Buddy MacKay
• Debra Mackey
• Cara Maple
• Babu Mathew
• Stacey Matrazzo
• Sally McConnell
• Virginia Overstreet
• Jason Palm
• Pamela Palmer

• David Parsons
• Sandy Plummer
• Carol Pohl
• David Price
• Jane N. Pugh
• Lisa Roberts
• Larry and Therese Schmidt
• Karen Simasek
• Joanne Spurlino
• Christine Stiefel
• Karen Tasman
• Christopher Waltz
• Jane and David Watson
• Terry Zinn
• Ted Williams

Contractors and friends who have served the Foundation include:

2024-25 Foundation Board of Directors

• Chair Sara Burke
• Chair-elect Fatima Elkott
• Past-chair Jeff Caster
• Treasurer Marissa Kaprow
• Secretary Terry Zinn
• Nancy Bissett
• Jeff Henry

• Geena Hill
• Ramona Johnston
• CJ McCartney
• David Price
• Mark Russell
• Kody Smith

2024 Honorary directors Carolyn Schaag and Anne MacKay.

Previous Foundation directors

Previous Foundation board chairs

• Rocky Randels
• Gary Henry
• Anne MacKay
• Jeff Caster
• Terry Zinn
• Vince Lamb
• Dena Wild
• Sara Burke

T. Elizabeth Pate Coreopsis Award (the first three years, Friend of Florida Wildflowers Award). This award is the Foundation’s highest and most prestigious honor. The award recognizes one individual each year who advances or has advanced the mission of the Foundation.

• 2024 Lisa Roberts
• 2023 Jeff Norcini, PhD
• 2022 Brightman Logan
• 2021 Terry Zinn, Esq
• 2020 Jeff Caster
• 2019 Anne MacKay
• 2018 Walter Taylor, PhD
• 2016 Loran Anderson, PhD
• 2015 Dick Bush
• 2014 Ananth Prasad
• 2013 Nancy Bissett
• 2012 Dr. Richard Wunderlin, PhD
• 2011 T. Elizabeth Pate
• 2010 Carolyn Schaag
• 2009 Gary Henry

This concise history was compiled in August and September 2024 by Jeff Caster with review, edit, and fact-check by Anne MacKay, Stacey Matrazzo, Jeff Norcini, Lisa Roberts, Carolyn Schaag, Frank Walper and Terry Zinn.

Reference documents are hyperlinked within this written narrative. Some documents remain available on the Foundation website and as part of the online board handbook. Some hyperlinks go to websites active at the time of this publication. The handbook includes meeting schedules and Zoom info, contacts, and links to Foundation policies and other documents. Contact the Foundation to request access to the handbook.

Last edited October 8, 2024.