As massive wildfires spread across Australia, even astronauts on the International Space Station can’t miss the inferno. So, fire is very bad, right? Not necessarily. Fire, large or small, is a natural, chemical process. It’s shaped this planet’s diverse ecosystems for eons, supporting unique vegetation and the wildlife it feeds. Many of Florida’s ecosystems thrive on managed fire.
Join the Florida Wildflower Foundation on Feb. 15 for a field trip to Smyrna Dunes Park. Environmental scientist and instructor David Griffis will lead us in exploring five different ecosystems in the park. You can expect to see a variety of vegetation and wildlife, including shorebirds, seabirds and songbirds. The park offers dune, scrub and saltwater marsh habitats, bordered by the Indian River and the Atlantic Ocean.
Florida Wildflower Foundation grant will expand Natives For Your Neighborhood website resources to include Central Florida.
The Florida Wildflower Foundation (FWF) has received a $11,305 grant from the Duke Energy Foundation that will help build pollinator pathways along roadsides in Florida’s Big Bend region. A roadside survey will begin in April 2020 to locate populations of native wildflowers and grasses that can be maintained as corridors of pollinator habitat.
Podduturu M. (P.M.) and Vijaya Reddy have been active members of the Florida Wildflower Foundation (FWF) since 2017. Frequently attending field trips and other events, P.M. additionally volunteered at our 2019 Florida Wildflower Symposium in Gainesville, photographing workshops and activities during the weekend. Vijaya and P.M. use FWF resources to talk to their local community of Palm Coast about the importance of native wildflowers.
Originally named for the Delaware tribes of Native Americans near where this butterfly was discovered, the Delaware skipper is now found throughout the eastern United States. This small, bright orange butterfly is attracted to grassy meadows and wet areas. As part of the Grass skipper subfamily of skippers, its larval hosts are grasses and sedges.
Dr. Walter Taylor presents at the 2014 Florida Wildflower Symposium.