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FNPS Mission: To preserve, conserve, and restore native plants and native plant communities.
Learn more by visiting the FNPS website • Check our calendar for upcoming events sponsored by the Pinellas, Nature Coast, and Suncoast Chapters • Not a member yet? Join today!
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Event Updates
Please see details for these events in the newsletter below and check our Facebook Group and website calendar for the most up-to-date information.
- Tuesday, 11/1 6:30 PM - 7:30 PM: Pinellas Chapter Conservation Committee Meeting
- Saturday, 11/2, 6:30 PM - 8 PM: Restoration of Pinellas Point Park
- Saturday, 11/5, 9 AM - 11 AM: Field Trip to Pinellas Point Park
- Saturday, 11/19, 8 AM - 10 AM: Butterfly Garden Maintenance at Moccasin Lake
- Saturday, 11/19, 8 AM - 11 AM: Moccasin Lake Invasive Removal Day
- Tuesday, 11/15, 7 PM - 8 PM: Pinellas Chapter Conservation Committee Meeting
- Tuesday, 11/29, 7 PM - 8 PM: Pinellas Chapter Conservation Committee Meeting
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Restoration of Pinellas Point Park
Wednesday, November 2nd
In person and Zoom
6:30 pm - 8:00 pm
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This meeting is in person at Moccasin Lake Nature Park, 2750 Park Trail Ln, Clearwater, FL 33759 and on Zoom. Please join us in person.
Pinellas Point Park, is a 15 acre grassy expanse at the southernmost extremity of Pinellas County, operated by the City of St. Petersburg Parks. Before European contact, this park was the site for indigenous people's communities. It contains remnants of their existence still. Originally comprised of scrub and slash pine, mismanagement of the property resulted in the loss of all aspects of plants and organic material until it became a Bahia grass field.
Ray Wunderlich led two very large restoration events in the early 2000s, planting over 1000 appropriate native plants in plant islands throughout the Park. Most of the plants are thriving. Ray will discuss the restoration projects and lessons learned.
Program 6:30 - 7:30. Submit questions in Zoom using the chat feature or email us ahead of time. Questions? Email info@pinellasnativeplants.org
Arrive at 6:30pm to enjoy refreshments, meet other members and participate in a silent auction of donated native plant "volunteers", seeds and cuttings. Prices start at $1. Bring what you can and be sure to bring cash to purchase.
Join Zoom Meeting
https://us02web.zoom.us/j/88373765772?pwd=UzhVU2d0WWFKSlhPY1YrU1cvK1h2Zz09
Meeting ID: 883 7376 5772
Passcode: 307188
One tap mobile
+13017158592,,88373765772#,,,,*307188# US (Washington D.C)
Questions? program@pinellasnativeplants.org
Ray is a native of St. Pete, reared amongst scrubby sand pine in extreme South St. Pete. He graduated from the University of Florida with a BS in Health Education and a Masters in Sports Management from FSU.
A member of FNPS since 2003, Ray has led over 30 volunteer projects to restore native habitats in pocket type parks in St. Pete such as Little Bayou Preserve, Maximo Archeology Park, Pinellas Point Mound and Pinellas Point Park. His latest creation of habitat was Feb 5th in the former dumpsite at Ft.DeSoto Park whereby his volunteers planted 200 mostly South Florida Slash Pines.
Ray has received three Sunshine Ambassador Awards from the City of St Petersburg, the Key to the City of St. Petersburg, and several Awards from the Pinellas FNPS Chapter.
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Field Trip to Pinellas Point Park
November 5th, 9:00 am - 11:00 am
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Join us on a guided hike of Pinellas Point Park, led by FNPS member Ray Wunderlich. A member of FNPS since 2003, Ray has led over 30 volunteer projects to restore native habitats in pocket type parks in St. Pete such as Little Bayou Preserve, Maximo Archeology Park, Pinellas Point Mound and Pinellas Point Park. His latest creation of habitat was Feb 5th in the former dumpsite at Ft. DeSoto Park whereby his volunteers planted 200 mostly South Florida Slash Pines.
Pinellas Point Park is a 15-acre grassy expanse at the southernmost extremity of Pinellas County, operated by the City of St. Petersburg Parks. Before European contact, this park was the site for indigenous people's communities. It contains remnants of their existence still. Originally comprised of scrub and slash pine, mismanagement of the property resulted in the loss of all aspects of plants and organic material until it became a Bahia grass field. Ray Wunderlich led two very large restoration events in the early 2000s, planting over 1000 appropriate native plants in plant islands throughout the Park. Most of the plants are thriving. Ray will discuss the restoration projects and lessons learned.
When: Saturday, November 5th , 9:00 am
Where: Pinellas Point Park, Pinellas Point Park, Amber Way & Manor Way S, St. Petersburg, FL 33705
RSVP using the link provided and include your mobile phone # for last minute updates.
Participation in this event, sponsored by the Pinellas Chapter of the Florida Native Plant Society, is voluntary and is offered free of charge or at cost. All participants acknowledge and agree that they will assume all risk associated with such participation and waive any action or claim against The Pinellas Chapter of the Florida Native Plant Society, Inc., (the Pinellas Chapter) and the Florida Native Plant Society, Inc. (FNPS), for any damage, injury or harm of any kind resulting from or occurring during this activity. Participants acknowledge that photos will be taken for promotional purposes and their image may be used by PCFNPS or other organizations at the event.
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Pinellas Chapter Nominating Committee
Seeking Treasurer and Secretary for 2023 Board
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We are currently looking for a member to serve as Treasurer, with some bookkeeping experience or strong computer skills, who can learn to use Quickbooks online version. If you are willing to volunteer to keep the books, but do not want to serve on the board, that is acceptable. The chapter has at most 3-4 transactions a month, and the time required is about three hours a month.
We are also seeking a Secretary to record the minutes of the monthly board meetings. Meetings are held via Zoom and recorded, making transcribing the minutes very easy. Only the agenda items, motions and votes are required to be recorded in the minutes. The time required is about three hours a month.
The Board meets monthly on the third Tuesday, via zoom, at 6:30 pm. Meetings last about an hour. If you have an interest in becoming more involved in the chapter, please join us at our next board meeting to see what goes on "behind the curtain." Email President@pinellasnativeplants.org for the Zoom link to attend the November meeting.
Chapter President David Byrkit has appointed Rebecca Wellborn as Chair of the Nominating Committee for the 2023 Board of Directors. Serving with Rebecca are FNPS members Deb Rothenberg, Antonia Krueger and Roberta Owens. The Nominating Committee is tasked each fall with finding members with a passion for native plants, that are willing to serve as an Officer or Director. The Committee will be calling members to ask about their interest in serving. Please do us the courtesy of returning our calls, even if the answer is NO! This is not an easy task and being ignored only makes it worse.
According to the Bylaws, Section 1:
The Officers of the Pinellas Chapter shall be: President, Vice-President, Secretary, and Treasurer. The Directors of the Pinellas Chapter shall be: Chapter Representative, Past-president, and up to five (5) Directors-at-Large. Directors generally Chair one of the standing committees, but not always. The Standing Committees shall include Program, Membership, Volunteer, and Communications. Each of these committees shall be chaired by a Director-at-Large, who may recruit committee members to assist in carrying out the functions of the committee.
A. Program Committee: This committee shall coordinate the planning and execution of monthly programs, field trips, and other activities, and shall produce an annual calendar and promotional announcements for use by the Communications Committee.
B. Membership Committee: This committee shall coordinate with the FNPS to welcome and instruct new members, and shall work to recruit new members and retain existing ones.
C. Volunteer Committee:This committee shall recruit, coordinate, and acknowledge volunteers in order to accomplish the goals of the Board, and shall be responsible for recording volunteer hours and submitting them to the FNPS.
D. Communications Committee: This committee shall publicize the details of Chapter news and events to Chapter members and to the public, using the most effective means available, including the Chapter website, social media, email, and press releases, and shall maintain a database of contacts for that purpose.
Contact the Nominating Committee if you have an interest in learning more or want to nominate a member you admire.
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Monthly Volunteer Orientation
Tuesday, November 8th, 7:00 pm
via Zoom
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Support FNPS by attending our monthly volunteer orientation, held on the second Tuesday of every month. We'll go through all the different opportunities to become involved and important information for new volunteers.
Join Zoom Meeting
https://us02web.zoom.us/j/82495507182?pwd=K09SU2ZJMHIrWkx5VXZLREk0eTJhZz09
Meeting ID: 824 9550 7182
Passcode: 002075
One tap mobile
+16469313860,,82495507182#,,,,*002075# US
+19292056099,,82495507182#,,,,*002075# US (New York)
Dial by your location
+1 646 931 3860 US
+1 929 205 6099 US (New York)
+1 301 715 8592 US (Washington DC)
Meeting ID: 824 9550 7182
Passcode: 002075
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Moccasin Lake Butterfly Garden Volunteer Opportunity
Saturday, November 19th
8 - 10 am
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 Join a team of volunteers in maintaining the Butterfly Garden at Moccasin Lake. This is a great opportunity to learn more about which plants attract and host our local butterflies, what conditions they grow in and how to prune them.
Please bring hand tools (if you have them), work gloves and a reusable water bottle. The chapter will provide trash bags.
We really appreciate the City of Clearwater allowing us to use the classroom at the park for our monthly meetings, and volunteering in the park is our way of showing it.
RSVP with below for further instructions.
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Moccasin Lake Invasive Removal Day
Saturday, November 19th
8 - 11 am
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Keep Pinellas Beautiful is partnering with Moccasin Lake Nature Park in Clearwater to remove the invasive Caesar Weed, Urena lobata.
Caesar Weed is an exotic invasive plant that is a prolific spreader. Removing Caesar Weed prevents the area from becoming a mono-culture dominated by a single type of plant. A diverse environment of native plants is important because they provide a food source and habitat for native insects, pollinators, and other wildlife.
We will be pulling up the Caesar Weed to get the root system and bagging it up. It is important to bag it up because the seeds fall easily and could lead to new growth if we were to just leave it on the ground.
This will be a fun event that will definitely have a “Before And After” impact. You will see the results of your work!
For more information on Caesar Weed, please visit this link.
WHERE TO MEET: Moccasin Lake Nature Park. Please meet at the picnic shelter behind the Birds of Prey exhibit at 8 AM to sign in.
WHAT TO WEAR: Volunteers must wear closed toe shoes. Long sleeves and hats are recommended.
WHAT TO EXPECT: Gloves, sunscreen, bug repellent and water will be provided. Please bring your own reusable water bottle if you have one. For the safety of our staff and volunteers, we encourage masks at our events.
If you have any questions, please contact Evan Earle, Beautification Specialist, at beautification@kpbcares.org.
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SAVE THE DATE:
Florida Gulf Coast Hope Spot Festival Volunteer Opportunity
Saturday, February 11th, 2023
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Save the Date!
The Pinellas Chapter FNPS is excited to participate again in the Florida Gulf Coast Hope Spot Festival! Last year’s festival was extremely well attended and a huge success!
As the event draws nearer, we will be seeking volunteers to assist at our table at this event. So, please, save the date and keep an eye out for updates.
Sign up below to put your name down early!
Location
Edgewater Park
51 Main St, Dunedin, FL 34698
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Thank You To Our Business Members
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Pinellas Chapter Florida Native Plant Society
2022 Officers, Directors and Committee Chairs
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All chapter members are invited to attend Board meetings, normally held via Zoom the third Wednesday of the month from 6:30 pm - 8:00 pm. Email the President for information about the next meeting, and/or if you have an issue that you would like addressed.
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President - Davis Byrkit
Vice President - Jane Graham
Secretary - Andrea Andersen
Treasurer - Robin Peacock
Past President - Michael Coleman
Director / Chapter Representative - David Perkey
Director / Membership Chair - Ginger Brengle
Director / Programs Chair - Pam Schrader
Director / Communications Chair - Jessica Palenchar
Director At Large - Sari Wood
Social Media and Email - Rebecca Wellborn
Newsletter Editor - Nataly Capote
Webmaster - Patty Perkey
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Florida Native Plant Society Mission
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The Mission of the Florida Native Plant Society is to promote the preservation, conservation, and restoration of the native plants and native plant communities of Florida.
The Society fulfills this mission through:
- Support for conservation land acquisition
- Land management that enhances habitat suitability for native plants
- Education
- Public policies that protect our native flora, especially rare species
- Research on native plant species
- Encouragement of local landscaping practices and policies that preserve Florida's native plant heritage
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