Upcoming Chapter Events - Please Scroll Down As These Are Not In Chronological Order

Tuesday, January 9, 1 PM The Mangrove Chapter of the Native Plant Society will host Developing Functional Native Gardens, an educational program presented by ecologist, Dr. Mary Davis, at Lemon Bay Environmental Center, 570 Bay Park Blvd., Englewood. Mary will discuss some ecological considerations for native plant gardeners who want to be a part of larger functional and sustainable landscapes. These considerations include an understanding of ecoregions, fragmentation, and habitat diversity. BYOPicnic social at 12:15 pm. Members and non-members are invited to attend. For more information, contact mangrovechapter@fnps.org.

WEDNESDAY Dec 6, 9 - 11am Discover the beauty of the T. Mabry Carlton Reserve.  Led by Dr. Mary Davis of the Mangrove Chapter of the Florida Native Plant Society, view the flatwoods/dry prairie habitats to see how fire, water, and grazing shaped the plant communities.  1800 Mabry Carlton Pkwy, Venice.  Meet at the first parking lot off the entrance road. Be prepared for wet feet, sun, and mosquitos. Bring a bag lunch or snack to eat at the nearby picnic shelter after the walk for more discussion with Mary and participants. This event is open to the public.  For more information, contact mangrovechapter@fnps.org.

Friday, December 8, 9 - 11 am. Join the Mangrove Chapter of the Florida Native Plant Society and Dr. Bill Dunson for a nature walk at the Rohlwing Preserve (3601 Border Rd, Venice, FL 34292) across the street from the Ligon Preserve a.k.a. Sleeping Turtles North. We will walk a 2-mile loop trail in small groups. The entire eastern edge of the preserve is bordered by the Myakka River which is prone to either drying up or periodic flooding.  Thus, the predominant habitat at Rohlwing is a type of riparian (riverside) oak forest that is uncommon.  You will be required to sign a waiver.  No smoking or vaping allowed.  No dogs are permitted. No reservations required. The public is welcome.For additional information contact Bill Dunson at wdunson@comcast.net

Thursday, Dec 21 9:00 - 11:00am - This preserve offers a considerable variety of habitat types- wetlands, and uplands plus some solitude which is hard to find in SW FL.  We will be particularly interested in the kinds of trees and how they reflect soil nutrients and moisture, light and tolerance of shade, fire and human disturbance.  We will watch for animals as well and hope to see amphibians, reptiles and birds.   We will discuss methods of management- especially the use/misuse of winter fires.

We will meet at the South Entrance, 10201 S. Tamiami Trail, Venice 34287.  ( If you are traveling from Venice towards North Port on U.S. 41, the entrance is just beyond the intersection at River Road on the left).  The entire loop is about 1.9 miles of easy walking on sandy roads. 

November 14, Tuesday, 1-3PM.  Join the Mangrove Chapter of the Florida Native Plant Society, and meet Environmental Specialist, Jeff Weber, at Lemon Bay Park & Environmental Center, 570 Bay Park Blvd., Englewood.  Jeff will share with us the knowledge and appreciation of Florida native plants that he learned as manager of five preserves for Sarasota County since 1993.  

Meet at the Environmental Center. (BYOPicnic at 12:15pm for a meet and greet prior to the meeting.)  We will also be holding a native plant sale at this meeting. This event is open to the public.

Saturday, November 25, 9:00 -11:00 AM. Join Bill Dunson on a guided walk at South Venice Lemon Bay Preserve at the Kenisco entrance, 5472 Kenisco Rd, Venice. This Preserve is roughly broken up into three main areas.  The northern-most area is entered at 5472 Kenisco Rd (Venice) at the intersection with Euclid Rd.  We will hike about 1.5 miles through scrubby flatwoods, and pass brackish marshes and salt flats. Limited parking is available along road shoulders and carpooling is recommended. The public is welcome. No reservations required. No dogs or smoking/vaping allowed. For additional information contact Bill Dunson at wdunson@comcast.net

Saturday, November 11, 9-11 AM Join the Mangrove Chapter of the Florida Native Plant Society for a guided walk led by  professor emeritus Dr. Bill Dunson at Manasota Scrub Preserve, 2695 Bridge Street, Englewood. The 1.5 mile loop winds through mesic pine flatwoods and along two wetlands.  Bill will share facts about how depletion of ground water changes plant bioindicators of wetlands.  Meet in the parking lot just a few yards from Manasota Beach Rd. Members and non-members are invited to attend but Bill asks that no one who is ill participates. Please, no smoking and no dogs. For additional information contact Bill Dunson at wdunson@comcast.net

Plant Native Day 2024 will be Saturday, March 9th. Join us from 9:00am to Noon for native plant nerd fun, and of course plenty of member grown and nursery native plants for sale. Watch our blog for more information,

The Environmental Conservancy of North Port and Surrounding Areas (ECNP) will host “Music in the Park” from 11 a.m. to 4 p .m. Nov. 5 at Harbour Heights Park (27420 Voyageur Drive, Punta Gorda). Mangrove Chapter will have an information table at this event and will give a talk on the benefits of using native plants in your yard.

Activities provided will be suitable for the whole family. Come and enjoy an old-fashioned day at a beautiful shady park that overlooks the Peace River. There will be games for everyone, tunes played by local musicians, a painted rock hunt and face painting for the kids, and other nonprofit organizations will be present. Food truck fare will be available for additional cost.

Monies received will be used to purchase land into perpetuity in Harbour Heights for Florida scrub jays, gopher tortoises and other listed species. Without the acquisition of this land, they have no protection there. Entry fee is $10 for adults, with children under 10 free. For more info, go to ECNorthPort.com or call 941-876-3720.

Saturday, October 14: 9am - 11am. Our first guided walk of the 23-24 season is Saturday, October 14, 9-11 AM, at Old Miakka Preserve, 251 Myakka Rd, at the end of Fruitville Road in Sarasota. Our leader will be Jeff Weber, Environmental Specialist at Sarasota County Parks. Following the walk, we are invited to bring a sack lunch to eat at the Florida Native Plant Nursery at 730 Myakka Road, just a short distance from the preserve, followed by shopping. Mangrove FNPS members receive a 10% discount.


Mangrove Chapter walk at Old Miakka Preserve, 2022