News Blog

Arbor Day Tree Fair, City Center Green, 4970 City Hall Blvd, North Port

April 30, 10am-2pm.

Hundreds of native trees will be available here at extremely low prices: $15 for a 3-gallon pot size or $25 for a 7-gallon pot size. You can enjoy food trucks and music, and many nature-related groups will have tables with information about their organizations.

For more details see http://www.peoplefortrees.com/?fbclid=IwAR2tjoZjR8S-VrFZdyFF7uWXHNCV3PLIpqGhjyK1ziUUUU-uO-2MJscfTuA

Saturday, April 30th, 9:00-11:00 AM  - Long Leaf Pine: The Tree that Built the South

Join Kate Borduas from the Mangrove Chapter of the Native Plant Society for a nature walk at Curry Creek Preserve - East, 1500 Pinebrook Road, Venice FL. The land for this 81-acre preserve was obtained in 2001 through the Environmentally Sensitive Lands Protection Program, and was named for the Curry Family, early settlers to this area.

The eastern section of the preserve is home to a remnant longleaf pine forest.  Once covering 90 million acres, longleaf pine was harvested heavily, with little thought to wildlife losses within the environment.  Pond apple trees, rare for this area, may be found along the creek.  The trails are unpaved but very even.  Sturdy shoes are recommended. 

If you are interested in learning more about Long Leaf Pine, you may want to attend Kate’s presentation at the Jacaranda Public Library, Friday, April 15 at 1:30

Registration required at ufsarasotaext.eventbrite.com

Wednesday, March 2, 9-11 AM. Manasota Scrub Preserve, 2695 Bridge St, Englewood.

Tuesday, March 8, 9-11 AM. South Venice Lemon Bay Preserve, 6200 Osprey Red., Venice.

Tuesday, March 29, 8:30-11:30 AM. Lemon Bay Park and Environmental Center, 570 Bay Park Blvd, Englewood.

Thursday, March 31, 9-11 AM. Scherer Thaxton Preserve, 13125 Honore Ave, Osprey.

Mangrove Chapter member Kate Borduas, a Florida Master Naturalist and Certified Interpretive Guide, leads nature walks in Charlotte and Sarasota Counties. All walks begin at 9:00 a.m., are free and don't require registration. Schedules are listed for information only. Changes occasionally occur and you should confirm with Kate at (207) 653-2496

Her Sarasota County walks are themed "Seasons and Serendipity"

Shamrock Park, Second Fridays - 3900 Shamrock Dr, Venice, FL
Meet at the Nature Center - 3/11, 4/8,

Lemon Bay Park, First and Third Fridays – 570 Bay Park Blvd, Englewood, FL
Meet at the Nature Center - 2/18 (no walk on 3/4), 3/18, 4/1, 4/11.

Charlotte County:  First and Third Tuesdays check the Charlotte Harbor Environmental Center website for full schedule. https://www.checflorida.org/

Amberjack Environmental Preserve, A Study in Elevation Change in SW Florida
6250 Gasparilla Pines Blvd, Williamsburg Way, Placida, FL – Meet in the parking lot.
 3/1, 4/5

Oyster Creek Environmental Park, 6791 San Casa Dr, Englewood, FL – Meet on the far side of the pond -3/15

Tippecanoe I Environmental Park, 2400 El Jobean Rd, Port Charlotte, FL - parking behind Sports Arena on 776 – Big Sign. -  4/19

LongLeaf Pine - The Tree that Built the South

Meeting Room - Frances T. Bourne Jacaranda Library, 4143 Woodmere Park Blvd., Venice, FL

Friday, April 15, 2022 1:30pm - 4:00pm

Join Florida Master Naturalist and Mangrove Chapter FNPS member, Kate Borduas as she discusses the environmental history and the importance of ecological conservation of Long-Leaf Pine.

Vast swaths of old-growth virgin forest - from American Chestnut to Long-leaf Pine once covered America east of the Mississippi.

Historically, Long-leaf Pine was the pine of the Southern United States. The ecosystem once dominated the Southern landscape from southeast Virginia, extending down through Florida, and west to Texas. Early settlers and naturalists marveled at the majestic landscape helmed by the Long-leaf Pine. According to the Longleaf Alliance, the Long-leaf Pine “was literally the tree that built the South.” But over 150 years of human settlement, activity, and exploitation, the longleaf pine ecosystem fragmented and waned. Today less than 1% of the South’s natural stands remain, representing one of the world's most severe cases of habitat loss.

ALERT: Due to ongoing construction at Cedar Point, the inner circle (nearest the building) is closed. You can park anywhere on the shoulder from the park entrance on Placida to the playground just short of the inner circle. If you can diagonal park, more cars can park closer in.

Tuesday, April 12th, 1:00-3:00 PM  The Mangrove Chapter of the Native Plant Society will host Intricately Entwined: Biodiversity, Nature, and Human Health, an educational program at the Cedar Point Environmental Park’s Education Center, 2300 Placida Road, Englewood.  

This presentation by Dr. Katherine Clements discusses the loss of biodiversity and potential impacts on human health, including how time spent in nature provides direct benefits for our mental and physical health.  

Dr. Clements is the Ecology and Natural Resources Educator for UF/IFAS Extension and Sustainability Sarasota County.  Masks are required inside the education center. For information visit mangrove.fnpschapters.org.

Saturday, April 9th, 9:00-11:00 AM  Let’s Go Mountaineering

Join Kate Borduas for a nature walk at Amberjack Environmental Park, 6450 Gasparilla Pines Blvd., Englewood, FL.  Our walk will take us through an elevation change of 13’ and we will explore the implications of that seemingly small change on the plant communities. What can thrive in the high, dry, southern reaches of this 225-acre preserve. 

Our walk will also circumnavigate a large depression marsh, so in one walk we will have a chance to view a range of habitats. Some parts of this walk are on sand paths, so closed shoes are recommended.

Join Bill Dunson at 9:00am for a nature walk at Myakka State Forest, Main Entrance, 2555 South River Rd., Englewood. The 1.5-mile walk will be along the Gordon Smith Trail through pine flatwoods and near a fresh-water pond. This is a spring walk to see what flowers are in bloom and to identify classic flatwoods and wetland plants.

Meet in the parking lot 1 mile east of the entrance to the forest. There is a $2 entry fee. If you do not intend to pay online, bring $2 cash to the parking area. The leader requests that all participants be vaccinated. No dogs are allowed on this walk.

Rookery Day is this coming Saturday, March 19, from 9am - 12pm at the Venice Audubon Rookery. Mangrove Chapter will have a table at the event with plants for donations, and sunflower plants for children to draw for in a raffle. Additionally, Ruth Ward will give a plant propagation demonstration. You’re invited to attend this family-friendly morning filled with fun and information.

Visit the Venice Audubon website for more information

Join Dave and Linda Manley for a Sunset Stroll at Ann and Chuck Dever Regional Park, 6791 San Casa Drive, Englewood. The pace is slow, with time for questions and observations.

This park has wide, flat, grassy trails for easy walking. Spring in Florida should offer an abundance of wildflowers. From San Casa Drive, use the entrance across from the county building. The leaders will have a sign at that entrance. Meet in the parking lot opposite side the pond.

Join Anne Risberg at 9:00am for a nature walk at Middle Beach/Blind Pass Beach Park, Manasota Key, 6725 Manasota Beach Rd, Englewood. This one-mile walk will explore the back half of the park which runs to Lemon Bay, identifying plants and their pollinators along the way.

Directions: Meet in the parking area farthest back from the road and close to the kayak ramp. Watch for the playground equipment and a covered area with picnic tables.

Insects are miracles of evolution; insects were the first creatures to evolve flight and ruled the skies for millennia; insects outnumber all other living species combined; and come in a wondrous array of sizes, colors, and shapes. Along their evolutionary pathways, insects also invented agriculture, animal husbandry and manufacturing. 

Humans put insects and their byproducts for use as with dyes, honey, ink, silk, and shellac. And we didn’t even mention pollination!

Please join us at Cedar Point EP when Master Naturalist and Insect Enthusiast, Kate Borduas, explores the lives of the creatures that run the world. Meet in the Nature Center.