Home in Hernando
The sandhills of Hernando County are showy in fall in the Croom Tract of the Withlacoochee State Forest. Florida paintbrush (Carphephorus corymbosus) help paint the scene.
It's natural to love Hernando County
The Hernando Chapter of the Florida Native Plant Society shares information with citizens who are interested in learning about Florida's native plants, their ecosystems, and all aspects of biological diversity.
Together, we learn how landscaping with native plants has a minimal affect on the environment. By using native plants, chemicals are eliminated, maintenance is reduced, water is conserved, and habitat is provided for wildlife.
Plant enthusiasts become acquainted with plant species that make their home in Hernando, and the types of conditions they prefer. Whether you best appreciate these plants in the natural landscape or the home landscape, we know you'll enjoy the Society.
UPCOMING EVENTS
Monday, Sept 9, 2024, 6:30 PM (2nd Monday due to Labor Day Holiday)
South Brooksville Community Center
601 E Dr Martin Luther King Jr Blvd, Brooksville, FL 34601
Monthly Meeting and Public Program:
Tampa Bay Conservancy: Protecting the Region’s Natural Heritage
by René Wiesner Brown, President, Tampa Bay Conservancy
This month’s presentation will focus on the Tampa Bay Conservancy, an all-volunteer land trust, with the mission of protecting the region’s natural, cultural, scenic and agricultural heritage. We will learn about the Conservancy’s 116-acre Yulee-Cumming Preserve near the Homosassa River in Citrus County, including its history, natural resources, and management.
The Conservancy also owns and manages the 60-acre Myron and Helen Gibbons Nature Preserve along the Alafia River in Hillsborough County and expects to record its first conservation easement later this year, protecting 27 acres in Pasco County. The Tampa Bay Conservancy was incorporated in 2001 and received National Land Trust Accreditation in 2017 and renewal in 2022. The organization seeks volunteers, supporters, and introductions to landowners of ecologically significant tracts of land.
About our Speaker
René Wiesner Brown is the current President and a founding Board Member of the Tampa Bay Conservancy. René’s conservation work began at the Land Trust Alliance in the late 90s. She has experience in land acquisition, land management, and restoration. She is a civil society delegate of the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change and was appointed to the Expert Review Group of the UN Race to Resilience in 2021. She also serves as Vice Chair of the Florida Wildlife Federation. René earned a PhD in Integrative Biology from the University of South Florida, a Master’s degree from Duke University’s Nicholas School of the Environment, and a Bachelor’s degree in biology from Moravian University. René loves to travel and has recently visited her 47th state.
Related Resources
Logistics – Our regular monthly meetings are held on the first Monday of most months. They are notorious for intriguing topics and a great light supper. Arrive the South Brooksville Community Center at 6:30 pm for snacks and socializing; the formal meeting and program starts at 7:00 pm. The South Brooksville Community Center is located at 601 E Dr Martin Luther King Jr Blvd, Brooksville, FL 34601. Contact us at hcfnps@gmail.com
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2024 Calendar of Monthly Meetings and Public Programs
We are busy gearing up for 2024. Our schedule follows – please mark your calendar! We look forward to the good times and good learning in the coming year. These are the first Mondays of the month, except for New Year's Day and September due to Labor Day.
January 8
February 5
March 4
April 1
May 6
June 3
July 1
August 5
September 9 (moved back due to Labor Day)
October 7
November 4
About our venue. Join us at the South Brooksville Community Center, 601 E Dr Martin Luther King Jr Blvd, Brooksville, FL 34601. This facility is on the East side of Brooksville proper at the apex of Jefferson (US 98) and Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd.
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Get to know us,
get to know your county
get to know your county
Our meetings are held the first Monday of the month at 6:30 p.m. At each meeting we discuss native plants and native plant ecosystems. Subjects range from hummingbird gardening to black bear habitat.
Each meeting has delicious snacks, and friendly company, native plants on display, and an information table. Please join us for a meeting.
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Saturday, Sept 28, 9am - noon
Fall Native Plant Sale!
Russell Street Park
28 Russell St., Brooksville, FL 34601
Fall is a fine time to get your landscape established before the rains end in winter. At our Native Plant Sale we'll have a selection of native shrubs, perennials and annuals. Do you have a specific landscaping project in mind? Native plant experts can help you select the right plants for your place. Come early for the best selection!
Visit the Garden
Nature Coast Botanical Garden,
Florida Native Plant Demonstration Garden
1489 Parker Ave, Spring Hill, FL 34606
We encourage you to visit the Florida Native Plant Demonstration Garden during all seasons. There are many opportunities to study Florida's native flora.
For example:
The buzz on pollinators. The populations of many pollinators have declined due to loss of habitat and the plants that they depend on for food. The garden highlights native wildflowers you can plant in your yard to attract and support butterflies, bees, and other pollinators.
Attracting wildlife. Wildlife requires cover, food and water, and depends on native grasses, shrubs and trees to help provide. You can plan to attract and protect the birds and bunnies through creating natural areas for biodiversity to thrive and achieve its natural balance. The garden provides examples.
The right plant for the right place. Several areas of the Native Plant Garden feature plant species that are found growing in the sandhill and hammock ecosystems of Hernando County. See how you can bring the natural beauty of the Nature Coast into your home landscape and learn about native species that may work best for the conditions on your site.
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Join us in the field
We also offer guided field trips to help celebration the natural beauty that is Hernando County. We hope you'll decide to join in!
Embrace the Mission
Preserve
Hernando County is home to a wide variety of natural areas from coastal scrub to the sandhills of the Brooksville Ridge to the cypress swamps of the Withlacoochee. Our fieldtrips explore the diversity of our landscapes and their habitats.
Conserve
Through research and advocacy the Society seeks to ensure that natural landscapes are set aside to protect native plants and their habitats. Join us as we speak out for native plants and the wildlife that depends on them.
Restore
Returning Florida's native plants to the human landscape is a critical action for increasing biodiversity and protecting pollinators and other wildlife. Our planting projects help point the way.