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, October 2 , 2023  – 6:30 - 8:00 PM
South Brooksville Community Center
601 E Dr Martin Luther King Jr Blvd, Brooksville, FL 34601
Monthly Meeting and Public Program
Seagrass, Water Quality, and the Nature Coast Aquatic Preserve
by Savanna C. Barry

This presentation will cover background information about the vibrant seagrass meadows of the Nature Coast and the water quality conditions necessary to maintain them. You will learn about the ongoing monitoring programs focused on water quality and seagrasses, as well as some of the current science around seagrass ecology and conservation in the region. At the end, we will review the designation of the Nature Coast Aquatic Preserve and how FDEP and the University of Florida collaborated with community stakeholders to draft the management plan.

About our Speaker.  Savanna Barry grew up on a small farm in central Virginia and discovered her interest in marine ecology during family vacations to small fishing towns along the Chesapeake Bay. After earning her B.S. in Biology from the University of Virginia, Savanna split her time between Gainesville, FL and Little Cayman Island to earn her M.S. in Fisheries and Aquatic Sciences through the University of Florida. 

Savanna Barry did her dissertation work in the beautiful seagrass meadows of the southern Nature Coast where she investigated the morphology, resilience, invertebrate community composition, and carbon storage of seagrass meadows growing under different rates of nutrient input. Savanna began serving the Nature Coast as a Regional Specialized Agent with Sea Grant and UF/IFAS Extension in February 2016. She lives in Cedar Key and is stationed full time at the Nature Coast Biological Station.  Dr. Barry earned her M.S. and Ph.D. from the University of Florida, Fisheries and Aquatic Sciences.



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. 

Get to know us,
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 23 , 2023  –9:00 AM - NOON
Russell Street Park
28 Russell St, Brooksville, FL 34601
Hernando Chapter Fall Native Plant Sale

September is fine time to plant trees and shrubs and refresh your landscaping in general before the rains stop. We'll have a fine selection of native shrubs, perennials and annuals for sale. Do you have a specific landscaping project in mind? Native plant experts can help you select the right plants for your place. Native plants are adapted to our changeable conditions and can require much less maintenance and fewer chemicals. Come early for the best selection!

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Saturday, October 14, 2023, 9:00 am - noon

Field Trip: Janet Butterfield Brooks WEA

Hosted by Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission

Meet at Bailey Hill Road across from gate, park on north side of the road.

Join Chinsegut Conservation Center education specialists for a field trip at this hidden jewel of a preserve. This beautiful upland habitat is not open to the public and is accessible only with FWC staff. The hike will be moderate in duration and difficulty, and our focus will be the mosaic of upland species that call the preserve home, as well as the land management strategies that support them.

The Janet Butterfield Brooks WEA encompasses approximately 319 acres in Hernando County and has some of the area’s last tracts of older growth longleaf pine sandhill forests and hardwood hammocks. The mix of mesic hammock, upland hardwood forest and bottomland forest found here provides important wildlife habitat for species including gopher tortoises and southeastern American kestrels.

Janet Butterfield Brooks enjoys a regular burn regime and we should see the outcomes in fall blooms. The hike is just under 2 miles along sandy and somewhat uneven terrain and should take about 2 hours. Please bring your own water and snacks. There are no restrooms at Janet Butterfield, so please plan accordingly.

Please meet at the south entrance of the WEA (comprised of a vehicle-sized gate) along Bailey Hill Road and be ready to start by 9am. Carpooling is strongly encouraged! There is no address for this entrance, but participants can use the address for the residence directly across from the entrance for navigation: 15478 Bailey Hill Rd, Brooksville, FL 34614. All participants should park along the side of Bailey Hill Road as far off the road as they can manage.

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.