The Nature Coast Chapter of the Florida Native Plant Society meets the second Tuesday of every month at 7:00 PM at The Land O’ Lakes Community Center, 5401 Land O’ Lakes Blvd/US 41, Land O’ Lakes, 34639, between SR 52 and SR 54. The subject of the Tuesday, June 11, 2019, meeting is “Native Wildlife Need Native Plants”, presented by Joel Jackson.  This program will document and give reasons for the decline of Florida wildlife.  It will explain why native plants are better than non-native to support wildlife and give recommendations on some of the best landscape plants to accomplish that.

The Nature Coast Chapter of the Florida Native Plant Society meets the second Tuesday of every month

Joel is a Tampa native who became the first Peace Corps Volunteer from the Tampa Bay Area in 1962.  He received a BA and MBS in Urban Management from the University of South Florida and worked with the City of Tampa’s Parks Department as a planner and manager in several areas for many years.  During that time he was instrumental in the design and building of Lettuce Lake County Park as well as four other large nature parks.  He also wrote the guidelines for Hillsborough County’s “Environmental Lands Acquisition & Protection Program” (ELAPP) and has been on its advisory committee for 31 years.  Joel is an active member of the Tampa Audubon Society and the Florida Native Plant Society.  In 2016 he received the FNPS “Palmetto” award for public service.

Meetings of the Chapter are free, and all interested parties are invited to attend, to bring questions about their yard, and participate in light refreshments and the native plant drawing. Telephone inquiries are taken by Sandy at (727) 207-1853.

Chapter website: http://www.pasconativeplants.org.