Quincentennial Viva Florida Grant Bok Tower Gardens, Lake Wales, Polk County Exit Survey

Transcription

1 Quincentennial Viva Florida Grant Bok Tower Gardens, Lake Wales, Polk County Exit Survey Please enter your 7 character Project Code: JOA0725 PROJECT MANAGER CONTACT INFORMATION Name: Joan Thomas Address: 1151 Tower Blvd., Lake Wales, FL jthomas@boktower.org Phone Number: Cell Phone Number: ATTENDANCE Please report the number of Florida residents who visited your garden or facility. June December 2012: 58,366 Jan December 2013: 112,684 Please report the number of Non-Florida residents who visited your garden or facility. June December 2012: 6,566 Jan December 2013: 20,066 Please report the number of Florida residents who visited the native wildflower demonstration area. June December 2012: 58,366 Jan December 2013: 112,684 Please report the number of Non-Florida residents who visited the native wildflower demonstration area. June December 2012: 6,566 Jan December 2013: 20,066 EDUCATIONAL PROGRAMS In the space provided below, please report any educational PROGRAMS offered that incorporate the native wildflower demonstration garden. Please include an estimate of the attendance for each program. BTG held a Grand Opening of The Preserve Trail at the site of the wildflower planting on March 1, Eight-three people attended. Vince Lamb, Florida Wildflower Foundation vice chairman, was present and said a few words to mark the occasion. Following the ribbon-cutting, Greg Kramer, Director of Horticulture, took approximately 20 people on a walking tour of the Preserve and planted area. On June 19, 2013, we hosted a Wandering Wildflowers Discovery Day from 9 am to noon for 11youth ages 5-10 and their parents. The objective was to learn how to identify various native Florida wildflowers and gain an understanding of their importance to the ecosystem in which they live. Special speakers/guests included Jenny Welch and Sandy Webb, active members of the Pine Lily Chapter, Florida Native Plant Society. Students took a nature walk along the new Preserve Trail at Bok Tower Gardens with Welch and Webb. They learned the basic parts of a plant, the difference between native and non-native plants, and the importance of wildflowers to their ecosystems. They photographed wildflowers to be used in their scrapbooks, collected four wildflowers to press onto their wildflower cards which were placed in their scrapbooks, and made wildflower seed balls which were planted when they went home. We were able to connect this to several age-appropriate books on wildflowers: Look Once, Look Again: Among the Flowers by David M. Schwartz; How Flowers Grow by Emma Helbrough; and various plant/wildflower identification guides. The next educational program took place on Tuesday, September 24, 2013 as part of Take a Child Outside Week which had 88 participants. Our Director of Horticulture Greg Kramer conducted a Nature Walk on the Preserve Trail for 10 people in which he talked about the wildflowers and pointed out the interpretive signs that described these plantings in more detail. We then held a day-long public service day on National Public Lands Day on September 29, Sixty volunteers helped maintain the Preserve plantings by weeding and replacing plants that had not survived the summer. JOA0725 Page 1

2 Finally, in the fall of 2013 we incorporated a Native Florida Wildflower Illustration challenge as part of our Fairchild Challenge middle-school education program. This program is currently underway by participating schools (Bok Academy and McLaughlin Middle School and Fine Arts Academy in Lake Wales, and Southwest Middle School in Lakeland) and will be completed in March Students are encouraged to study live plants and illustrations before undertaking their own drawing. Also, on March 14 we will be hosting a spring Wildflower Walk on the Preserve as part of the Pygmy Fringe Tree Wildflower Festival: Celebrating Native Wildflowers of the Lake Wales Ridge which takes place March 13-15, Our partners in this Festival are South Florida State College (SFSC), Archbold Biological Station and Tiger Creek Preserve. Each partner will be conducting wildflower walks. Greg Kramer our Director of Horticulture will be leading our wildflower walk at 10 am on March 14th. This event is free to those who enter via general gardens admission or who are a Member. Elsewhere on our campus we sell Florida Wildflower Honey which is harvested on the land parcels managed by Bok Tower Gardens along the entrance road, which include those which were planted with FL Wildflower Foundation funding. Were any educational or informational SIGNS installed that explain the wildflower demonstration garden and its environmental, historical and/or cultural significance? YES Were any educational or informational BROCHURES or PAMPHLETS created to explain the wildflower demonstration garden and its environmental, historical and/or cultural significance? In lieu of a tri-fold brochure we decided to produce permanent interpretive signs for the Preserve installed November 2012 which included several for the wildflower project. This was done to minimize environmental impact. For other programs associated with this project we produced: a) a Florida Wildflower handout and UF guide available which was made at the Information Desk; b) Florida Wildflower coloring book and word game distributed via discovery backpacks at the Information Desk; and c) Summer Flyer listing Wandering Wildflowers from summer 2013 Discovery Days. Lesson plans and other collateral are included in the photo documentation as part of this final report. We also promoted this project in our Garden Path newsletter and on our Facebook page. Photos from the planting appeared on Flickr from volunteers who worked the site. WILDFLOWER DISPLAY List all species by scientific name that were part of the native wildflower demonstration garden. Note those that were purchased with funds from this grant. * Purchased with FWF funds *Andropgon virginicus var. decipiens Broomsedge bluestem 250 *Andropogon ternarius Splitbeard bluestem 250 Aristida stricta wiregrass 6364 *Balduinia angustifolia Honeycombhead 200 *Carphephorus corymbosus Florida paintbrush 700 *Chamaecrista fasciculata partridge pea 300 *Dyschoriste oblongifolia Twinflower 345 Eragrostis elliottii Elliott s lovegrass 250 Eragrostis spectabilis Purple lovegrass 250 *Garberia heterophylla Garberia 100 Liatris laevigata Liatris 125 Palafoxia integrifolia Coastalplain palafox 455 Penstemon multiflorus Manyflowered beardtongue 630 Pityopsis graminifolia Silkgrass 400 Polygonella polygama Octoberflower 100 Solidago odora var. chapmanii Chapman s goldenrod 300 Sorghastrum secundum Lopsided indiangrass 2307 Trichostema dichotomum Blue curls 100 Total number of native species planted 13,426 JOA0725 Page 2

3 In 2013, the native wildflower demonstration garden planting is best described as: Extremely successful In 2013, the wildflower display is best described as: Moderately showy Optional: Please provide any additional comments about the showiness of the wildflower display. We had good bloom in the fall and spring seasons with this variety of wildflowers. Fall 2013 bloom on this planted site was very satisfactory. We promoted this well to our visitors and documented it in the photos attached to this annual report. We balanced the planting of wildflowers with native grasses which made for a fuller planting area but not necessarily showy. This was in keeping with the native landscape surrounding the planted area. If your planting was not successful, please explain why it failed (e.g. succumbed to weed pressure, accidental mowing, flooding, etc.), what you are doing to help re-establish it, and how you are educating the public about the failed planting. Overall we have had success with this planting despite two minor setbacks. In October of 2012, it was discovered that plugs of Sorghastrum nutans (yellow indiangrass) instead of lopsided indiangrass had been planted in August by the contractor. Although yellow indiangrass is a native to Florida, it is not a native sandhill species in this area and was eliminated using herbicide as found. The contractor replanted the proper species of indiangrass in summer This planting area was provided supplemental water and maintained with herbicide through December In March of 2013 one of our visitors experienced a car fire along the entrance road. He pulled off the road and onto part of the planted preserve under a live oak, which caught fire. The plantings in that area had to be re-planted but were re-established over the summer. We have included two photos in our final report to document this event. MEDIA COVERAGE Was a story published in a newspaper or newsletter that described the wildflower demonstration garden and included information about the environmental, historical and/or cultural significance of Florida s native wildflowers? YES If YES, please provide the following information: newspaper/newsletter name The Ledger date of publication March 26, 2013 reporter s name Greg Parlier hyperlink to article* (PDF included) approximate circulation of newspaper/newsletter 60,000 newspaper/newsletter name The News Chief date of publication Feb 24, 2013 reporter s name hyperlink to article* (PDF included) approximate circulation of newspaper/newsletter 40,000 newspaper/newsletter name The Orlando Sentinel date of publication Feb 21, 2013 reporter s name Jim Abbot hyperlink to article* (PDF included) approximate circulation of newspaper/newsletter Was a story done by a local TV station that described the wildflower demonstration garden and included information about the environmental, historical and/or cultural significance of Florida s native wildflowers? YES JOA0725 Page 3

4 If YES, please provide the following information: TV station, city Bay News 9, Tampa, FL air date/time March 7, 2013 reporter s name Sondra Weathers hyperlink to video, if available html/content/news/articles/bn9/2013/3/6/new_trail_added_to_p.html approximate viewership when story aired Online story, no known viewership stats approximate number of views if story aired online Online story, no known viewership stats Was a story published on a website that described the wildflower demonstration garden and included information about the environmental, historical and/or cultural significance of Florida s native wildflowers? YES If YES, please provide the following information: website address (URL) date posted August 6, 2012 approximate number of views 81 views (PDF included) Was a story posted on a YouTube or other online video site that described the wildflower demonstration garden and included information about the environmental, historical and/or cultural significance of Florida s native wildflowers? NO Optional: If other outreach methods were used, please describe the results. We posted the opening of this Preserve and the planted area on our Facebook page, and ran two Garden Path newsletter stories. Copies of these items are included. IMPACT The impact of your native wildflower demonstration garden is very important to the Foundation. The following questions evaluate how much and what type of information people learned from visiting the native wildflower demonstration planting and/or attending a native wildflower educational program at your garden. As a result of visiting your demonstration garden and/or attending related educational programming... How much information did they learn about landscape uses for native wildflowers and plants? 0-25% of Florida resident visitors Learned a great deal of new information 26-50% of Florida resident visitors Learned something new 51-75% of Florida resident visitors Learned something new % of Florida resident visitors Learned something new 0-25% of non-florida resident visitors Learned a great deal of new information 26-50% of non-florida resident visitors Learned something new 51-75% of non-florida resident visitors Learned something new % of non-florida resident visitors Learned something new How much did they learn about the availability of native wildflowers and plants? 0-25% of Florida resident visitors Learned a great deal of new information 26-50% of Florida resident visitors Learned something new 51-75% of Florida resident visitors Learned something new % of Florida resident visitors Learned something new 0-25% of non-florida resident visitors Learned a great deal of new information 26-50% of non-florida resident visitors Learned something new 51-75% of non-florida resident visitors Learned something new % of non-florida resident visitors Learned something new Environmental significance of native wildflowers and plants? 0-25% of Florida resident visitors Learned a great deal of new information 26-50% of Florida resident visitors Learned something new 51-75% of Florida resident visitors Learned something new % of Florida resident visitors Learned something new JOA0725 Page 4

5 0-25% of non-florida resident visitors Learned a great deal of new information 26-50% of non-florida resident visitors Learned something new 51-75% of non-florida resident visitors Learned something new % of non-florida resident visitors Learned something new Historical significance of native wildflowers and plants? 0-25% of Florida resident visitors Learned a great deal of new information 26-50% of Florida resident visitors Learned something new 51-75% of Florida resident visitors Learned something new % of Florida resident visitors Learned something new 0-25% of non-florida resident visitors Learned a great deal of new information 26-50% of non-florida resident visitors Learned something new 51-75% of non-florida resident visitors Learned something new % of non-florida resident visitors Learned something new Cultural significance of native wildflowers and plants? 0-25% of Florida resident visitors Learned a great deal of new information 26-50% of Florida resident visitors Learned something new 51-75% of Florida resident visitors Learned something new % of Florida resident visitors Learned something new 0-25% of non-florida resident visitors Learned a great deal of new information 26-50% of non-florida resident visitors Learned something new 51-75% of non-florida resident visitors Learned something new % of non-florida resident visitors Learned something new The following questions evaluate how likely visitors are to start planting native wildflowers in their landscape OR include more native wildflowers in their landscape as a result of visiting the native wildflower demonstration planting and/or attending a native wildflower educational program. How many homeowners are you aware of that established a new native wildflower garden, landscape bed, or meadow? more than 10 visitors are planning to establish a new native wildflower garden, landscape bed, or meadow? more than 10 are strongly considering establishing a new native wildflower garden, landscape bed, or meadow? 10+ are considering establishing a new native wildflower garden, landscape bed, or meadow? more than 10 How likely were visitors or attendees BETWEEN JUNE 2012 and DECEMBER 2012 to plant native wildflowers in their garden or landscape? 0-25% of Florida resident visitors Moderately likely 26-50% of Florida resident visitors Moderately likely 51-75% of Florida resident visitors Moderately likely % of Florida resident visitors Moderately likely How likely were visitors or attendees BETWEEN JANUARY 2013 and JUNE 2013 to plant native wildflowers in their garden or landscape? 0-25% of Florida resident visitors Very likely 26-50% of Florida resident visitors Moderately likely 51-75% of Florida resident visitors Moderately likely % of Florida resident visitors Moderately likely How likely were visitors or attendees BETWEEN JULY 2013 and DECEMBER 2013 to plant native wildflowers in their garden or landscape? 0-25% of Florida resident visitors Very likely 26-50% of Florida resident visitors Moderately likely 51-75% of Florida resident visitors Moderately likely % of Florida resident visitors Moderately likely JOA0725 Page 5

6 Quincentennial Viva Florida Grant Bok Tower Gardens, Lake Wales, Polk County Installation Photos Ready to plant! Newly planted wildflowers, August 2012 JOA0725 Page 6

7 Interpretive sign at planting site Dedication signage at trail entrance within planting P R E S E R V E T R A I L recreational TrAIL ProjECT funding SUPPorT CSX Corporation; Florida Communities Trust; Green Horizon Land Trust; Kline Family Foundation; Mosaic Corporation; Polk County Board of County Commissioners; State of Florida, Florida Wildflower Advisory Council and the Florida Wildflower Foundation; and the Vaughn-Jordan Foundation Informational sign at trail entrance Planting site, one week after March 2013 car fire Car fire site, less than one year later JOA0725 Page 7

8 July 2013 July 2013 September 2013 September 2013 September 2013 September 2013 JOA0725 Page 8

9 Quincentennial Viva Florida Grant Bok Tower Gardens, Lake Wales, Polk County Educational Components Wandering Wildflowers Program, June 19, 2013 Wandering Wildflowers Program, June 19, 2013 Interactive board for Wandering Wildflowers Program, June 19, 2013 Interactive board for Wandering Wildflowers Program, June 19, Spend the afternoon exploring some of the natural areas on the Preserve Trail and Pine Ridge Nature Trail as you hunt down all six of the geocaches at Bok Tower Gardens! 3. Bring your cell phone or camera, take your best picture at the Gardens and enter the Kids Photography Contest on the Bok Tower Gardens website. Enter online at boktower.org/contest Kids groups (day care, church groups etc...) are invited to make reservations for our Splash Days each Friday, June 21 through August 16. Kids ages 3-6 will watch a 30-minute film from the Growing Up Wild series follow by a splash party with wading pools, sprinklers and other water toys in our family picnic area. Bring your own bagged lunch and we ll serve the popsicle treats. $5 per person with one free adult for every five children After a morning garden adventure, grab a healthy lunch in the Blue Palmetto Café and use our new Kids Menu with great new combo meals and activities. Learn about baby animals during the Summer Film Series featuring National Geographic s Growing Up Wild in the Visitor Center Theater. Free with admission. Mondays & Wednesdays at 10:30 a.m. Pick up a Summer Family Fun Pass for anytime admission from Memorial Day to Labor Day! BENEFITS Valid for two people and children or grandchildren under 18. Ten percent discount in the Blue Palmetto Café and Gift Shop. Discounts on programs and events. Discounted admission to many Florida museums, gardens, and cultural institutions through our Reciprocal Admission Program. Purchase yours for $45 by phone at Summer FUN for EVERYONE! Here s our top 10 things to do at the Gardens this summer. For program tickets and reservations contact us at or programs@boktower.org. Summer flyer, Get a Garden Adventure Guide at the Information Desk and complete all the activities Bring a blanket, check out a Discovery Backpack from the Information Desk and have family reading time in the Gardens. Pack a healthy lunch and enjoy a picnic in the Gardens anywhere you d like! Discover nature s joy in a whole new way with a new adventure in the Gardens each week this summer during Discovery Days! Classes are from 9 a.m. - noon June 19 - Wandering Wildflowers June 26 - Powerful Pollinators July 10 - Bountiful Birds July 17 - Triumphant Trees July 24 - Whimsical Wildlife July 31 - Harmonious Habitats August 7 - Gateway to Gardening August 14 - Bok s Best: Master Creators $75 for all classes or $10 per class. Wildflower word garme JOA0725 Page 9

10 Challenge 4 NATIVE FLORIDA WILDFLOWER ILLUSTRATION For individuals; maximum points: 150 (50/entry; 3 entries per school) Concept: Native wildflowers are a vital part of Florida s varying ecosystems. The Florida Wildflower Foundation defines Florida native wildflower as any flowering herbaceous species, or woody species with ornamental flowers, which grew wild within the state s natural ecosystems in the 1560s when Florida s first botanical records were created. Wildflowers are considered ephemeral plants. They have short life cycles and develop distinct growth strategies in order to survive. For example, spring ephemerals are perennial plants that grow, bloom, make and store food, then wither all before the leaves on the deciduous trees are fully open and shading the forest floor. This often also coincides with spring rains. Together this can be thought of as ephemeral plants adapting to take advantage of these windows of opportunity. Bok Tower Gardens would like to emphasize the importance of native wildflowers by having the students research them, examine them closely, and learn the features that help them survive intense sunlight, high winds, periodic drought and occasional frost. Students can go to Florida.plantatlas.usf.edu to find lists and pictures of native Florida wildflowers. Objective: 1. Capture the details of a native Florida wildflower species by creating an original drawing. 2. Detail is critical for accurate portrayal in botanical illustration. 3. Examine pictures- - and real plants, if possible to capture all the intricate details such as leaf shape, number and color of petals, and the pistils and stamens inside the flower. Requirements: Illustration must be of one species of native Florida wildflower Maximum illustration size: 16 x 20. Do not frame. Can choose from 1 or more of the following media: watercolor, oil pastels, acrylic paint, oil paint, colored pencils, charcoal, pens, and markers. All artwork must have the student s name, grade, and school printed on the back of the illustration. The scientific and common name for the native Florida wildflower must also be printed on the back of the illustration. Each entry should be brought to the entrance gate at Bok Tower Gardens. Additional Information: For extra support and instruction on this challenge, attend our Art Inspiration Workshop being held at Bok Tower Gardens on Saturday, February 15, Due Date: 5 p.m., Friday, March 14, 2014 at Bok Tower Gardens See Appendix for State Academic Standards Bok Tower Gardens presents The Fairchild Challenge JOA0725 Page 10

11 Quincentennial Viva Florida Grant Bok Tower Gardens, Lake Wales, Polk County Publicity The Ledger Wednesday, March 26, 2013 The News Chief February 24, 2013 JOA0725 Page 11

12 CONTACT: Brian Ososky, Director of Marketing and Public Relations ; FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE February 20, 2013 New Preserve Trail Opens at Bok Tower Gardens; Community Ribbon-Cutting Ceremony Mar. 1 LAKE WALES, Fla. Bok Tower Gardens is hosting a community ribbon-cutting ceremony together with the Lake Wales Chamber of Commerce to celebrate the opening of its new 1.5-mile Preserve Trail on Friday, March 1 at 9 a.m. The event takes place just inside the Gardens main gate at one of two new picnic shelters constructed as part of the project. Admission to the Gardens is free until 10 a.m. for anyone wishing to attend. David Price, president of Bok Tower Gardens, will host the morning s presentation. Special guests confirmed for the event include: Vince Lamb from the Florida Wildflower Foundation; Rachelle Selser with Green Horizon Land Trust; Callie Neslund and Karla Guzman-Mins with Mosaic Corporation; and Jeff Spence and Rosalind Smith with Polk County Parks & Natural Resources, all of whom helped fund the project. Additional financial support was provided by CSX Corporation, Vaughn-Jordan Foundation, and the State of Florida, Florida Wildflower Advisory Council. The open agriculture and pine lands around Bok Tower Gardens are important to preserving the historic design and beauty of the garden laid out by Fredrick Law Olmsted, Jr., said David Price, president of Bok Tower Gardens. We are happy to have so many partners in the preservation of this land. In 2005, the Florida Community Trust (FCT) awarded a $2.5 million grant to Bok Tower Gardens partner, the Green Horizon Land Trust (GHLT), to preserve 260 acres of open lands surrounding the Gardens as vistas critically important to the historic design of the Gardens. Through the partnership with GHLT, Bok Tower Gardens is responsible for managing these open lands, now known as the Bok Tower Gardens Preserve. Approximately 156 of these acres are being restored to Longleaf Pine forest, others will remain in citrus production, and the rest are in their native natural state and are being enhanced. These lands can be seen along the scenic entrance drive to the Gardens. The Green Horizon Land Trust has been invaluable in helping us preserve this land along with over 5,000 acres throughout Polk, Highlands, and Osceola counties, Price said. As part of the land management agreement, Bok Tower Gardens committed to developing the following public-use amenities to increase access to and education about the Bok Tower Gardens Preserve: A 1.5-mile hiking trail from the Gardens entrance gate that connects to the existing Pine Ridge Trail; Interpretive signage placed along the new trail; Two picnic shelters, one along the Gardens entrance road and one on the west side of the Preserve next to the Lake Wales High School, which can be used as an outdoor classroom; Restoration plantings of native grasses and wildflowers of the Longleaf Pine habitat along the trail at interpretive locations. -more- New Preserve Trail Opens at Bok Tower Gardens Page 2 of 3 Education about the natural landscape of Bok Tower Gardens is a core component of the Gardens mission. The new Preserve Trail engages and inspires learners of all ages about one of Florida s most endangered ecosystems and the ongoing efforts to restore and protect it. At the adjacent Lake Wales High School, a second public-use picnic shelter has been constructed on Preserve lands for visitors to enjoy long-range, sweeping views of Bok Tower with citrus groves in the foreground. Additionally, LWHS faculty and students can use the shelter as an outdoor classroom for a one-of-a-kind learning environment. This project is also designed to help restore native Florida habitat of Longleaf Pine forest and rare plants on the Bok Tower Preserve. It opens up these protected lands to visitors in an environmentally-responsible way that promotes physical exploration, family sharing and creative learning. As part of a Florida Wildflower Foundation/Viva 500 project in August 2012, a team of 71 volunteers spent six days and 370 hours planting more than 13,000 wildflowers and native grasses on a one-acre area surrounding the Preserve s new picnic shelter and parking area, where the March 1 event is taking place. Some of the species include liatris (Liatris laevigata), wiregrass (Aristida stricta), and Chapman s goldenrod (Solidago odora var. chapmanii). Temporary irrigation was installed and more than 460 bales of pine straw were spread as mulch. Those who helped included individuals, families, Boy Scout troops, and the Ridge Rangers a group of volunteers who focus on helping restore and support the Lake Wales Ridge ecosystem. Without the support of these dedicated volunteers, it would have been difficult to complete such a large task, said Katrina Noland, land steward at Bok Tower Gardens. Not only were these volunteers able to make a lasting impact on the environment, they also received a firsthand education and experienced the nature of this threatened ecosystem. Along the new Preserve Trail, visitors take a journey through the Preserve from the Gardens main entrance gate to the visitor center. It has been paved with pebble rock from phosphate mines, rich in fossils from Central Florida s Bone Valley, which lends an additional regional interest. Ten interpretive signs along the trail tell about the flora, fauna and wildlife of this habitat, the ecological role of fire, and the natural history of the Lake Wales Ridge. Immediately following the dedication and ribbon-cutting ceremony, Bok Tower Gardens Director of Horticulture Greg Kramer will host a narrated, 45-minute trail walk for those who want to be among the first to explore and learn more about the Preserve habitat. ### About Bok Tower Gardens: Voted Florida s best garden, Bok Tower Gardens is a National Historic Landmark located 10 miles from LEGOLAND Florida, 55 miles southwest of Orlando and 60 miles east of Tampa near Lake Wales in Central Florida s rolling hills of citrus. Open every day of the year from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. The Visitor Center, Café and Gift Shop are open 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Admission is $12 for adults and $3 for ages Members and children under 5 are admitted free. LEGOLAND ticket holders will receive free admission for children under 12. For more information, contact Bok Tower Gardens, 1151 Tower Boulevard, Lake Wales FL 33853; or visit JOA0725 Page 12

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14 8/15/12 Sandhill Restoration Planting a set on Flickr You aren't signed in Sign In Help Home The Tour Sign Up Explore Upload Search boktower > Collections > Other Events & Activities Sandhill Restoration Planting 2012 Thumbnails Detail Comments Slideshow Share Bok Tower Gardens partnered with Green Horizon Land Trust to restore a total of 156 acres of fallow citrus lands back to the longleaf pine/turkey oak (aka sandhill) habitat that it was historically. The properties were acquired in 2007 with funds from the Florida Communities Trust and the restoration began immediately with exotic species removal and the planting of longleaf pines and wiregrass. Additional grant funding was received from the Florida Wildflower Foundation to plant a more diverse variety of native ground cover vegetation on a portion of a 34 acre parcel. 4,500 potted plants and put down pine straw mulch in early August photos 81 view s items are from 06 Aug Home The Tour Sign Up Explore Upload boktower > Collections > Other Events & Activities Sandhill Restoration Planting 2012 Thumbnails Detail Comments Ready to Plant! Volunteers at Work You aren't signed in Sign In Help Digging Holes, Prepping the Ground Slideshow Search Share 1/2 Ready to Plant! Ready to Plant! Newly Planted Newly Planted Young Plants Newly Planted Ready for Planting Newly Planted JOA0725 Page 14

15 Bok Tower Gardens to dedicate new Preserve Trail on March 1 Attractions posted by jimabbott on February, :00 PM Discuss This: Comments(0) Add to del.icio.us Digg it postcardsfromflorida/2013/02/21/bok- tower- gardens- to- dedicate- new- preserve- trail- on- march- 1/ On March 1, Bok Tower Gardens is hosting a ribbon- cutting ceremony with the Lake Wales Chamber of Commerce to celebrate the opening of its new 1.5- mile Preserve Trail. The ceremony will take place just inside the Gardens main gate. Gardens admission is free until 10 a.m. for anyone wishing to attend. After the dedication ceremony, Bok Tower Gardens Director of Horticulture Greg Kramer will host a narrated, 45- minute trail walk for those who want to explore and learn more about the Preserve habitat. In 2005, the Florida Community Trust awarded a $2.5 million grant to Bok Tower Gardens partner, the Green Horizon Land Trust, to preserve 260 acres of open lands surrounding the Gardens as vistas critically important to the historic design of the Gardens. Through the partnership with Green Horizon Land Trust, Bok Tower Gardens is responsible for managing these open lands, now known as the Bok Tower Gardens Preserve. Approximately 156 of these acres are being restored to Longleaf Pine forest, others will remain in citrus production, and the rest are in their native natural state and are being enhanced. These lands can be seen along the scenic entrance drive to the Gardens. As part of a Florida Wildflower Foundation/Viva Florida 500 project in August 2012, a team of 71 volunteers spent six days and 370 hours planting more than 13,000 wildflowers and native grasses on a one- acre area surrounding the Preserve s new picnic shelter and parking area. JOA0725 Page 15

16 Quincentennial Viva Florida Grant Bok Tower Gardens, Lake Wales, Polk County Final Report Florida Wildflower Foundation Final Report Bok Tower Gardens Florida Wildflower Foundation Final Report Bok Tower Gardens Final design plan, construction methods and maintenance schedule: Preparation for wildflowers and grasses along the new Preserve Trail began in spring During first week of August 2012 an area approximately one acre in size surrounding the parking area and shelter was interplanted with more than 13,000 native sandhill species. A map of this is included in the photos section of this final report. To prep the site, it was first weed-eated and pin flags were placed marking all existing pines and wiregrass. Spot spraying with backpack sprayer was done several times with glyphosate at 2%, taking care not to spray the already present pines and wiregrass. BTG staff installed temporary irrigation which covered the majority of the planting area. A contractor was hired to install Sorghastrum secundum (lopsided indiangrass) and wiregrass plugs. A total of 71 people (volunteers and BTG staff) spent 370 hours over the course of a six day period planting containerized material and spreading 460 bales of pine straw. In October of 2012, it was discovered that plugs of Sorghastrum nutans (yellow indiangrass) instead of lopsided indiangrass had been planted in August by the contractor. Although yellow indiangrass is a native to Florida, it is not a native sandhill species in this area and is being eliminated using herbicide as found. The contractor is scheduled to plant the proper species of indiangrass in summer This planting area will be provided supplemental water and maintained with herbicide until at least December In March of 2013 one of our visitors experienced a car fire along the entrance road. He pulled off the road and onto part of the planted preserve under a live oak, which caught fire. The plantings in that area had to be re-planted but were re-established over the summer. We have included two photos in our final report to document this event. In July 2013 we organized a volunteer weeding day on the planted Preserve and another on September 29 for National Public Lands Day. Fall bloom on this planted site was very satisfactory. We promoted this well to our visitors and documented it in the photos attached to this annual report. Final Plant List: Scientific name Common name # Andropgon virginicus var. decipiens Broomsedge bluestem 250 Andropogon ternarius Splitbeard bluestem 250 Aristida stricta wiregrass 6364 Balduinia angustifolia Honeycombhead 200 Carphephorus corymbosus Florida paintbrush 700 Chamaecrista fasciculata partridge pea 300 Dyschoriste oblongifolia Twinflower 345 Eragrostis elliottii Elliott s lovegrass 250 Eragrostis spectabilis Purple lovegrass 250 Garberia heterophylla Garberia 100 Liatris laevigata Liatris 125 Palafoxia integrifolia Coastalplain palafox 455 Page 2 of 4 Penstemon multiflorus Manyflowered beardtongue 630 Pityopsis graminifolia Silkgrass 400 Polygonella polygama Octoberflower 100 Solidago odora var. chapmanii Chapman s goldenrod 300 Sorghastrum secundum Lopsided indiangrass 2307 Trichostema dichotomum Blue curls 100 Total number of native species planted 13,426 Educational Programming: BTG held a Grand Opening of The Preserve Trail at the site of the wildflower planting on March 1, Eight-three people attended. Vince Lamb, Florida Wildflower Foundation vice chairman, was present and said a few words to mark the occasion. Following the ribboncutting, Greg Kramer, Director of Horticulture, took approximately 20 people on a walking tour of the Preserve and planted area. On June 19, 2013, we hosted a Wandering Wildflowers Discovery Day from 9 am to noon for 11youth ages 5-10 and their parents. The objective was to learn how to identify various native Florida wildflowers and gain an understanding of their importance to the ecosystem in which they live. Special speakers/guests included Jenny Welch and Sandy Webb, active members of the Pine Lily Chapter, Florida Native Plant Society. Students took a nature walk along the new Preserve Trail at Bok Tower Gardens with Welch and Webb. They learned the basic parts of a plant, the difference between native and non-native plants, and the importance of wildflowers to their ecosystems. They photographed wildflowers to be used in their scrapbooks, collected four wildflowers to press onto their wildflower cards which were placed in their scrapbooks, and made wildflower seed balls which were planted when they went home. We were able to connect this to several age-appropriate books on wildflowers: Look Once, Look Again: Among the Flowers by David M. Schwartz; How Flowers Grow by Emma Helbrough; and various plant/wildflower identification guides. The next educational program took place on Tuesday, September 24, 2013 as part of Take a Child Outside Week which had 88 participants. Our Director of Horticulture Greg Kramer conducted a Nature Walk on the Preserve Trail for 10 people in which he talked about the wildflowers and pointed out the interpretive signs that described these plantings in more detail. We then held a day-long public service day on National Public Lands Day on September 29, Sixty volunteers helped maintain the Preserve plantings by weeding and replacing plants that had not survived the summer. Finally, in the fall of 2013 we incorporated a Native Florida Wildflower Illustration challenge as part of our Fairchild Challenge middle-school education program. This program is currently underway by participating schools (Bok Academy and McLaughlin Middle School and Fine Arts Academy in Lake Wales, and Southwest Middle School in Lakeland) and will be completed in March Students are encouraged to study live plants and illustrations before undertaking their own drawing. Page 3 of 4 Florida Wildflower Foundation Final Report Bok Tower Gardens Also, on March 14 we will be hosting a spring Wildflower Walk on the Preserve as part of the Pygmy Fringe Tree Wildflower Festival: Celebrating Native Wildflowers of the Lake Wales Ridge which takes place March 13-15, Our partners in this Festival are South Florida State College (SFSC), Archbold Biological Station and Tiger Creek Preserve. Each partner will be conducting wildflower walks. Greg Kramer our Director of Horticulture will be leading our wildflower walk at 10 am on March 14 th. This event is free to those who enter via general gardens admission or who are a Member. Elsewhere on our campus we sell Florida Wildflower Honey which is harvested on the land parcels managed by Bok Tower Gardens along the entrance road, which include those which were planted with FL Wildflower Foundation funding. Educational Collateral Produced: In lieu of a tri-fold brochure we decided to produce permanent interpretive signs for the Preserve installed November 2012 which included several for the wildflower project. This was done to minimize environmental impact. For other programs associated with this project we produced: a) a Florida Wildflower handout and UF guide available which was made at the Information Desk; b) Florida Wildflower coloring book and word game distributed via discovery backpacks at the Information Desk; and c) Summer Flyer listing Wandering Wildflowers from summer 2013 Discovery Days. Lesson plans and other collateral are included in the photo documentation as part of this final report. We also promoted this project in our Garden Path newsletter and on our Facebook page. Photos from the planting appeared on Flickr from volunteers who worked the site. Page 4 of 4 JOA0725 Page 16