Frond Forum Florida Native Plant Society Cuplet Fern Chapter :: Seminole County

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Florida Native Plant Society Cuplet Fern Chapter :: Seminole County 2017 18 Board President: Beth Jackson Vice President: Barbara Whittier Secretary: Christine

To engage the inquisitive minds and enthusiasm for wildlife of children at this young age, we present the material in different forms.

We show large detailed photos of each butterfly stage of development: eggs of different sizes and shapes; caterpillars of different colors and patterns; chrysalises

beginning stage. We bring a plant or two to emphasize the important relationship of native plants to the species survival.

1 Florida Native Plant Society Cuplet Fern Chapter :: Seminole County Board President: Beth Jackson Vice President: Barbara Whittier Secretary: Christine Brown Treasurer: Susan Blount-Angermeier Chapter Representative: Neta Villalobos-Bell Membership: Christine Brown Director-at-Large: Jim Hoopper Director-at-Large: Marion Crim Committees Web Maintenance: Ken Bell Facebook: Sarah Krejci Newsletter: Kathleen Poole Meetup: Deborah Green Plant Propagation Coordinator: Jane Miller Chapter Educational Outreach For the last few years, Cuplet Fern Chapter has presented a butterfly program for gifted first and second grade students. To engage the inquisitive minds and enthusiasm for wildlife of children at this young age, we present the material in different forms. We pass out small plastic butterfly models for each child to handle and observe in detail the physical features of a butterfly. We show large detailed photos of each butterfly stage of development: eggs of different sizes and shapes; caterpillars of different colors and patterns; chrysalises of different camouflage strategies, a description of the transformation within the chrysalis; and then, the adult butterfly, a totally different creature from the beginning stage. We bring a plant or two to emphasize the important relationship of native plants to the species survival. Finally, we show a live caterpillar or chrysalis in a jar left for the teacher s desk so the children can experience Continued on next page Cuplet Fern Chapter Florida Native Plant Society PO Box Altamonte Springs, FL Meeting Location: 200 Fairmont Drive Sanford, FL 32773

Chapter Educational Outreach continued the miracle of metamorphosis. The children s reactions are eager, jump out their seat, with raised hands in excitement.

2 Chapter Educational Outreach continued the miracle of metamorphosis. The children s reactions are eager, jump out their seat, with raised hands in excitement. We love sharing what we know with them in hopes of inspiring a life-long love of nature and perhaps inspire a budding entomologist or botanist. Dear Ms. Neta and Mr. Jim Thank you because I learned that butter flies lay eggs from the holes in the abomen I liked the butter flies that you let us see Sinserely John Dear Ms. Neta and Mr. Jim, Thank you for visiting our class. I liked how you teched us about how butterflies and how you teched us about caterpillar that had the two red antennaes that puff out an unclean smell. Sincerely Erick U - 2 -

3 Berries Are for the Birds Add color to your yard and help birds and other animals with berries. Many birds rely on berries for a food source. Berries are especially important during the winter months and early spring. Below are some plants found in Central Florida with berries for the birds. The flowers of these plants produce nectar for bees and butterflies. Sand Blackberry (Rubus cuneifolius) is an erect shrub that grows to about three feet tall in dry sites. Leaflets have white or gray hairs on their undersides. Flowers appear in late winter and early spring. Blooms are white and born in clusters. There are other species and varieties of blackberry that will do well in Central Florida. Wild Coffee (Psychotria nervosa) has glossy evergreen leaves and can grow to five feet in dry to moist soil. It grows in partial shade to full sun and has small white flowers and red fruit which occur throughout the year. Yaupon Holly (Ilex vomitora) is a large shrub. Females produce red berries in late fall. The berries give a Christmas effect in December. Walter's Viburnum (Viburnum obovatum) is a densely branched and leaved shrub that can vary from four to twenty feet, although it may loose some foliage in winter. In the spring it produces white flowers. The flowers produce green berries that turn black when ripe and are eaten by birds and small wildlife. Information obtained from A Gardener's Guide to Florida Native Plants (Osorio) and Florida Wildflowers (Taylor). Submitted by Richard Poole and Christine Brown Cuplet Fern Chapter members Elderberry (Sambucus simpsonii) is a large suckering shrub. Flowers appearing in mid spring to late summer produce clusters of small berries. Fire Bush (Hamelia patens) is an evergreen about 7x7 feet that grows best in full sun. Tubular yellow to red flowers become blackberries in late summer. Red Mulberry (Morus rubra) is a medium sized deciduous tree. Small flowers appear as leaves emerge in spring on female trees. Red fruit will become blackberries. Drought in spring reduces number of berries. Winged Sumac (Rhus capallina) is a fast growing rhizomatous shrub that can get up to ten feet tall. It grows best in dry soil in partial shade to full sun. Flowering occurs in summer with berries following in autumn and winter on female trees. Berries are eaten by a variety of animals. Wax Myrtle (Myrica cerifera) is a small tree that will grow in shade but will do better in full sun. It prefers moist conditions and will produce suckers. Flowers appear on female plants in the spring through the fall. Fruit is a staple for winter resident birds. Plant It and They Will Come Marion Crim, Chapter Board Member, was delighted to find a Giant Swallowtail caterpillar on her wild lime tree (Zanthoxylum fagara). She wrote These clever butterflies disguise their caterpillars to look like bird poop to protect them from predators. Their host plants: Citrus, wild lime, toothache tree. Native plants are great! Marion got her wild lime from one of our chapter meetings. Various native plants are available at each monthly meeting for a donation which funds Youth Eco-Camp Scholarships

UCF Bug Closet On October 14, members of the Cuplet Fern Chapter had the opportunity to experience the world

Sandor Kelly, Collection Manager, provided an informative tour of the variety of insects and methods of

Every two years, Entomology with field lab is taught giving students an opportunity to learn about the role

The Bug Closet is one of the best kept secrets on the UCF campus.

Members entered the entomology collection through a narrow but well stocked research library called the Bug

4 UCF Bug Closet On October 14, members of the Cuplet Fern Chapter had the opportunity to experience the world of insects. Sandor Kelly, Collection Manager, provided an informative tour of the variety of insects and methods of preparation for future students and researchers. specimens on loan for research purposes. Every two years, Entomology with field lab is taught giving students an opportunity to learn about the role insects have in our changing habitats of Central Florida. The Bug Closet is one of the best kept secrets on the UCF campus. The collection is housed on the first floor of the Biology building. Members entered the entomology collection through a narrow but well stocked research library called the Bug Closet. This small, narrow room was the original research facility that was a life long dream of Stuart Fullerton. His collection in 1993 was donated to UCF Biology Department and was used extensively in Entomology labs. The primary mission of the collection is to provide a strong database on insects found in Central Florida. Scientists from around the world may acquire -4-

Known as the Emerald Coast, Walton County Florida has 15 coastal dune lakes, functioning as nature intended, interlaced along the coast just feet from the Gulf of Mexico, yet they remain fresh water

5 Coastal Dunes Tour, March 9 12, 2018 There are only a few places on our planet Earth with Coastal Dune Lakes and Florida is one. If you have yet to discover them, join us March 9 12, 2018 when we journey to the panhandle to see them for ourselves. Known as the Emerald Coast, Walton County Florida has 15 coastal dune lakes, functioning as nature intended, interlaced along the coast just feet from the Gulf of Mexico, yet they remain fresh water for most of the time. During periods of high rain, storms or hurricanes, they become brackish, sometimes breaching their outfalls and pouring into the Gulf with their tannic waters staining the turquoise ocean. But the lakes eventually flush out the salt and return to freshwater. Inspired by the documentary, Coastal Dune Lakes Jewels of Florida s Emerald Coast, by Elam Stoltzfus, this tour traverses iconic Hwy 30A, crossing Fuller, Morris, Campbell, Stallworth, Allen, Oyster, Draper, Big Redfish, Little Redfish, Alligator, Western, Eastern, Deer, Camp Creek, and Powell Lake, so you will see for yourself why these ecosystems are so precious. We travel by luxury motor coach with a professional driver departing from Plant City at 7AM on Friday March 9 th and stop first in Apalachicola to visit the home, gardens, and cemetery of eminent Botanist, Dr Alvan Wentworth Chapman who spent most of his adult life exploring the flora of this area and died in this historic coastal community. Some of the plants named after him include Chapman's Rhododendron, custard apple, wild Florida azalea, large-flowered skullcap, spreading yellow foxglove, Georgia holly, and many others. Two of his neighbors, John Gorrie, the early inventor of mechanical refrigeration and Thomas Orman, local cotton merchant, were friends, as was Asa Gray, another noted Botanist of this era. Our accommodations for this 4 day/3 night tour are in cabins and bungalows at Topsail Hill Preserve State Park. Friday night is our pizza get-together in the Clubhouse. Saturday morning we join the rangers for breakfast and explore Topsail Hill s dunes trail and recently burned sections along with two park naturalists, then head to Grayton Beach State Park for a tour of their natural areas. Both parks support populations of the endangered Choctawhatchee beach mouse. We will learn how they are monitored and what the outlook is for their future. Sunday we head to Blackwater River State Forest for a canoe/kayak trip or hike along the river so we can understand where all the coastal white sand comes from and search for the wild Azalea in bloom. In the afternoon, we tour Seaside Village, the first New Urbanism walkable community built in Walton County with all native front yards, varied architecture, and no-mow lawns. We finish the evening with dinner and shopping in Seaside Village at their numerous restaurants and trendy food trucks. Monday morning is open to explore the trails of Topsail Hill, then board our coach to head back to central Florida, arriving in time for dinner. Make 2018 a year of discovery, starting with our tour of the Coastal Dunes of Florida, March For more information, call Devon at , indigotravelcompany@gmail.com or visit our website at

Upcoming Meetings All meetings are held at 200 Fairmont, Sanford and are free and open to the public. Florida Native Plants are available at all meetings for a donation.

6 Upcoming Meetings All meetings are held at 200 Fairmont, Sanford and are free and open to the public. Florida Native Plants are available at all meetings for a donation. How to Identify an Invasive Plant January 8, 2018, 7PM Do you know what s lurking in your yard? Those invasive plants whose seeds are ready to sprout and have stems spreading underground just waiting to wreck havoc in your yard and in our natural lands. Sherry Williams will help us learn to identify these invaders and how to control them. Hummingbirds and the Native Plants They Love February 12, 2018, 7PM Lavon Silvernell shares what you will need to do to make your yard hummingbird friendly. Native plants and other habitat needs that attract hummingbirds are also beneficial for other birds and insects. Isolated Wetlands, Fluctuating Water Levels, and Breeding Frogs April 9, 2018, 7PM Jay Exum will be speaking. Exploring Florida Native Plants at Central Florida Zoo & Botanical Gardens May 14, 2018, 7PM Erin Miceli, Horticulture Manger at Central Florida Zoo & Botanic Garden, will share the work, installation and maintenance, and progress made to integrate Florida Native Plants into the main areas and exhibits. Christmas/Savage Creek Restoration March 12, 2018, 7PM Beth Jackson will be speaking. Upcoming Field Trips and Activities Remove Invasive Plants Event January Date and location to be determined Join in this community activity to make a difference in our natural lands. Free. TBD February 17, TBD March 17, Christmas/Savage Creek April 14, 2018 Trip Leader: Beth Jackson Central Florida Zoo May 19, 2018, 9AM Trip Leader: Erin Miceli 3755 NW Hwy 17-92, Sanford This guided walking tour will focus on Florida native plants in the stops at destination gardens and themed plantings. The destination gardens include the Butterfly Garden, the Health & Wellness Garden, The Channel 13 children s garden, The Wildflower Garden, The Browse Garden, and The Spiny Garden. Free, but reservations required

Frond Forum Florida Native Plant Society Cuplet Fern Chapter :: Seminole County

Frond Forum Florida Native Plant Society Cuplet Fern Chapter :: Seminole County Florida Native Plant Society Cuplet Fern Chapter :: Seminole County 2017 18 Board President: Beth Jackson Vice President: Barbara Whittier Secretary: Christine Brown Treasurer: Susan Blount-Angermeier