You’re invited to a free “Early” Earth Day Celebration on Saturday morning, April 1st, at Wildflower Preserve!
Our earth day event will include guided nature walks, a hands-on planting demonstration, a native plant give-away, and a rain barrel installation demo. Information booths will be available for visitors to learn more about native plants and gardening.
Lemon Bay Conservancy is hosting this event in partnership with the University of Florida/IFAS Extension, the Charlotte County Master Gardeners and the Mangrove Chapter of the Florida Native Plant Society. Come out and join us for a fun and informative morning!
Early Earth Day Program:
- 8:00 “Birding” Walk: Join Susy d’Hont for an early morning walk to observe some of the many birds that frequent Wildflower Preserve during the winter-spring season.
- 8:30 Florida Friendly Gardening Talk: Master Gardener Eileen Collins will describe her experiences using native and Florida-friendly plants to create a beautiful outdoor habitat.
- 9:00 Hands-on Planting Activity and Plant Give-away: Watch as the master gardeners demonstrate planting technique and then help other participants as we plant native trees and shrubs as part of the Wildflower Preserve native plant restoration project. The first 25 households that register will receive a free native plant to take home.
- 9:30 “Butterflies and Their Food Plants” Exploration: Join Maura Qualls in the Wildflower Preserve butterfly habitat to look for butterflies and learn about their larval and nectar plants.
- 10:00 “Identifying Exotic Invasive Plants” Talk: Al Squires, chapter representative for the Mangrove Chapter of the Florida Native Plant Society, will discuss some of the exotic invasive plant species present in Southwest Florida.
- 10:30 Rain Barrel Installation Demo: Rain barrels are a great way to capture water for plant irrigation. Thomas Becker, UF/IFAS Extension Service agent, will demonstrate installation of a rain barrel at the Wildflower Preserve information kiosk. Rain barrels will be available for purchase at $40 each.
- 11:00 “Habitat Restoration” Walk: Learn about the major habitat restoration project currently underway at Wildflower Preserve on a guided walk with Eva Furner, Lemon Bay Conservancy’s Wildflower Preserve committee chair. We will also stop to see a nearby rain barrel installation.
Location: Wildflower Preserve is located on the Cape Haze peninsula, at the southeast corner of the Gasparilla Pines Boulevard and Placida Road (Hwy 775) intersection. The parking lot address is 3120 Gasparilla Pines Boulevard, Englewood, FL 34224.
For questions or for additional information about Lemon Bay Conservancy, call 941-830-8922.