Category: Environment

Pollinator Class in Fountain

Debbie Roney Smith on
Photo was taken at Sandhills Native Nursery

June 20-26th is National Pollinator Week! The week is dedicated to bringing awareness and support to all types of pollinators from bees to wasps and more. Sandhills Native Nursery is hosting a special two-day Pollinator Class this weekend to celebrate.

Visit the nursery amongst the beautiful sandhills of Fountain this Friday or Saturday to learn more about pollinators, see the array of glorious summer native flowers blooming in the heat, and receive a special 20% off your total purchase order (valid day of class only). The nursery encourages you to come prepared for the heat: bring sunscreen, a hat, neck fans, fluids, or anything else you may need to help keep you cool! There will be cold water and Gatorade on hand to refill empty bottles and a few standing fans. The class will be held in the shady areas available at the nursery to help prevent anyone from overheating. 

Visit the official Sandhills Native Nursery Facebook page to stay up-to-date with events, hours, and more!

Green Anole Lizards

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Green anoles (Anolis carolinensis) are the only native anole species in Florida. They are growing rarer as they are forced to compete with similar species that were introduced to the state. These include non-native brown anoles, bark anoles, crested anoles, green iguanas, spiny-tailed iguanas, basilisks, and more. Brown anoles are particularly prolific and hardy, giving them a better chance at surviving and therefore allowing them to take excess resources.

Anolis porcatus is another fierce competitor; this non-native green lizard is a lookalike to the green anoles. Some experts argue that DNA analysis is the only way to factually tell the two species apart. This makes identifying them in the wild nigh impossible. 

Four Farm Flower Tour

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This Saturday from 9 am to 3 pm, four flower farms in the general vicinity of Bay, Washington, and Holmes Counties will be hosting a one-day special tour. The four farms include Black Barns Blossoms, Fussell’s Daylily Farm, No Place Like Holmes Farm, and Southern Grace Lavender Farm. They all provide fresh, locally grown plants and/or flowers, and some of them will have other wares available during the Four Farm Flower Tour. The tour is free to attend and is entirely customizable to your interests and time. You will be given a map of all participating locations at your first stop of the day; you may begin at any of the four farms and spend as much time as you wish at each location.

Black Barn Blossoms: Food Trucks, Seating Areas, Restroom, Guided Garden Tours, Fresh Bouquets, Cut Flower Bar, You-Pick Flower Garden, Gift Shop

Fussell’s Daylily Farm: Daylily Plants, Refreshments, Restroom, Seating Areas Throughout Garden

No Place Like Holmes Farm: Kids Activities and Play Area, Cattle Train, Mining Sluice, You Pick Flower Field, Gift Shop, Picnic Area, Restroom

Southern Grace Lavender Farm: Lavender Plants, All Natural Lavender Products, Gift Shop, Seating & Picnic Areas, Restroom, Hand Wash Station, Dog Park

Learn more by visiting the event website HERE or the Facebook event page HERE. 

CalCo Crape Myrtle Project

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The CalCo Crape Myrtle Project is working to enhance the beauty of Calhoun County by highlighting the premier flowering plant of the South throughout the communities. The idea began with the 2019 founding of the Calhoun County Community Foundation. Their first act was to plan and execute the planting of flowering crape myrtles on Mainstreet in Altha which is where the project got its name. The project’s completion is possible thanks to the application of a community grant and aims to be completed by the end of 2022. The CalCo Crape Myrtle Project is the perfect green space beautification initiative for all of our communities. The project hopes to expand into Kinard, Clarksville, and Blountstown in the following years. Visit the CalCo Crape Myrtle website here to learn more and stay up-to-date on the project’s progress. 

Plant Pickup at Panama City Farmers Market

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The newly opened Sandhills Native Nursery will be at Panama City Farmers Market this Saturday, May 14th. The nursery will be distributing ONLY pre-ordered plant orders at the market. If you are interested in ordering plants for pickup, the window closes at 4:30pm on Friday, May 13th. Place your order at the Sandhills Native Nursery website here. 

Gopher Tortoise Friendly Yards

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Tomorrow, May 4th, Dr. Katherine Richardson will be hosting an online class on Gopher Tortoise Friendly Yards. From 9am – 11am CDT, partake in the class by visiting this link. Dr. Richardson is the Gopher Tortoise Program Coordinator with Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission. Gopher tortoises are a threatened species in Florida, making the 350 species that depend on their burrows for shelter also in danger. In fact, the presence of Gopher Tortoises can help save wildlife from wildfires! This webinar will teach participants what they can do to help support this fantastic native species.

 

UF|IFAS Leon County Extention Plant Sale

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Coming to the Tallahassee UF/IFAS Leon County Extension this Saturday – the 2022 Open House and Plant Sale! From 8am – 11pm CDT, there will be UF/IFAS Extension agents, program partners, local groups, and more ready and willing to help you learn about gardening, natural resources, 4-H youth development, and family and consumer sciences. Participating groups include the Capital City Garden Club, Tallahassee Garden Club, Rose Society, Bonsai Society, UF/IFAS Bookstore, Apalachee Beekeepers Association, and more!

Additionally, there will be Master Gardener Volunteers available to help you find the right plants. There will be over 3,000 plants – this includes fruits, vegetables, ornamental landscape, and more. Cash, credit, and checks will be accepted. This event also serves as a fundraiser; there will be a silent auction and bouquet sale. These events benefit programs such as 4-H scholarships, school and community gardens around the county, the UF/IFAS Demonstration Garden, and other educational efforts throughout the year.

Baker County: Agriculture Management Practices

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The UF/IFAS Extension and the Florida Department of Agriculture are hosting a free event focusing on Agriculture Management Practices. The event will occur on Wednesday, May 4th from 8am – 9:30am CDT. Presentations will focus on soil and tissue sampling, interpreting your results & application of findings, as well as technical assistance and cost-share opportunities. You must register for the event beforehand; breakfast will be provided.
Contact: Alicia Halbritter, UF/IFAS Extension Baker County Agriculture Agent at 904-259-3520 or aliciah1221@ufl.edu
Register online:bakerbmp.eventbrite.com

North Florida Wildflower Festival

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The North Florida Wildflower Festival is this Saturday, April 30th! The festival will be held in downtown Blountstown; this includes Magnolia Square, the M&B Train Depot Museum & Park, and the Blountstown Greenway bike trail. The North Florida Wildflower Festival is an annual event run by the Calhoun County Chamber of Commerce, Florida Wildflower Foundation, Florida Panhandle Wildflower Alliance, University of Florida IFAS, RiverWay South Choctawhatchee Apalachicola, and Blountstown Main Street. The festival will feature wildflower and gardening-themed products, plants, arts and crafts, and kids’ activities.

Click on the image to see an expanded list of confirmed vendors. Keep up to date with announcements at the official Facebook event page here. 

Chain of Parks Art Festival

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The Chain of Parks Art Festival returns Saturday, April 23, and Sunday, April 24. The festival is held across the Bloxham, Lewis, and Randolph “chain of parks” in downtown Tallahassee. Attendees can view and purchase art from 150 carefully selected fine artists. There will also be a number of highlighted events including:

  • “The Village,” which features children’s art programs for young guests to participate in pop-up studios and make crafts
  • A Saturday Evening Groove, featuring Tallahassee Night Live from 5:30-7:30 p.m. Saturday, April 23
  • A scavenger hunt, which will award the first 100 guests who complete the “festival passport” to win a prize
  • Four professional chalk artists from across the country who will create 3D chalk art for photo ops
  • A juried competition in which winning artists vie for $10,000 in awards
  • A live reenactment of Jacques Le Moyne in his French encampment

In celebration of Earth Day and through a longtime partnership with Sustainable Tallahassee, the festival will focus on four sustainability initiatives — education, reducing Styrofoam, reducing landfill waste, and reducing food waste. Festival hours are 10 a.m.-5 p.m. Saturday, April 23, and 10 a.m.-4 p.m. Sunday, April 24.

To learn more about the Chain of Parks Art Festival, visit www.ChainofParks.com(1).