Native vegetation for native wildlife panel session June 18, 2019

Globally imperiled Pine Rockland habitat. Photo by Jonathon Mays, FWC.

FANN will participate in a July 18, 2019 panel discussion hosted by the South Florida Association of Environmental Professionals (SFAEP) at the Hurricane House, Broward County Extension Office in Davie. Discussion will focus on native vegetation for native wildlife and Broward County’s efforts to optimize planted landscapes by using local native plants. Executive Director Cammie Donaldson will represent FANN and Florida’s native plant industry. Webinar connection available for those who cannot attend in person. DOWNLOAD FLYER.

LOCATION: 3205 College Ave, Davie FL 33314

TIME: 11:45am – 1:15pm

DATE: Tuesday, June 18, 2019

RSVP: For more information, including webinar connection details, or to RSVP to attend in-person, please contact Erik Neugaard via neugaard@yahoo.com

Florida’s native wildlife species are succumbing to a plethora of anthropogenic challenges, including direct removal, competition from non-native species, and habitat loss. This panel discussion will focus on optimizing offsets to habitat loss, especially in areas like Broward County where nearly all developable land has been built-out. Some topics of discussion will address definitions of native, needs of local-native wildlife for local-native vegetation, needs to refocus horticultural objectives where local-native wildlife is becoming imperiled, potential obstacles encountered when attempting to optimize local-native wildlife habitat value through use of local-native vegetation in landscaping projects, and how to implement the changes needed to overcome these obstacles.

The discussion will also cover the ‘grading system’ for optimizing wildlife habitat value, included on the attachment and provided again below, in planted landscapes.
A+: Replace previous occurring wildlife habitat with identical vegetation.
A: Plant local-native vegetation simulating local wildlife habitat.
B: Plant local-native vegetation that supports local wildlife.
C: Plant regional-native vegetation that supports local wildlife. 
D: Plant non-invasive, non-injurious, non-native vegetation.
F: Plant invasive, injurious, or no vegetation.

Erik Neugaard, Broward County Port Everglades, will moderate the seven person panel which includes representatives from Broward County Parks Department, Broward County Environmental Protection and Growth Management Department, the Broward Chapter of The Florida Native Plant Socety, the University of Florida Department of Wildlife Ecology & Conservation, Fairchild Tropical Garden and WSP. The panel session is the presentation of the monthly luncheon meeting of the SFAEP, which is a nonprofit organizations of professionals practicing environmental planning, engineering, science and law in South Florida. SFAEP is focused on advancing the preservation and use of native plants in Broward County.