FNPS Mangrove Chapter February 2017 meeting

On Feb 14, 2017 at 7:00 p.m. at Lemon Bay Park, 570 Bay Park Blvd. in Englewood, Florida the Mangrove Chapter of the Florida Native Plant Society has the pleasure of welcoming as speakers two of the chapter’s most well-known trail guides, Al Squires and Denny Girard.

Al and Denny will present “A Walk….,” an introduction to some of their favorite excursions through local parks and preserves. Their presentation will include photographs and descriptions of various habitats and species of native plants, including wildflowers, shrubs and trees.

Al and Denny met more than 2 decades ago as the original volunteers at Cedar Point Environmental Center. They have remained fast friends and enthusiastic teachers and trail guides ever since. Their dedication to teaching about local ecosystems has been long recognized throughout southwest Florida. Both men have been active in the Florida Native Plant Society for many years and have been honored by the Cedar Point Environmental Center.

Al has educated and inspired all age groups. He is a tireless guide on the trail, excelling in plant identification and general group leadership. He is a Masters level Entomologist and a Volunteer Specialist with Save the Manatee. A beautiful pavilion is dedicated to Al at Cedar Point. It is located on the left, several yards in from the entrance parking lot.

Denny has been a SW Florida resident for more than 50 years and his nature photography is well known to area enthusiasts. He was a major contributor to the University of South Florida (USF) Flower Atlas, which includes all southwest Florida flowers found in the wild, including garden escapees. The Atlas can be viewed on the USF website. Denny has published two collections of poetry, as well as stories and articles in local newspapers. A trail at Cedar Point is named after him and his late wife, Pat.
The evening promises to be an informative and amusing one with plenty of time for comments, questions and lots of good discussion. We hope you can join us.

The Florida Native Plant Society promotes the preservation, conservation, and restoration of the native plants and native plant communities of Florida.
To learn more about the Mangrove Chapter or the Florida Native Plant Society, visit
www.fnps.org
Our chapter speaker programs, field trips and special events are free and open to the public.