Florida Native Plant Society <\/a>(FNPS), Oakland Nature Preserve, Lake Louisa State Park and the St. John\u2019s River Water Management District come together most Thursdays to rescue native plants from properties in Central Florida. <\/p>\nThe work has been focused on sandhill and Lake Wales Ridge species found on an unimproved strip of land in Clermont. <\/p>\n
Organizers said the county granted permission to remove plants from the County right-of-way before roadwork for the Hook Street extension begins.<\/p>\n
Rosi Mulholland organizes a volunteers for a native plant rescue. (WKMG-TV)<\/p>\n
Volunteers like Rosi Mulholland first identify plants to rescue, matching soil type and elevation so relocated plants have the best chance to survive. <\/p>\n
\u201cIt\u2019s sour lemonade,\u201d Mulholland said, referencing the phrase about making lemonade from lemons. There\u2019s resilience in being able to make the best of a situation. She knows all of these plants would be lost without the effort. <\/p>\n
About a dozen volunteers spread out into the bush to identify tiny plants that most people would dismiss. <\/p>\n
\u201cThey\u2019re Florida endemics, which we especially want,\u201d Mulholland said. ” Because they\u2019re a lot of times the missing pieces in restoration sites.” <\/p>\n
They dig carefully to keep roots intact, use moss or sand to stabilize pots and let volunteers and partner staff transport the plants to managed restoration properties.<\/p>\n
The Florida native Plant Society started doing plant rescues back in the 80\u2019s. Mulholland says they\u2019ve gotten more sophisticated over the years. Now they inventory each rescue and have recorded thousands of plants saved in the last year alone. <\/p>\n
Unfortunately, she thinks the project only has about five years left in the Clermont area before most of the land is lost to development. <\/p>\n
For now, they\u2019re making the most of the parcel they\u2019re on. Volunteers work year-round. Each season provides different species. <\/p>\n
\u201cIt\u2019s definitely unique, it\u2019s one of these little postage stamp pieces of land that never got developed, it didn\u2019t go through citrus use. So it means that the soil never was completely disturbed,\u201d Mulholland explained. <\/p>\n
Destinations include the Lake Apopka North Shore, Lake Louisa State Park, Oakland Nature Preserve and local native plant nurseries that will temporarily hold or propagate rescued material. <\/p>\n
A native plant rescued from a parcel of land destined for development (WKMG-TV)<\/p>\n
Organizers said some plants are planted immediately while others remain in pots for months until conditions are right.<\/p>\n
At first glance, the property on Lake Apopka\u2019s North Shore looks wild and native but like much of the area, it too was once a citrus grove. Reestablishing native plants is part of the restoration process. <\/p>\n
Project leaders described rescues as a practical response to planned development. They said many Lake Wales Ridge and other Florida endemic plants have limited ranges and benefit from human intervention and replanting.<\/p>\n
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