Florida Native Plant Society Annual Conference

Registration opening soon!

The 37th Annual Conference of the Florida Native Plant Society will be held in the heart of Florida, and central to the largest river restoration project in the world! The Kissimmee River restoration, a joint project by the US Army Corps of Engineers and the South Florida Water Management District, is designed to restore the complex relationships between land, wildlife, water and climate that were torn apart when the river was channelized in 1962. Before channelization, the river was a haven for native plants and wildlife, but afterwards many species of birds, fish and plants were lost, creating havoc on our economy and our environment. The restoration project to restore the river to its natural path is nearly half complete, and already much of the original flora and fauna have returned and the water quality is improving.

This year’s conference addresses those connections that are so important to the Kissimmee River Basin and beyond. What can we learn from the negative impact of the channelization, and the surprisingly quick recovery that has followed the restoration? What more needs to be done? How can the lessons learned in the Kissimmee River Basin be applied to other areas of Florida, the country and the world?