Native Plant Day returns to John Pennekamp Coral Reef State Park in Key Largo on Saturday, Jan. 25 from 9 a.m. to noon.
Nursery volunteers from Dagny Johnson Key Largo Hammock will have an information booth where visitors can learn the importance of native plants, how to propagate and care for native plants and how to plant butterfly gardens. Native plants, raised by the nursery volunteers, will be given away for planting at Keys homes.
The event aims to increase awareness of the importance of growing native plants in the delicate environment of Key Largo and the Florida Keys.
A speaker will discuss landscaping with native plants at 10:30 a.m. Keys residents who attend the talk will be given a chance in a drawing to receive an extra native plant.
There will be two 45-minute-long nature trail walks through the tropical hardwood hammock, at 9:30 a.m. and 11:30 a.m., as well as two half-hour butterfly garden tours, also at 9:30 a.m. and 11:30 a.m. All are limited to 15 participants each, on a first-come, first-served, basis.
The Florida Department of Environmental Protection’s Dagny Johnson Key Largo Hammock Botanical State Park and John Pennekamp Coral Reef State Park and the Friends of John Pennekamp Coral Reef State Park and Dagny Johnson Key Largo Hammock Botanical State Park are sponsoring the event. Should there be heavy rain, the event will be rescheduled to Saturday, Feb. 1.
More information is available from Elena Muratori at 305-676-3786 or at www.floridastateparks.org.
