Marco Island Calusa Garden Club concludes its winter speaker series
The Calusa Garden Club of Marco Island presents speakers for the community to enjoy. The speakers present on a variety of subjects, from environmental concerns, area nature preserves, organic gardening and horticulture to underwater reefs.
The club’s lineup of speakers for winter of 2018 included Dr. Martin Price of Echo Global Farm in January, Patrick Higgins of Friends of Fakahatchee Strand in February and Danny Cox of Naples Botanical Gardens in March.
On Feb. 12, club members and about 15 community guests enjoyed a virtual tour of Fakahatchee Strand Preserve State Park in a presentation by Higgins, President of the Board of Friends of Fakahatchee Strand. Audience members viewed Fakatchee Strand through maps and pictures which gave them an idea of the importance of Fakahatchee Strand Preserve in the ecosystem of southwest Florida.
Higgins’ pictures of Fakahatchee Strand State Park featured the flora and fauna of the Strand, including orchids, grasslands, frogs, alligators and wading birds as well as ferns, palms, cypress trees and grasses. Higgins also gave attendees the viewpoint of visitors to the park by showing pictures of visitors in the Ghostrider Tram, on swamp walks and on the Big Cypress Bend boardwalk.
For more information about the park, Higgins directed audience members to the Friends of Fakahatchee Strand website orchidswamp.org.
Before the Calusa Garden Club meeting, members participated in a floral design workshop.
On Monday, Cox, the aquatic plant director at the Naples Botanical Garden, addressed the Calusa Garden Club and the community. He discussed and presented pictures of water garden plants and beautiful water gardens.
Calusa Garden Club of Marco Island is a member of the Florida Federation of Garden Clubs. Membership is open to those interested in horticulture, floral design and environmental matters who reside five months or more in Collier County.
Calusa Garden Club welcomes visitors interested in its educational programs and visitors interested in membership.
Calusa Garden Club
When: Second Monday of each month, October through March. Meetings begin at 12:30 p.m., educational programs begin at 1:15 p.m.
Where: Wesley United Methodist Church Fellowship Hall, 350 S. Barfield Drive, Marco Island, Fla.
Information: Email: calusagardenclub@aol.com; Website: calusa.org; Facebook: Calusa Garden Club