FNPS field trip to Tortoise Garden Restoration Area, Gainesville

Name: FNPS field trip to Tortoise Garden Restoration Area, Gainesville
Start: 2025-10-11T13:00:00-04:00
Location: Boulware Springs Park

Schedule

Sat, 11 Oct, 2025 at 01:00 pm

UTC-04:00

Location

Boulware Springs Park | Gainesville, FL

Explore a project to restore populations of rare plants to a small area to reconstruct a rare ecosystem and provide a repository of rapidly vanishing local biodiversity, near other restoration/rehabilitation efforts in the Flamingo Hammock neighborhood. The land was once a sub-xeric longleaf pine savanna. It was converted to row crops long ago and then abandoned to grow up into junk hammock. The project began with collecting seeds in Fall of 2011 from a surprisingly diverse vacant lot a up the road, along with clearing oaks to expand one of the last openings. Hard rains washed the seeds away and not much grew, but I got better at it in later attempts. During many of the succeeding years, I and Suzmiche (landowner) and other volunteers would thin a section of the junk hammock, mostly by machete, prepare the ground, and plant seeds; experimenting with different methods, such as preparing the site with fire, seasonality, etc. I foraged for local seeds and propagules of many more kinds of appropriate native plants, and have been continually adding species as I am able. The Tortoise Garden now has about 125 intentional species. The most recent expansion was cleared and planted at the end of 2024. Part of the intention for that was to make space to rescue many plants from the vacant lot where I had been collecting most of the seeds (it is going to get developed soon). I was not able to effectively seed-propagate many kinds of plants that grow there, so those are the priority for rescue. We will need a lot of help and more recipient sites this coming winter. Over the years I’ve gotten quite good at restoring this land, though it is extremely laborious, particularly ripping the duff out to make a suitable seed-bed. Our struggles include fighting weeds/oaks/overabundant desirables, and improving efficiency. Also, a poacher took our last tortoise, but we are hopeful that another will move in one day as the habitat gets better and better.
What to bring and wear: Hat, water, long pants & long-sleeved shirts (or shorts), hiking shoes & socks (or rubber boots) sunblock, bug repellents are recommended, and snacks if you want. There can be ticks.
Please park at the Boulware Springs parking lot next to 15th st. We will walk across the street to the private land where the restoration area is for the tour.