2025-2026 Meetings and Field Trips
General Meetings
Our General Meetings are held in person and on Zoom the 3rd Monday of each month, September through May. “Social Hour” begins at 6:30 PM followed by the evening's program at 7 PM. After the presentation, the meeting concludes with a Q&A session with the speaker. The in-person meetings are held at the Selby Garden Downtown Campus (1534 Mound Street, Sarasota, FL 34236), and Zoom meeting registration links for each meeting are provided below. Please register in advance.
For the best experience we recommend you download the Zoom app ahead of time at https://zoom.us/download.
Field Trips
There's now something happening at least once a month. Whether it's an educational tour, informal hike, or to advocate, Serenoa is getting out into the community. Some trips have limited availability. Register online in advance to confirm your spot. Please wear appropriate clothing, pack trail snacks and bring water. Details and directions will be emailed to registrants as the trip date approaches.
Non-Members of FNPS may join us, but we encourage you to become a member:
September 2025
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Monday, September 15th, 6:30-8 PM - General Meeting - Stacey Matrazzo on Saving Florida's Roadside Wildflowers. Stacey will go over the role roadsides play, how the Florida Wildflower Foundation roadside program works in reducing mowing to protect native wildflower habitat and how you can help.
Stacey Matrazzo, Executive Director, Florida Wildflower Foundation
Stacey joined the Florida Wildflower Foundation in 2015 as its program manager. Before that, she worked for the Foundation for several years as a contractor. She is the co-author of Native Plants for Florida Gardens, which she wrote with botanist/restoration ecologist Nancy Bissett.
Stacey is an environmental educator with a bachelor’s degree in environmental studies and a master’s degree in liberal studies from Rollins College, where she is also an adjunct professor. A native Floridian and certified Florida Master Naturalist, she spends much of her free time kayaking, hiking, birding and photographing Florida’s amazing natural environments.
Register here to join zoom meeting
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Saturday, September 20th, 9 AM - noon - Field Trip - Wildflowers in Myakka River State Park with Mike Stanfield
Mike Stanfield, “the Plant Dude,” grew up near Bahia Vista and the future Legacy Trail extension. Almost every day, he and his friends would hike the railroad tracks to the trestle or have a dirt clod war in their neighborhood. In 1973, Mike’s best friend at Pineview Elementary School told stories of adventure in a playground of flora and fauna. This is because his best friend’s father was a park ranger at Myakka River State Park. It was then that Mike decided on his future career. His first Boy Scout camping trip plus family reunions and weddings took place in Myakka throughout the years. He started volunteering at the park in 2007 and joined the team about five years later. The unofficial naturalist of Myakka is well known for interpreting the park, especially plants, but he loves all aspects of the job, from prescribed fire to vehicle logs. He comes in to work every day because the park is his office, and it's a place where so many special memories were made throughout his life.
October 2025
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Monday, October 20th, 6:30 - 8 PM - General Meeting - John McCarthy on Archaeology of the Region
John McCarthy, V.P. for Regional History at Marie Selby Botanical Gardens
John McCarthy is a native Floridian who has spent his entire adult life learning about and bringing awareness to the power of nature, heritage, recreation and civic engagement to build community identity, value and pride. On the personal side he enjoys cycling, writing and woodworking. His role at Marie Selby Botanical Gardens allows him to share knowledge with a wide audience, connecting people to native nature and our regional history.
Register here to join zoom meeting
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Saturday October 25th, 9 AM - noon - Field Trip - Ethnobotany Walk through Historic Spanish Point with David Turner
This Ethnobotany Walk was developed three years ago to focus on useful native plants that were important to different cultures who lived on Historic Spanish Point for 4000 years. We will focus on about 35 plants that were used by indigenous people, 19th century pioneers as well as plants in current use. We will focus on edible and medicinal plants but also plants important for fiber, construction, dyeing and ritual use.
David Turner
has been a guide at Selby Gardens for more than a decade. Three years ago, he published a history of the founding of Selby Gardens titled The Land of Selby. He worked with members of the Selby Botanical Dept, especially Liz Gandy, to write the script for an Ethnobotany tour of the useful plants of Historic Spanish Point.
November 2025
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Monday, November 17th, 6:30 - 8 PM - General Meeting - Sean Patton on Florida's Aquatic Butterfly Gardens
You ready to be Swamped in fun? Not Bogged down with enough cool plants to take to your rain garden ? Looking for a Fen new experience to Spring into? Want some color in your Marsh or your name is Marsh? Then you want to come see Sean Patton talk about Florida wetland gardening with an emphasis on host and pollinator plants.
Professor Sean Patton
is a graduate of New College of Florida, where he studied Marine Biology and Ecology, and is teaching ecology at Ringling College of Art and Design. Stocking Savvy Sean's primary business has restored over 2 million plants and animals into the environment, from Pensacola to Miami. He wrote Florida's Aquatic Butterfly Gardening alongside Kendall Southworth, and has presented his work on aquatic restoration at many conferences including FNPS main conference. He also worked with Selby Gardens on the EcoFlora project and looks great in khaki.
Register here to join zoom meeting
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Saturday, November 22nd, 9 AM - noon - Field Trip - Wellen Park with Sean Patton
Sean Patton will lead us in an informative walk through Wellen Park in Sarasota County
December 2025
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Monday, December 15th, 6:30 PM - General Meeting & Chapter Holiday Party at Sarasota Audubon Nature Center at Celery Fields
Come share the holiday joy with chapter members!
This is a potluck so please bring a dish to share, your own plate, glass & utensils. Turkey will be provided. BYOB.
We will play a gift exchange game; if you want to participate, bring a wrapped, nature-oriented gift (up to $20 value). Expect a lively game of exchange and re-exchange.
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Saturday, December 20th, 9 AM - noon - Holiday Field Trip at Myakka River State Park
Join Zachary Westmark on an interpretative casual walk and share in Myakka River State Park as we identify and discuss the park’s flora and fauna.
January 2026
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Monday January 19th, 6:30 - 8 PM - General Meeting - TBA
Register here to join zoom meeting
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Saturday, January 24th, 9 AM - noon - Field Trip - TBA
February 2026
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Monday, February 16th, 6:30 - 8 PM - General Meeting - TBA
Register here to join zoom meeting
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Saturday, February 21st, 9 AM - noon - Field Trip - TBA
March 2026
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Monday, March 176h, 6:30 -8:00 PM - General Meeting - TBA
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Saturday, March 21st , 9 AM - noon - TBA
April 2026
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Saturday, April 18th, 9 AM -3 PM - Annual Plant Sale to benefit FNPS - Sweet Bay Nursery, Parrish, FL (map here) - TBA
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Monday, April 20th, 6:30 - 8 PM - TBA
May 2026
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Monday, May 18th 6:30 - 8 PM - General Meeting - TBA
Register here for zoom via meetup
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Saturday, May 23 9 AM - noon - Field Trip - TBA
