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INTRODUCTION
Merriam-Webster's Collegiate Dictionary:
flor-id (adj.) meaning "covered with flowers"or "very flowery in
style."
In
the 500 years since Ponce de Leon christened our peninsula "Florida,"
native wildflowers have struggled to co-exist with the pressures of
progress. As the state’s natural landscape has been increasingly
threatened by development – particularly within the last 30 years –
some species have vanished altogether. Still others have been
classified as endangered or threatened.
The
Florida Wildflower Foundation’s mission is to protect and replenish
native wildflowers while increasing public knowledge of them as vital
members of the state’s delicately balanced ecosystems. Through the sale
of the State Wildflower license tag,
the organization increases the visibility and availability of native
wildflowers, plants and grasses by funding roadside, park and community
plantings; educational programs, and research projects.
Since
2000, the Foundation has used the $15 donation from the sale of each
State Wildflower license plate to:
- Award
more than $1 million in grants for education, research and planting
projects.
- Aid
the development of the wildflower seed industry through the support of
the Wildflower Seed and Plant Growers Association Inc.
- Support
Florida’s native nursery industry by increasing demand for flowering
native species.
- Build
awareness and knowledge of native wildflowers and plants.
- Support
highway beautification through widespread wildflower seeding and
planting projects.
- Promote
wildflower tourism and its enormous economic benefits.
- Partner
with like-minded agencies and organizations to support programs such as
the Florida
Forever land preservation effort.
Ultimately,
the Foundation seeks to build a center for wildflower research and
education that conveys to visitors and residents alike the beauty of
wildflowers and their roles in Florida’s diverse habitats. To support
its research effort, the Foundation in 2007 established the Gary Henry
Research Endowment Fund at the University of Florida. The endowment is
in honor of the contributions made by the organization’s first
executive director.The Foundation is steered by a board of directors that includes
representation from many of the organizations and agencies responsible
for the creation of the State Wildflower license plate. The
organizations represented are:
- Florida
Federation of Garden Clubs
- Florida
Department of Transportation
- Florida
Chapter of the American Society of Landscape Architects
- University
of Florida’s Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences
- Florida
League of Cities
- Florida
Master Gardeners
- Association
of Florida Native Nurseries
- Florida
Native Plant Society
- Wildflower
Seed and Plant Growers Association Inc.
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