Florida Weed Wrangle 2024
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Central Florida CISMA
Location: Spring Hammock Preserve, 2985 Osprey Trail, Longwood, FL 32750
Date and Time: Saturday, March 2, 2024, 9 am – 12 pm
Description: Join the Seminole County Natural Lands Program and SERV in the Weed Wrangle! Weed Wrangle®, in partnership with Central Florida CISMA, is a “one-day, area-wide, volunteer effort to help rescue our public parks and green spaces from non-native invasive species through hands-on removal of especially harmful trees, vines, and flowering plants”. This FREE event is for volunteers of all ages. Participants must wear closed-toe shoes and long pants. Long sleeves and a hat/other head covering (to prevent seeds from getting stuck in hair) are also recommended. Sun protection and bug protection may be desired.
Each volunteer must have a printed, signed liability form to turn in upon arrival: youth version (under 18) or adult version. Please contact Elizabeth Stephens (serv@seminolecountyfl.gov; 407-665-2457) with any questions.
Registration Information: https://bit.ly/WW24SpringHammock
Contact Information: Elizabeth Stephens, serv@seminolecountyfl.gov, 407-665-2457
Location: Casselberry Greenway Trail, 603 Marigold Road, Casselberry, FL 32707
Date and Time: Saturday, March 2, 2024, 9 am – 12 pm
Description: Join the City of Casselberry in the Weed Wrangle! Weed Wrangle®, in partnership with Central Florida CISMA, is a “one-day, area-wide, volunteer effort to help rescue our public parks and green spaces from non-native invasive species through hands-on removal of especially harmful trees, vines, and flowering plants”. This FREE event is for volunteers of all ages. Participants must wear closed-toe shoes and long pants. Long sleeves are also recommended. Sun protection and bug protection may be desired.
Each volunteer must have a printed, signed liability form to turn in upon arrival (http://cdn.seminolecountyfl.gov/core/fileparse.php/3270/urlt/Casselberry-Volunteer-Participant-Release-Form-Copy.pdf). Please contact Damien Rockwood (drockwood@casselberry.org; 407-676-2510) with any questions.
Registration Information: https://bit.ly/WW24Casselberry
Contact Information: Damien Rockwood, drockwood@casselberry.org, 407-676-2510
East Central Florida CISMA
Location: Sunrise Park, 1135 Riverside Dr., Holly Hill, FL 32117
Date and Time: March 13, 2024; 8 a.m. to 2 p.m.
Description: Brazilian peppertree removal– remove trees to stumps and treat cut stumps.
Contact Information: Dr. Bonnie Wells, bcwells@ufl.edu
Everglades CISMA
Location: Fairchild Gardens, 10901 Old Cutler Rd., Miami, FL 33156 https://maps.app.goo.gl/87APQGKQxF8rMCWQ7
Date and Time: March 5th, 8:30 a.m. to 12 p.m.
Description: Fairchild and Miami-Dade County EEL would like to invite you to participate in Lumnitzera surveys at Fairchild and Matheson Hammock Park again this upcoming season. It’s been 15 years since this invasive mangrove was first discovered to have spread through several dozen acres within and adjacent to the botanical garden. Since that time, contractors and ECISMA members have removed more than 50,000 stems, but there is more work to be done.
As in previous years, workdays will begin at 9am and end around noon, but persons who want to arrive later than 9 should be able to meet up with the group. Anyone who participates can gain free admission to Fairchild on the day of the work or another day; you just need to make arrangements with Jennifer for an admission waiver for you and your guests.
Contact Information: Please RSVP to Jennifer Possley at jpossley@fairchildgarden.org.
Location: Galaxy Sand Pine Preserve, Boynton Beach, FL. Joint event with Treasure Coast CISMA. Access is through Galaxy Park, near Boynton Beach Blvd and I-95. Google Maps link
Date and Time: Tuesday, February 27, 2024, 9 am to 3 pm
Description: A special tour for school kids will start the day, with a gopher tortoise demonstration, followed by work day activities.
Work on a 7 acre sand pine scrub site. We’ll be doing hand pulling, digging and herbicide work there that day. The more the merrier! Target species: Ganges primrose (Asystasia gangetica), Kalanchoe, Natal and Guinea grass, Sansevieria and flame vine, also some Surinam cherry, rosary pea, and shoebutton Ardisia. Bring hand tools like machete and hand clippers, quart sized bottles for herbicide, backpack sprayer if you have one. Other items that may be helpful: loppers, hard rake, hedge clippers.
A few pair of Weed Wrangle gloves will be given to early attendees, but bring your own gloves, too, and a refillable water bottle.
Contact Information: Chris Lockhart, habitatsp@aol.com, and Ellen Brooks, ebrooks@sfwmd.gov
Registration Information: Eventbrite registration. If registration shows full, contact Ellen Brooks to be added manually.
First Coast Invasive Working Group
Location: Egans Creek Greenway, 2301 Sadler Rd., Fernandina Beach, FL 32034
Date and Time: Saturday, February 24, 2024, 9:00 a.m.- noon
Description: Sword fern, Chinese Tallow & Taro
Contact Information: Kathy Russell, krussell@fbfl.org
Registration Information: https://bit.ly/EgansCreekWW
Location: Timucuan Ecological and Historic Preserve, Ribault Column at 13101 Fort Caroline Road, Jacksonville, FL 32225
Date and Time: Saturday, February 24, 2024, 9:00 a.m.- noon
Description: Air potato, winged yam
Contact Information: Fiona Southwell, fiona_southwell@nps.gov
Location: Hanna Park, 500 Wonderwood Drive, Jacksonville, FL 32233
Date and Time: Saturday, February 24, 2024, 9:00 a.m.- noon
Contact Information: Susan Blanchard, sblanchard@coj.net
Location: Tillie K Fowler Regional Park, 7000 Roosevelt Blvd, Jacksonville, FL 32244
Date and Time: Saturday, February 24, 2024, 9:00 a.m.- noon
Description: air potato, coral ardisia, lantana camara, tuberous sword fern, Mexican petunia, Japanese climbing fern, Caesar Weed
Contact Information: Samantha Jones, samanthaj@coj.net
Location: Beach and Peach Urban Park, 10080 Beach Blvd., Jacksonville, FL 32246
Date and Time: Saturday, February 24, 2024, 9:00 a.m.- noon
Description: Sword fern, coral ardisia, air potato
Contact Information: Jenny Hinton, jmhinton@coj.net
Location: Walter Jones Historical Park, 11964 Mandarin Road, Jacksonville, FL 32223
Date and Time: Saturday, February 24, 2024, 9:00 a.m.- noon
Description: Coral ardisia
Contact Information: Gabriele Dempsey, gkdjax@gmail.com
Location: Riverview Park, 9620 East Water Street, Jacksonville FL 32208
Date and Time: Saturday, February 24, 2024, 9:00 a.m.- noon
Description: Sword fern, coral ardisia, air potato
Contact Information: Steph Morse, steph@stjohnsriverkeeper.org
Location: Howell Park, 810 Seminole Road, Atlantic Beach, FL 32233
Date and Time: Saturday, February 24, 2024, 9:00 a.m.- noon
Description: Arrowhead vine
Contact Information: Gretchen Deters-Murray, gretchends@bellsouth.net
Location: Mary Street Beach Access, Gloria Avenue, St. Augustine, FL 32080
Date and Time: Saturday, March 2, 2024, 9:00 a.m.- noon
Description: Kalanchoe
Contact Information: Will Pate, wpate@sjcfl.us
Osceola CISMA
Location: Peghorn Nature Park, St Cloud
Date and Time: March 2, 2024. 9 a.m. to 11 a.m.
Description: Volunteers will help remove air potato bulbils (potatoes) from the park.
Contact Information: Contact Dana Sussmann at Dana.Sussmann@fdacs.gov for more details.
Six Rivers CISMA
Location: Pensacola Beach
Date and Time: April 13, 2024. 8 a.m. to 12 p.m. Central
Description: Volunteers will split time surveying for blooming cogongrass and removing beach vitex from public areas. Some garden tools will be provided, but we ask that you bring your own as well (loppers, clippers, shovel, etc.). All volunteers should wear closed-toed shoes and bring a water bottle. Snacks will be provided.
Contact Information: Please RSVP to Rick O’Connor – roc1@ufl.edu
Southwest Florida CISMA
Location: River Oaks Preserve, 9451 Broadway Ave E, Estero, FL, 33928
Date and Time: February 24, 2024. 9 a.m. to 1 p.m.
Description: Event participants will learn to first identify invasive plant species common to our area and then help remove them from the River Oaks Preserve. What to bring: Work gloves, close-toed shoes, long sleeves, pants, as well as water, lunch/snacks, bug spray, sunscreen, and your favorite weeding tool!
As an added bonus, volunteers will be provided a free native plant courtesy of the local Native Plant Society chapters!
Contact Information: Please RSVP to southwestflorida@floridainvasives.org by February 17, 2024
Treasure Coast CISMA
Location: High Ridge Scrub Natural Area, 7300 High Ridge Rd, Lake Worth Beach, FL 33462
Date and Time: February 27, 2024. 9 a.m. to 12 p.m.
Description: Palm Beach County is looking for volunteers to join us for the National Weed Wrangle. We will be pulling the hardy and invasive Mitracarpus hirtus. This is a lesser-known invasive species. A low, weedy species grows over the rare open sandy areas in scrub habitat. Come boost our efforts to eradicate this species at the beautiful High Ridge Scrub Natural Area.
Contact Information: Antonio Rodriguez at Arodriguez12@pbcgov.org
Location: Indrio Scrub Preserve, 5187 Old Dixie Hwy, Fort Pierce, FL 34946
Date and Time: March 1, 2024. 9 a.m. to 2 p.m.
Description: Treasure Coast CISMA is participating in the National Weed Wrangle at Indrio Scrub Preserve. Ever hear of Kalanchoe? It is a Category 2 invasive species here in Florida and we have a lot of it! Come help hand pull this very tough invasive succulent.
Contact Information: Jennifer McGee at McGeeJ@stlucieco.org
Location: Galaxy Sand Pine Preserve (N of Galaxy park), Boynton Beach, FL 33435
Date and Time: February 27, 2024. 8:30 a.m. to 3 p.m.
Description: On Febuary 27th, land managers, city staff and volunteers from the Everglades CISMA (Cooperative Invasive Species Management Area) and the Treasure Coast CISMA, will be teaming up to treat invasive plants that are a management challenge at the Galaxy Sand Pine Preserve, with a focus on invasive plants that are difficult to get funding for. Teamwork works wonders and helps landowners, such as the City of Boynton Beach, stretch their management dollars. Come by a part of this supportive effort.
Contact Information: Andrew Cunningham at ACunningham@pbcgov.org
Registration Information: Eventbrite registration. If registration shows full, contact Ellen Brooks at ebrooks@sfwmd.gov to be added manually.
Date and Time: February 24, 2024. 9 a.m. to 12 p.m.
Description: Indian River Lagoon Greenway is hosting an air potato round up. Volunteers will be assigned to an organization and will work an assigned area. Please RSVP by February 16th to 772-226-1780 or conservation@indianriver.gov.
Contact Information: conservation@indianriver.gov
Registration Information: Registration link
