Who:Southwest Florida Water Management District’s Land Resources Department staff, volunteers from the Sumter County Chapter of the Florida Native Plant Society and Florida Fish & Wildlife Conservation Commission staff
What:The District’s Land Resources Department is coordinating a volunteer work day at the District’s Panasoffkee Outlet property in Sumter County. Volunteers will hand-remove green wandering jew and tuberous sword fern, which are invasive plants that are beginning to spread after several large trees fell down during recent storms, causing gaps in the canopy.
When:Saturday, March 22, 9 a.m. to noon
Where:The Panasoffkee Outlet property is located in northwest Sumter County, west of Sumterville. The cleanup crews will park at the Marsh Bend County Park, which is adjacent to the District’s property. The entrance is off County Road 470.
Additional Information:The cleanup crews will be removing the invasive plants from the upland hardwood forest. The area features intact limerock formations that support several rare fern species. These communities are very prone to invasive plant infestations and are highly vulnerable to the affects of herbicide, which is why hand-pulling is the only way to remove invasive species in this area.
District On-site Contact: Joel DeAngelis, land use and protection specialist, 352-279-1365 (cell)
District Volunteer Fact Sheet
During 2006, more than 500 volunteers spent thousands of hours helping the District maintain and improve public lands, as well as restore Tampa Bay.
Since the adoption of the District’s volunteer program in 1995, volunteers have worked with District staff and contributed more than 25,000 hours to enhance recreation opportunities on conservation lands.
The volunteers who work with the District’s Surface Water Improvement and Management (SWIM) program play an important role in restoring Tampa Bay.
The volunteers who work with the District’s Land Resources Department play an important role in maintaining the District’s many recreational trails and campgrounds, which makes the 326,000 acres of District land that is open to the public more accessible and enjoyable.