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USF’s Botany Club to host its first native plant walk

USF’s Botany club will host its guided nature walk at Lettuce Lake Regional Park’s trails. SPECIAL TO THE ORACLE

USF’s Botany Club will be hosting its first native plant walk Saturday. The walk will be at Lettuce Lake Regional Park guided by the Suncoast Chapter of the Florida Native Plant Society.

The one-hour native plant walk is free but there will be a $2 parking fee. The club will start in the native plant garden at the Visitor’s Center at 9 a.m. After a short presentation, the tour will examine how the native plants of the hardwood swamp benefit wildlife while exploring the park’s trails and boardwalk.

“I feel like not a lot of people understand or are interested in having their own garden or aren’t sure how to deal with the upkeep,”  Veronica Rosales, treasurer of USF’s Botany Club, said. “People are like ‘Oh, you need a green thumb!’ But I feel like it’s just knowing and I feel like this club will be able to help people get to know plants.”

Although they have similar names, USF’s Botany Club is not to be mistaken with USF’s Botanical Garden club.

“The Botanical Gardens Club directly has events and I believe, just for the botanical gardens. Whereas, the Botany Club is just more general,” Rosales said. “For example, this first event that we’re having is not hosted or affiliated with the botanical gardens. Not to say that we won’t be hosting events in the botanical gardens in the future.“

Established at the beginning of the month, the Botany Club plans to host events at least twice a month. 

“Our next event is actually going to be a talk hosted by our director Dr. Alan Franck,” Rosales said. “He’s the curator of the Herbarium that not that many people know about on campus.”

The Botany Club will be joined by the Biology Club for Franck’s talk Monday, Oct. 23 at 5:30 p.m. in the MSC 3713.