Flowers & Fruits

When we visited south Oslo Riverfront Conservation Area on 6-18-2022, we saw blooming Florida butterfly orchids (Encyclia tampensis), the focus of our walk, as well as other plants with flowers and/or fruits, including ... Faey's milkweed (Asclepias faeyi) - an…

High & Dry at Cypress Bend Community Preserve

Inches matter! In Florida, a slight change in elevation can bring a dramatic change in plant community.  This phenomenon is evident at the Oslo Riverfront Conservation Area (ORCA) and was obvious at the Cypress Bend Community Preserve (CBCP) when we…

“April Flowers Bring May Flowers” at SORCA

Just a few steps from the eastern entrance to the south Oslo Riverfront Conservation Area (ORCA), you will find tarflower (Bejaria racemosa), shown above, full of pinkish white flowers. Its flowers are held in racemes, clusters of flowers that open from…

Spectacular Day for a Scrub Walk

The 2015 FMEL - PIAS volunteer stewardship class had spectacular weather for a walk at the south Oslo Riverfront Conservation Area on February 7, complete with 3 eagles soaring above (likely the same eagles that graced the very first class)…