It is, at least within my community! In the panhandle, we deal with kudzu and coral adasia a LOT! I know south Florida has pothos all over the place. I’m not positive on any regulations and laws, but within the scope of my job I’ve only seen native plants being scheduled for State landscaping jobs. Additionally, FSU ‘s lands and grounds are sustainably planted, using as many native plants as possible and protecting wildlife and pollinators!

UF/IFAS runs this program that provides expertise on local plants (this link is specific to invasive species information). My mom sends me info for my garden and hers every year! It’s a super helpful resource. There are also programs throughout the state dedicated to habitat restoration, like FNPS.

True Floridians care very deeply about the environment. I’ll gatekeep being Floridian in that way; I’ve never met another born and raised Floridian who didn’t have qualms about deforestation, development, and destruction of our nature. Florida is a vast state with incredibly diverse ecology. The majority of native Floridians do not like development, not of our natural lands or of our historic resources. Floridians have come together many times to preserve our environment. It’s a shame we don’t win every time.

From the Everglades to the Aucilla River, Florida shows it’s diversity. You can’t drive under a live oak canopy in north Florida, witness the soft southern breeze rustling the Spanish moss, and tell me it isn’t one of the most stunning, scenic drives of your life. Nor can you go down to the Keys, snorkel off the coast, and experience the vibrant life of our coral reefs and say it was a bad time! But these things require preservation! Thank you to the Floridians in Pinellas County for saving another piece of Florida’s environment!