Volunteers invited for native plant project at Buckingham Community Park

FORT MYERS – Lee County Natural Resources, in partnership with WETPLAN, invites residents to a workshop at the Buckingham Community Park, 9800 Buckingham Road, to enhance the pond area with native plants.

The planting effort, for those who wish to participate, will begin 8 a.m. Friday, June 10, at the pond adjacent to Barkingham Dog Park in the park. Volunteers should wear comfortable clothing, hats and sun protection. Refreshments will be provided by the Florida Native Plant Society. No advance registration is required.

Information will be available to everyone who attends regarding the environment, Florida ponds and pet waste with flyers, magnets, pet-waste bags and more.

Native plants such as sweetbay magnolia, blue flag iris, muhly grass and more will be planted to remove pollutants from the water, stabilize the banks and provide habitat for wildlife.

The cooperative effort with Watershed Education Training – Ponds, Lakes and Neighborhoods (WETPLAN) is funded by Lee County Natural Resources and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency through a grant from Florida Department of Environmental Protection.

WETPLAN is an education program and resource for anyone interested in improving and caring for their neighborhood lakes and ponds. The program provides workshops several times a year with a panel of experts providing assistance for home/condo owners associations and individuals. Go to www.wetplan.org for more information.