Wild Florida at Tampa Garden Club

Florida is widely known for its alligators, panthers, pythons, and pesky mosquitoes, but did you know it also has crocodiles, bears, scarlet-striped snakes, and more species of fireflies than any other state? How about a tiny lizard that swims through central Florida’s ancient sand dunes, a red widow spider that hides in palmettos, or that wild flamingos, common two centuries ago, are reappearing? Join author, wildlife photographer, and conservationist Kirsten Hines for a visual and descriptive journey deep into Florida’s wilds to explore the state’s impressive array of animals as captured in her books Birds of Florida and Wild Florida: An Animal Odyssey. From salamanders in the temperate Panhandle, to endemic jays in Central Florida’s scrub, tropical nesting birds in the Florida Keys, and a range of migratory birds that flood across the state in spring and fall, Kirsten will take you on an adventure through Florida’s myriad habitats.