Although FNAI operates as an independent science
organization housed at Florida State University, we benefit from membership in an
extensive natural heritage network:
programs like FNAI are found across all 50 U.S. states, throughout
Canada, and several Latin American countries, under the coordination of NatureServe, a “Network Connecting
Science with Conservation.”
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| NatureServe Network members span most of North and South America. |
Recently, staff from the Florida and Colorado heritage
programs got a chance to walk in each others’ shoes. FNAI hosted Gabrielle Smith, a GIS Specialist
with the Colorado Natural Heritage Program (CNHP), for a few days in January 2015, and CNHP returned the favor
by welcoming Jon Oetting, Conservation Planner at FNAI, in February. Both visits involved meetings with a variety of
staff from the host program to learn how each group tackles similar projects
and tasks differently.
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| Jon Oetting presents an overview of FNAI conservation planning projects to CNHP staff in Fort Collins, CO. |
“I learned a lot and have several ideas
already for ways FNAI could benefit from CNHP’s example,” Jon noted after the
exchange, “I was really impressed with the skills, experience, and energy their
staff all bring to their work, and I had a lot of fun getting to know
everyone.”
Some ideas FNAI plans to follow up on after the exchange
include: new ways to promote county
inventory work, ideas for funding program infrastructure not typically covered
in contract work, and approaches to networking & outreach to partners that
have proven successful in Colorado.
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| We're Not in Florida Anymore! Jon visited a natural area near Fort Collins that is home to Bell’s twinpod (Physaria bellii), a rare plant tracked by CNHP. |
“It really just reinforced what I’ve felt since probably the
first NatureServe conference I attended,” Jon continued, “that the greatest
strength of this network is how many great people are out there doing similar
work and dealing with similar issues.”
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