It Was a Dunn Deal!

Stephanie Dunn was the speaker for Eugenia Chapter’s March 20, 2025 meeting held at the Environmental Learning Center.

Stephanie is a landscape designer for Cadence. Especially noteworthy for native plant enthusiasts, she is President of the Broward Chapter of the Florida Native Plant Society. Growing up in Florida, Stephanie has had a life long passion for the flora and fauna of the state’s varied ecosystems, providing a practical basis for the plant selections she uses in her landscape designs.

Stephanie spoke of the “core” values of why using native plants in landscapes benefits the environment: water conservation, carbon sequestration oxygen production, reduction of mechanical maintenance, pesticide and fertilizer use, food and shelter for wildlife, and buffers for storm resistance. Her excellent photos provided visual examples of these points.

There were lots of oohs and aahs from the audience when Stephanie showed before and after slides of interesting design projects for single family residences, resort settings, and commercial buildings. It was fascinating to hear about decisions for plant selection, and see how they were incorporated with all kinds of hardscaping materials.

Congratulations to David Sims, winner of the “Sign In Sheet” drawing. This month’s give-away was a hand painted clay pot.

Thanks to all who brought native plants for our plant auction. How many of you saw this big gopher tortoise “ease dropping” at our auction? The burrow is to the left of the main entry doors to the ELC, behind the Simpson’s stopper hedge. I watched him crawl all the way from the east end of the parking lot, cross the road twice and go up over the curb to get to the burrow. Please pay attention when you’re driving your car on the campus!