A guest speaker and expert on landscaping will provide a free lecture on the landscape of one of Ocala’s most storied parks.
The Summer Nights lecture series will continue on Thursday, August 14, from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. at Fort King National Historic Landmark, (3925 E Fort King Street). Each week, the series explores Ocala’s and Florida’s past with new topics presented by experts in natural and historical resources.
This week’s class will feature a talk from Amanda Marek, who has been serving as the Florida-Friendly Landscaping Agent in her home county of Marion County since 2017. She is a double graduate of the University of Florida and has her Masters in Forest Resources Conservation specializing in environmental education. She has years of experience working with Extension and the State and National Park Service on invasive plant eradication, wildlife management, and environmental education programs.
Before pharmacies and hardware stores, Native American peoples and early settlers had to use plants for medicines, food, clothing, and more. Take a trip down ethnobotany lane as we learn some fun and interesting ways native plants have been used over the centuries.