Native Yard Makeover: From Decoration to Wildlife Destination
The Garden Club of Jacksonville and Florida Native Plant Society Ixia Chapter proudly present the 2026 Native Plants Summit to highlight the critical role native plants play in building a sustainable habitat for wildlife to thrive and a healthier environment for every living being.
Learn from Amy Franqui and Stephanie Means how native plants transform additional yards into thriving habitat for birds and butterflies while improving stormwater and reducing maintenance. This session covers intentional design, native plant swaps, and practical HOA-aware ways to get started–so you can create a yard that welcomes wildlife and still looks loved.
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Amy Franqui is a Florida native, Master Gardener Volunteer, and a member of the City of Atlantic Beach Environmental Stewardship Committee. Her journey into native plants was originally inspired by reading Bringing Nature Home by Doug Tallamy, which helped reframe how she saw the role of home landscapes in supporting birds, pollinators, and the broader ecosystem.
Amy is passionate about helping others reimagine what a “well-loved” yard can look like. Through community workshops, library talks, W**d Wrangle events, and hands-on projects, she shares practical, approachable ways to replace invasive plants, reduce lawn, and design landscapes that balance beauty, function, and neighborhood context. Her work bridges science and storytelling, encouraging residents to see their own yards as part of a larger ecological network.
Stephanie Means grew up as a farm girl in rural Upstate New York where plants and nature have always been a big part of Stephanie’s life. After moving to Jacksonville in 2019, she became a Master Gardener Volunteer in 2022 and the following year was hired as the Florida-Friendly Landscaping Program Assistant for Duval County. She is an enthusiastic ambassador for sustainable landscapes, specializing in teaching residents how small, intentional changes in their yards can lead to significant positive impacts on Florida’s local water quality and wildlife. For Stephanie, the highlight of her work is empowering others to see their yards not just as property, but as a vital part of Florida’s ecosystem.
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