Pinellas County votes to continues partnership with UF/IFAS

PINELLAS COUNTY, Fla. — A pathway toward a more sustainable Pinellas County has a clear vision after county commissioners voted to continue their long-time partnership with the county’s UF/IFAS Extension office. There was a lot of community support to preserve the relationship.

If you ever meet Jan Allyn, you’ll soon find out she has a green thumb.  

She’s been a lover of plants since she was a little girl. It’s something she said her parents instilled in her. Now, she has a garden of her own.

“Originally, it was mostly just grasses with some wildflowers, and then I’ve added more shrubs because I am trying to provide more for habitat,” she says.

Allyn is the treasurer of the Pinellas Chapter of the Florida Native Plant Society. She said they partner with the UF/IFAS Extension to promote the education the center provides to the community.

She said the extension office provides information on how to maintain a native garden.

She believes the resources that the office provides are important. That’s why she spoke at the county commissioner meeting and voiced her support for continuing the partnership between the county and the extension office.

“We earnestly believe that the county is getting a lot more money back than what they’re spending,” Allyn said.

The UF/IFAS Extension offers programs such as 4-H youth development, green infrastructure workshops and more.

Jeffrey Gellermann is the director of the extension office. He said preserving the partnership was important as more people engage with its outreach programs.  

Gellermann said the master gardener volunteer program has grown to 140 county residents.

“It’s a very intense program that provides a lot of information that creates volunteers who are amazing people that can go out to the community and really provide a lot of information to the citizens,” he said.

Suzanne Hassell is a master gardener volunteer trainee. She said the program piqued her interest because it helps people create a more sustainable environment.

“This is the type of program that really brings the community together and that the county benefits, but also all the citizens,” she said.

Allyn said it’s a move forward to continue learning, and she’s excited to keep sharing her knowledge with others about native plants. 

UF/IFAS offers programs virtually or in-person.