Call for Student Poster Submissions from University of Florida

University of Florida graduate Environmental Horticulture student Ashley Jackson, with her research poster on propagation techniques for Southern Beeblossom, Oenothera simulans, an underused native wildflower of southeastern U.S. states from Mississippi to Florida and north to coastal North Carolina. Ashley successfully defended her to master's thesis on native ornamental plant propagation and landscape management in October 2026. We can't wait to see what Ashley and her classmates do next.

Call for Poster Proposals

for presentation at the

FANN Native Plant Seminar, November 4-5, 2026

in partnership with UF IFAS SFFGS

held at UF IFAS Straughn Professional Development Center, 2142 Shealy Dr, Gainesville FL

The Native Plant Horticulture Foundation invites undergraduate and graduate students and postdocs at the University of Florida to submit proposals for poster presentations at the upcoming 2026 FANN Native Plant Seminar. FANN estimates 125-150 seminar attendees.

Topic Scope

We welcome poster proposals summarizing research, extension or practical projects that can help better understand and advance the production and use of native plants. Topics may include, as examples, native plant propagation, ecology, landscape use, restoration, economics, communication, marketing, behavioral psychology or others. Students from any major are welcome to submit posters highlighting active or completed research (within the last three years, please). Student-led projects are strongly preferred. We expect to select 12 posters for display at the seminar.

Why Present?

  • Gain exposure and present your work to leading Florida native plant professionals, including nursery growers, landscape architects and designers, and garden center owners and staff.
  • Network with Florida native plant industry leaders and potential employers.
  • Enjoy complimentary access to seminar sessions and discussions, and lunch

Important Dates & Requirements

  • Event Dates: Wednesday, November 4 - Thursday, November 5, 2026. See detailed schedule.
  • Proposal Submission Deadline: October 23, 2026
  • Dedicated Poster Discussion Time: Thursday, November 5   1:00-1:30pm
    We will announce this time to attendees and ask poster presenters to stand by their posters at this time.  If due to school or work schedule, you are unable to be present, you may delegate your poster presentation to an advisor/professor or fellow classmate familiar with the work.
  • Display Duration: Selected posters will be set up Wednesday morning and must remain on display for the entire duration of the seminar (Nov. 4-5). Selected students are very welcome and strongly encouraged to join us for the full seminar or any portion(s) thereof, to network with attendees and discuss your poster and other work at any time during breaks in the schedule. You may pick your poster up at the end of the event or we will return it to its delivery location.
  • Delivery: Selected students will deliver their printed poster to one of two designated UF campus locations prior to the seminar setup (details provided upon acceptance). Poster must be mounted suitable for display on easel (IFAS SFFGS will supply easels).

Other Guidelines

Consider your audience: Your audience is composed of practical-minded native plant professionals who are looking for information they can apply. Many attendees are small business owners. Some will have college degrees, including master's and the occasional PhD. Many professionals have not gone beyond high school or two-year vocational/associate degrees. Define all specialized terminology. Avoid complex charts that cannot be understood at a glance. If you have an existing complicated poster, consider offering a small "interpretation" poster to explain it.

Care and handling: We know that it's expensive to print and mount posters. We will exercise care in handling but cannot guarantee that your poster will not be damaged. Some posters will be displayed on the patio, in open air (but under cover). If you want to do everything possible to preserve your poster for long term use, consider adding corner caps (can be DIYed out of cardboard), u-channel edge trim, storing in a sleeve, bag or box, covering in clear film etc.

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