SPEAKER: Diane Goldberg

Diane's presentation is about gardening with native plants and how they help to keep our water and waterways clean.  They also help to mitigate climate changes and at the same time you can enjoy butterflies and birds in your own yard.

She is an ambassador for the Right to Clean Water constitution amendment initiative we want to get on the ballot.  She is a certified Florida Master Naturalist, Florida Master Gardener, and graduate of Barry University. She serves as the conservation chair for the St. Lucie County Audubon Society and as government affairs rep. for Conservation Alliance of St Lucie County.  Both supporters of the Right to Clean Water initiative.   

Ms. Goldberg is also the liaison to the Rivers Coalition and also now helps the Martin County and Indian River County chapters of the Florida Native Plant Society.   

Diane received the 2022 Volunteer Service Award for Outstanding Service to the Indian River Lagoon from the Marine Resource Council and the 2021 Environmental Educator Award from Pelican Island Audubon. 

She was a past officer for the St. Lucie County chapter of the Native Plant Society. She audited a Florida native plant class from Sandra Wilson at the University of Florida and took a native class online from George Rogers, now retired instructor at Palm Beach College. Along with amateur botanist John Bradford, she helped to survey the diverse native flora species at the former Halpatiokee Buffer Preserve in Port St. Lucie where she assisted park rangers in moving endangered bromeliads. 

Diane gives lectures on gardening with native plants and how they help to keep our water and waterways clean as well as helping to mitigate climate change while enjoying having butterflies and birds in your yard.  Diane also volunteers to save the endangered Lakelas Mint, which is endemic to our area.