One aspect that sets FGCU apart from other universities is that we use the diverse ecosystem in southwest Florida as a “living laboratory.” Due to the excellent growing conditions year-round in Florida, over 1,000 invasive plant species thrive in the local area as well as the Everglades. The Florida Everglades is a mere few miles from FGCU’s campus and supports over 1,000 native Florida plants and over 1,000 invasive species introduced in the 20th century. To honor FGCU’s commitment to environmental preservation, our group performs field work to remove invasive species in local parks and wildlife preserves then analyses the plants for new biologically active compounds or structurally unique natural products. This work is currently done with our partners at Koreshan State Park where our students work on eradicating Discorea Bulbifera and Syzygium cumini. This work is also performed in collaboration with Prof. Jack Williams at Mercyhurst University in Erie, PA.
