In the Andean mountains of western Ecuador, a man of science witnesses a miracle.

A tiny plant with delicate white flowers clings to life on the sheer rock, nourished only by a small trickle of water. Dr. John L. Clark, a research botanist with Marie Selby Botanical Gardens, instantly recognizes it as a new species, never before seen. But that’s not the miracle. The miracle is that there’s anything here at all, in a place once known only for extinction. And in a newly published article detailing the discovery of Amalophyllon miraculum, Clark is spreading the word.

Located on the Andean slopes in western Ecuador, the Centinela region and its rainforests were once famed for their singular biodiversity and home to near 100 plants found nowhere else in the world. But for the past 30 years, the region has become more infamous for rampant deforestation and the destruction of the natural habitat. The loss of unique plant life was so great that the term “Centinelan extinction” entered the botanical lexicon. Still, research botanists like Clark lead expeditions into what little rainforest remains, searching for survivors in pockets of the natural world and hidden waterfalls held in trust by the local farmers who preserve them. And it was on just one such expedition in 2022 that Clark made his discovery.

“I’m always looking,” Clark says. “My eyes are everywhere and, as a botanist, I’ve been honing my observational skills for years. But I never know what’s going to happen.” Still, at first sight, he knew Amalophyllon miraculum was something new. At the time, there were only two known species of Amalophyllon on record in Ecuador. “And this one,” he says, “was completely different.” Minuscule in size, with deeply serrated, iridescent green leaves and ephemeral white flowers, it was an obligate lithophyte, meaning it grew on rocks, and was dependent on persistent moisture. A delicate balancing act to achieve. Clark named the species miraculum, in tribute to the greater meaning he sees in its discovery. “Because it’s a miracle that the Centinela forests are still alive,” he says.

Difficult to spot, ensuing expeditions to find more Amalophyllon miraculum have not always been successful, though Clark has observed and photographed the novel species on two separate trips into the field, collecting samples and sending them back to select research institutions, including Selby Gardens, for further study. “There’s a lot of interesting evolutionary biology there,” he says, noting that miraculum appears to deviate from its fellow Ecuadorian Amalophyllon—air plants commonly pollinated by hummingbirds— in fundamental ways. It’s undoubtedly weird, he says, but celebrating the weirdness that makes each habitat unique is what the research is all about. “That’s one of the pillars of being a field botanist,” he says.

And after miraculum, Clark suspects the celebration is just beginning.

“I bet we’d find lots of new species,” he says. “We just have to go there.”  

Pictured: John L. Clark, Ph.D., Marie Selby Botanical Gardens research botanist, with Amalophyllon miraculum.

To see a video of Dr. Clark first discovering Amalophyllon miraculum, click here.

This Sunday, Westcoast Black Theatre Troupe (WBTT) will host a celebration of one of the nation’s most important holidays, their second annual Juneteenth Arts Festival, a free, community-wide event that has something for everyone.

“The festival started off as us wanting to celebrate Juneteenth. As a black theater company, we’ve always done gigs here and there to celebrate the holiday, but we’d never done anything on our campus like this where we’re reaching out to the community and opening our doors to offer them a whole day to celebrate what some would call our second Independence Day or Jubilee day,” says Maicy Powell, marketing associate at Westcoast Black Theatre Troupe and one of the organizers of the event.

The Juneteenth Arts Festival will feature a sampler of all that the area has to offer, from food vendors and live music to family-oriented fun including free haircuts for dads in celebration of Father’s Day and a live taping of Toni Kennedy’s “What’s Poppin’ Penny” podcast, an educational show geared toward children. Most notably featured in the event, however, are all of the different forms of art available for attendees to enjoy.

“This year we’re going to have live performances by people in the community as well as some of the artists who perform here at WBTT, including some students from our Stage of Discovery program. That’s going to be on an outdoor stage. Inside our Donnelly Theatre, we’re going to have feature films on rotation, including Into The Storm, a documentary from Booker High School students about their school’s 1966-67 state basketball championship team,” says Powell. “That’s going to be featured in our mainstage theater and then in our black box we’ll have some short films on rotation from local filmmakers.”

Also included in the celebration will be an art exhibition currently on view at Westcoast Black Theatre Troupe and free seats to a performance of the organization’s summer show, Coconut Cake.

Sunday, June 16 Noon to 6:30pm, Westcoast Black Theatre Troupe, 1012 N. Orange Ave, Sarasota.

Pictured: Performers at the 2023 Juneteenth Arts Festival. Photo courtesy of WBTT.

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The Ringling, in collaboration with The Circus Arts Conservatory of Sarasota, presents a fantastic, jaw-dropping, fun-filled show for the entire family!
Join us for the opening night of Summer Circus Spectacular! The fun begins at 7:00 PM with a performance of this year's show followed by a gala reception with the artists at 8:00 PM. Hors d'oeuvres, complimentary beer, wine and soft drinks will be served. A cash bar will be available.

Opening Night Performance & Celebration: Fri, Jun 14 @ 7:0opm, $75. 

For ticket information click here

Yesterday, Governor DeSantis vetoed funding for Division of Arts and  Culture grants for fiscal year 2025. The Arts and Cultural Alliance of Sarasota County’s CEO, Brian Hersh, says, “The cuts are a devastating blow to the arts and cultural community, resulting in a loss of over  $3,000,000 for Sarasota County organizations. It is disappointing to see the state budget eliminate support  for the arts across Florida.” A cut like this ignores the economic impact, social capital, and the quality of life that arts and culture bring to our citizens. Impacts of Sarasota’s arts and cultural nonprofits include:  Employment - Nonprofit arts organizations are employers and contribute over $176,000,000  annually to household income within our county; Tourism - The arts bring tourism. In Sarasota County, nearly half (47.5%) of all attendees at arts  performances and events are from outside of the county; Engagement-Over 2.3 million attendees participate in arts and cultural events and exhibitions in  our local community every year.  To learn more and stay engaged regarding local arts issues, subscribe to the Arts and Cultural Alliance of  Sarasota County’s ArtBeat newsletter and follow us on social media. 

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Sarasota County homeowners affected by Hurricane Ian are invited to apply for the Resilient SRQ Housing Recovery Program. Sarasota County has been awarded $201.5 million in funding from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) Community Development Block Grant-Disaster Recovery (CDBG-DR) Program. Of this, $55 million is allocated to the Housing Recovery Program (HRP), which offers rehabilitation, reconstruction and reimbursement to eligible homeowners. The HRP prioritizes low-to-moderate-income individuals, serving as a crucial funding source to address unmet needs resulting from Hurricane Ian. Homeowners can begin the application progress by completing an interest survey online at ResilientSRQ.net/housing-recovery or by calling 941-861-5309, Monday through Friday, 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. The survey must be completed to determine conditional eligibility for the HRP and to receive an invitation for the full application. The full application will be available starting on June 26 for conditionally eligible homeowners who completed the survey. 

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The Early Learning Coalition of Manatee County (ELC) was honored to receive a $4000 grant for their ReadingPals program from the Florida WineFest & Auction. The ReadingPals program provides mentors to 4-year-old children at local child care sites to positively influence students' understanding of the fundamental building blocks of early literacy. In addition, through genuine and impactful relationships, mentors help enhance a solid pro-social foundation for young learners. Mentors meet weekly in person with small groups of 1-3 students at a time for 25-30 weeks. This year, ReadingPals reached 135 students and provided weekly books to each student with suggested at-home lessons. The ReadingPals program aims to create a love of learning in young children, sending them to kindergarten excited to learn. The following quote is from a family participating in the ReadingPals program: "The ReadingPals program has enhanced the joy of reading for our child. She has counted down the days every week in anticipation of ReadingPals day and was sad to hear when it was going to be the last time she would see her ReadingPal. Every week, on the day of ReadingPals, she comes home and excitedly shares her ReadingPals experience. Also, on that same day, we have to read the ReadingPals book she comes home with. We believe that the ReadingPals program should continue to be incorporated into more schools so that more children can become more excited to read." Florida WineFest & Auction, established in 1991, puts the fun in fundraiser by empowering lives one sip at a time. This nonprofit is a grassroots organization that relies on the dedication of volunteers and the generosity of donors. Florida WineFest & Auction’s sole purpose is assisting disadvantaged youth and their families in Manatee and Sarasota by raising funds to support qualifying agencies, knowing that many not-for-profit groups benefit from additional manpower and recognition to perform their community-driven missions. The gift from Florida WineFest & Auction is truly remarkable; the ELC’s ReadingPals program is made even stronger through this award.