Bartram Trail Conference

The Bartram Trail Conference, comprised of people interested in our natural environment and history, hosts their 2025 conference at Flagler College's Ringhaver Student Center from Friday, August 1, through Sunday, August 3, 2025. Tickets are available for the entire conference or for select events during the weekend.

The 2025 Conference

Friday, August 1

Take a kayak tour on Salt Run, Friday at 9:00 a.m., by Earth Kinship Ecotourism and Naturalist School.

The event begins with a workshop on Friday, August 1, from 1:00 to 4:00 p.m. County organizations present their efforts to establish a trail in Florida. This is a free workshop, and reservations are required. The opening reception for the conference takes place from 5:00 to 6:30 p.m. in Jay's Place on the first floor of the Ringhaver Center. Following the reception, you can view the documentary, Cultivating the Wild, about six people who are carrying on William Bartram's legacy. 

Saturday, August 2

• 8:30-9:00 Registration and Coffee
• 9:00-9:15 Welcome, Matt Jennings, President, Bartram Trail Conference (Virginia Room)

Topic: Bartram in East Florida

• 9:15: Dr. Matt Jennings, Bartram’s Adventures in East Florida
• 9:45: Dr. Taylor McGaughy, Governor James Grant of East Florida
• 10:15: Q & A

Break—10:30 a.m.

Topic: East Florida

• 10:45: Dr. Denise Bossy, Bartram as a Window into Indigenous Florida
• 11:15: Dr. James Hill, The Long Warrior and Cowkeeper
• 11:45: Q & A

Lunch—12:00-1:00 p.m.

Topic: Bartram and Botany

• 1:00: Adam Arendell, The Ixia  
• 1:30: Dr. Kelly Enright, Memory and the Franklinia
• 2:00-2:15 Q & A

Topic: Bartram Remembered from 2:15 to 2:45 p.m.

• "My Favorite Bartram Moment in Ten Minutes"
• Sam Carr: Finding Satsuma Springs
• Mike Adams: The British Natural History Museum
• Kathryn Braund: The Picolata Powder Horn

Special Tours and Displays, 3:00 to 5:00 p.m.
3:00-5:00 Special Tours and Displays. Visit the BTC Auction, which closes at 4:00. You may also take an optional tour of the Flagler campus.

Banquet and Keynote Address by Dr. Elizabeth Athens, 6:00 - 8:00 p.m.

Sunday, August 3, A Choice of Tours

• Bus tour
• Fort Mose tour
• Kayaking Tour of Castillo Waters 9:00 - 11:30 a.m., by Earth Kinship Ecotourism and Naturalist School

The Details

Admission: You may choose to attend the entire conference or select events. Register for any of these events online.

• $175.00 for the entire conference.
• $100.00 for the two lectures on Saturday; $35.00 for students.
• $25.00 for the reception on Friday and the documentary screening.
• $50.00 for the banquet on Saturday and the keynote lecture.
• $40.00 for the Sunday morning bus tour.

When: Friday, August 1 through Sunday, August 3, 2025

Where: Except for the Sunday tours, all events take place in the Ringhaver Student Center, 59 Sevilla Street, St. Augustine, Florida 32084

The Organization

The original goal of the Bartram Trail Conference, established in 1976, was to locate and mark the route of naturalist William Bartram through eight states: North Carolina, South Carolina, Tennessee, Alabama, Mississippi, Georgia, Florida, and Louisiana. Today, the conference encourages public access to recreational trails and the development of botanical gardens within the areas along Bartram's route. The organization encourages and facilitates further study of William Bartram and his journey.