To kick off the season, the University of Florida-North Florida Research and Education Center (NFREC) hosted the first Magnolia Study Day of the year in collaboration with the Gardening Friends of the Big Bend. Magnolia Society International Vice-president Gary Knox hosted the event on Saturday, February 18, 2012, near Tallahassee.

Professional botanist John Tobe lectured on native magnolias in Florida. Andrew Bunting spoke on magnolias for the home garden while Gary addressed the topic of "Best Performing Magnolias for the NFREC Garden in Quincy, FL". In the afternoon we toured the collections at NFREC.

During this study day there was also an official ceremony to acknowledge the NFREC's magnolia collection becoming part of the American Public Gardens Association's North American Plant Collections Consortium.