45Th Anniversary Year
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VOLUME 45, NO. 1 Spring 2021 Journal of the Douglasia WASHINGTON NATIVE PLANT SOCIETY th To promote the appreciation and 45 conservation of Washington’s native plants Anniversary and their habitats through study, education, Year and advocacy. Spring 2021 • DOUGLASIA Douglasia VOLUME 45, NO. 1 SPRING 2021 journal of the washington native plant society WNPS Arthur R. Kruckberg Fellows* Clay Antieau Lou Messmer** President’s Message: William Barker** Joe Miller** Nelsa Buckingham** Margaret Miller** The View from Here Pamela Camp Mae Morey** Tom Corrigan** Brian O. Mulligan** by Keyna Bugner Melinda Denton** Ruth Peck Ownbey** Lee Ellis Sarah Reichard** Dear WNPS Members, Betty Jo Fitzgerald** Jim Riley** Mary Fries** Gary Smith For those that don’t Amy Jean Gilmartin** Ron Taylor** know me I would like Al Hanners** Richard Tinsley Lynn Hendrix** Ann Weinmann to introduce myself. I Karen Hinman** Fred Weinmann grew up in a small town Marie Hitchman * The WNPS Arthur R. Kruckeberg Fellow Catherine Hovanic in eastern Kansas where is the highest honor given to a member most of my time was Art Kermoade** by our society. This title is given to Don Knoke** those who have made outstanding spent outside explor- Terri Knoke** contributions to the understanding and/ ing tall grass prairie and Arthur R. Kruckeberg** or preservation of Washington’s flora, or woodlands. While I Mike Marsh to the success of WNPS. Joy Mastrogiuseppe ** Deceased love the Midwest, I was ready to venture west Douglasia Staff WNPS Staff for college. I earned Business Manager a Bachelor of Science Acting Editor Walter Fertig Denise Mahnke degree in Wildlife Biol- [email protected] 206-527-3319 [email protected] ogy from Colorado State Layout Editor University, where I really Mark Turner Office and Volunteer Coordinator [email protected] Elizabeth Gage got interested in native [email protected] plants. After graduating, Technical Editor David Giblin Send address and similar changes to: I moved to the Pacific [email protected] Washington Native Plant Society Northwest to conduct 6310 NE 74th St., Suite 215E Editorial Committee Chair Seattle, WA 98115 surveys for native and non-native plants, fish and Marbled Walter Fertig 206-527-3210 Murrelet. After several field seasons I joined the US Peace [email protected] [email protected] Corps working with local communities teaching environmental education and helping to improve farming practices in Zambia, Africa. In 2008, I moved to Ellensburg and began working in Information for Contributors the Natural Areas Program at the Washington Department of Members and others are invited to submit material for Natural Resources. I am currently the Natural Areas Manager publication in Douglasia. We now accept scientific manuscript for the southeast region where I get to conduct monitoring submissions that will be peer-reviewed. Other articles, book and restoration projects on some of the most amazing places in reviews, poetry, photography, or illustrations are welcome. All eastern Washington. materials submitted should relate to the study of Washington’s When I moved to Ellensburg, I wanted to get more familiar native plants. Acceptance will be based on space and appropri- with the local native plants in Eastern Washington. I learned ateness, and materials are subject to copyediting (substantive there was a native plant field trip sponsored by the WNPS Cen- editing with author’s permission). Contributors are reminded tral Chapter. I showed up at the meeting location not knowing that the Douglasia audience ranges from the professional bota- anyone, but the other folks were so welcoming I felt right at nist to the interested enthusiast. For more information about home. Best of all I found a group of people I could get excited how to contribute, see: www.wnps.org/publications/douglasia/ about plants with and discuss the current Latin name for each douglasia_contributors.html. plant species along the trail. The goal of the hike was not to Email submissions to [email protected]. On the cover: Hedgehog Cactus (Pediocactus nigrispinus) in full Douglasia (ISSN 1064-4032) is published triannually by the Washington Native bloom on the Whiskey Dick Wildlife Refuge. PHOTO: MARK TURNER Plant Society. Douglasia logo designed by Louise Smith of Seattle. Printed on paper that contains 10% post-consumer waste. © 2021 Washington Native Plant Society. Authors and photographers retain the copyright of articles and photos. DOUGLASIA • Spring 2021 get to the top of the mountain, but how many plants could changed and we find ourselves still living with some of the we identify at the end of the day. It was on this field trip that I same restrictions we had last spring. While we had to quickly met one of my mentors, Don Knoke. He was so knowledgeable adjust our in-person events and cancel Study Weekend and about the local plants I tried to absorb as much information as Botany Washington, WNPS adapted and moved events online I could get from him. In 2015 I started serving as the Central when possible. We utilized new virtual resources and improved Chapter Secretary/Treasurer. Since 2017 I have been on the our software and databases so that we could provide better WNPS Board of Directors, serving as Vice President for two online resources and reach a broader audience. We learned a years, and now as President. I am also the chair for the Human lot last year and now we are in a better position to continue Resources Committee. offering online webinars and workshops to provide resources for everyone. Thank you to everyone that contributed to lead- For the coming year there are a few areas I would like to ing a webinar or workshop as well as to those that participated. focus on to strengthen the structure of WNPS and improve We want to continue to provide online opportunities so please communication: share any ideas you have for an online event. We are in full swing implementing our three-year Strategic Lastly, this strategic plan has highlighted the need to in- Plan. The plan has three goals: create programs and resources crease staff capacity to support our members and conduct the for everyone, become a more inclusive organization and build business of WNPS. Denise and Elizabeth do great work and we leaders. These goals are a part of everything that we do. We could not accomplish what we have without them, but we have are an organization that is primarily run by volunteers. Like known for several years that we need to either increase paid any organization we need strong leadership in order to sustain staff or bring on more volunteers to support the work in the of- our work. People come and go in various roles, but we need to fice. As we expand our programs we need to consider increasing make sure people feel comfortable to take on new assignments paid staff to keep our organization strong. and provide the resources to support them. Thank you everyone. I look forward to a great year with WNPS. Like many of our members, I would rather be outside lead- I always appreciate feedback so please feel free to send me an email if ing a plant walk than sitting in a meeting or writing a report. you have any questions or comments: [email protected]. In order to strengthen our organization we need members to do both. To make that event or plant hike a success we need v members to maintain the website so we can attract participants, have strong leaders to lead the hike, and report that event so we can share information to our donors. As part of the goal to build leaders and improve communica- tion within WNPS there are two changes we are making this year. One is the formation of two councils; one for standing commit- tees and one for chapters. These councils will meet occasionally throughout the year and provide opportunities to work together on similar projects, learn from others, share challenges and find ways to support each other. While we are a state organization I think our chapters and some committees don’t always feel con- nected to what others are doing around the state. My hope is that these councils will help improve communication among chapters, Smooth Prairie Stars (Lithophragma glabrum) at Catherine Creek in the Columbia Gorge. PHOTO: MARK TURNER committees, Board of Directors and the state office. The other change is for the Board of Directors to meet more often. For several years the state board has met just twice a year, Join the WNPS Botanical Conversation usually in person for six hours or more each meeting. First off Find the WNPS website: www.wnps.org that is a long time to sit in one setting for a meeting! Second we Botanical Rambles - the WNPS blog and eNEWS tried to fit a lot of business in those two meetings and in many Subscribe: www.wnps.org/blog cases we don’t get to everything. It also involved a lot of travel for LIKE us on Facebook many directors. This year we have changed to having four board www.facebook.com/WashingtonNativePlants JOIN the Facebook Group meetings per year, with at least three being via Zoom. While www.facebook.com/groups/WashingtonNativePlants/ each meeting will be shorter, meeting more often will allow the Follow us on Instagram board to respond in a more active way to improve the structure washingtonnativeplants of WNPS. The board will also be able to get updates from the Follow us on Twitter councils that they may not have received at previous meetings. @WNPSociety JOIN the Discussion Group It’s now been over a year since COVID was first found [email protected] in the US.