Native Plant Press September 2018 The Native Plant Press

The Newsletter of the Central Puget Sound Chapter of WNPS Vol 19, No 6, September 2018

Chapter Meeting and September Program Thursday, September 6 at 7:00 PM, Mountaineers Headquarters

CONSERVATION ACTION REQUESTED Seattle Tree Canopy Ordinance – Please attend a public hearing (at Council's Planning, Land Use, and Zoning Committee) on this proposed legislation Wednesday, Sept 5 Council Chamber, City Hall, 600 4th Avenue, Seattle; 9:00 for 9:30. It’s urgent to have as many folks as possible speak up for the trees! Lori Jirak: [email protected] 425-748-4626 for more information: https://crosscut.com/2018/08 Draft ordinance available HERE Staff memo available HERE

Programs September Program: Restoring Abandoned Agricultural Land to Native Oak Prairie Habitat on Whidbey Island Robert Palant Mountaineers Cascade Room Thursday, September 6, 7:00pm PLEASE NOTE: The Mountaineers is having a large event starting at 5:30 the evening of our program. Please enter the Cascade Room directly from the walkway. Overflow parking is available to the north of the Mountaineers Building. Also, the immediate left turn (just past the guard house) into Magnuson Park from 74th St. is now blocked. Please proceed to 63rd Ave. NE to turn left then left on 77th, past the back of the Mountaineers building and into parking areas. Enlarge this Map of Magnuson Park to view.

Dr. Robert K. Pelant is the founding director of the nonprofit Pacific Rim Institute (PRI) on Whidbey Island. A veterinarian by training, Pelant worked and lived in Asia, Latin America and Africa for 30 years working on environmentally sound food production at the grassroots and national levels. PRI is composed of 175 acres of glacial out-wash prairie, oak and fir savanna and fir-hemlock-yew forest. They currently propagate over 30 species of native plants and have just tripled the size of their nursery. PRI provides formal and informal workshops and courses through a consortium of over 60 colleges in the US and Canada. PRI also maintains an herbarium that is open to the public by appointment. Over two miles of trails are open to the public, and tours are available by appointment.

Dr. Pelant will discuss why and how the Pacific Rim Institute - PRI - is restoring habitat on their Whidbey Island site, as well as throughout the Puget Sound. PRI works with federal, state and private organizations, and communities to manage a regional native plant seed bank network and give native plants, animals and pollinators a fighting chance in the 21st century. Not attempting to restore land to some idyllic state reminiscent of the distant past, PRI focuses on a bio-diverse and resilient habitat to increase the odds of our natural world not only surviving but also thriving in the future. Why do we have degraded lands? What is restoration and why do we do it? What are the end goals? Please join us and Dr. Robert K. Pelant the CEO of PRI for an evening to explore these concepts and questions. Program produced by Sharon Baker and Shelley Evans

Public invited, refreshments, admission is free.

Page 1 of 8 NPP Vol 19, No 6, September 2018 Native Plant Press September 2018 Native Plant Identification Workshop before Program Meeting By Nelson Salisbury, Chapter Botanist (Westside only) A free plant identification workshop is offered before each Westside Chapter meeting at 6:00pm. The workshop is for beginners or anyone who wants to work on improving keying skills or their familiarity with the northwest flora. Bring samples of unknown plants in for identification or we will have plenty of material and tools available.

October Program What Everyone Should Know About Lichens Dr. Katherine Glew Bellevue Botanical Garden, Aaron Educational Center Tuesday, October 9, 2018, 7:00pm

The association of a fungus with a green algae and/or cyanobacteria defines lichens. They are a vital yet overlooked part of our forests’ ecosystems and rural environments. Lichens can tell us much about the air quality of our local surroundings. The US Forest Service has used lichens to monitor forest health and pollution. Lichens, along with bryophytes (mosses and liverworts) and algae, are currently being studied for their contribution to soil conditioning and stability in rangeland areas. Lichens, as symbiotic organisms, play a major role in nitrogen and carbon fixation as well as mineral cycling. The ecological study of lichens is becoming more essential in our understanding of how to manage terrestrial ecosystems.

Lichens also produce chemicals that were used for centuries as medicines, dyes, and perfumes. Common lichens will be presented and discussed to facilitate our understanding of what they can tell us about the health of our environment and how they are used as indicators of clean air.

Dr. Katherine Glew has researched lichens in Norway, the Russian Far East, and Japan. In Washington State she collected lichens extensively in the San Juan Islands, Elwha River system and alpine habitats focusing on marine and terrestrial lichens. Katherine will share her knowledge of lichens, explain what they are and how they grow.

Katherine has a PhD in biology from the University of Washington. Her research focused on alpine lichen communities in the northeast Olympics and North Cascade Mountains. She is the Associate Curator of the lichen collection at the University of Washington. She teaches lichen workshops throughout Washington and offers presentations on lichens. Katherine has a M.Ed. from the University of Washington, teaching in public schools and universities for over 40 years. Program produced by Cheryl Wagner. Public invited, refreshments, admission is free

Upcoming Programs BBG indicates Bellevue Botanical Garden. MTR indicates Mountaineers Headquarters.

MTR November 1, 7:00pm “Saving Tarboo Creek,” Dr. Scott Freeman MTR December 6, Holiday Party! MTR January 3, 7:00pm “Sword Fern Die-Off,” Tim Billo

Board Member Reports Message from the Chair By Dan Paquette

I hope that all of you had the opportunity to travel a bit this Summer. Join my nephew, Rollie and I for a moment as we walk along Minnesota Ridge in the Black Hills. A grove of young aspen whiten the greens and rusts of the Ponderosa Pine; the blue bells of Campanulas silently ring among the serviceberry and thick grasses. We spend several moments among lichenized boulders overlooking a shallow valley. We head back toward town as quarter-sized hailstones are growing nearby and hover in innocent-looking clouds.

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Back home, west of the Cascade crest, I join you and we keep watch over plants in our gardens, in our parks, in meadows, in ponds, in forests, and in ditches along graveled roads. We strive to protect our floral world. We keep watch as sunlight and CO₂ are turned into sugars while roots and their partners nourish floral structures.

In this issue of the NPP, alongside the conservation articles, you’ll note the many efforts that your fellow members are making in the care of our native plants. Please consider joining in one or more of their activities as they pursue these efforts. Fellow members serving on the Chapter Board will be conducting their annual retreat in a couple of weeks. Consider contacting any of these hard-working comrades with your concerns or comments prior to their meeting on September 15th. The roster of Board Members appears near the end of this issue.

Message from the Conservation Chair By Lori Jirak

Conservation and the CPS Chapter What a wide and diverse area our chapter covers, from Seattle and its suburbs to the semi-rural Eastside. There are many possible conservation issues within our purview, and at least as many attitudes to go with them.

Thus, the CPS Chapter’s ability to engage in conservation advocacy requires input from our members. As the chapter’s new conservation chair, I can’t always know when native plant conservation challenges arise. Please contact me about threats to our native flora or opportunities to conserve wild habitats. To help us summarize information on conservation topics, the WNPS state conservation committee has provided an Information Sheet template accompanying this newsletter. Filling this out is the first step toward action on any conservation issue. The template is included here to show you, our members, the kind of information needed.

This template plays the vital role of sharpening our focus to express our concerns, and to gather relevant contacts, resources and references. It also serves to alert our state conservation committee and executive committee about our conservation issues. Subsequent comment letters will be guided by the information we put on the form.

The chapter’s current conservation issues: • Seattle tree canopy ordinance –As mentioned on p. 1, there's a public hearing (at Council's Planning, Land Use, and Zoning Committee) on this proposed legislation Wednesday, Sept. 5 (Council Chamber, City Hall, 600 4th Avenue, Seattle; 9:00 for 9:30). We need as many folks as possible speaking for the trees.

• Cougar Mountain, De Leo Wall proposed logging – The chapter has submitted a letter supporting efforts by local citizens’ groups and municipalities to have a 28 acre forested property purchased for conservation and public access, rather than being logged.

• Sword fern die-off – Chapter chair, Dan Paquette, and I have spoken with people tracking the mysterious mass die-off of Polystichum munitum, and have written a letter supporting efforts to track down the cause of this die-off. The WNPS state conservation committee awarded a grant to UW student Natalie Schwartz, in support of a project to track fern die-off. Other than offering volunteer assistance, all our chapter can do at this time is to track the issue. Tim Billo of the University of Washington, will speak to our chapter on this subject on Jan.-3, 2019, 7pm at the Mountaineers Program Center in Magnuson Park.

The next issue will feature more about conservation in our chapter area. Meanwhile, I’m always pleased to discuss conservation matters, either via phone or email! Lori Jirak: [email protected] 425-748-4626

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Plant Sale Fall Native Planting and Education Festival Hosted by Eastside Audubon 21 Acres in Woodinville Saturday, September 22, 10:00am – 2:00pm Get a head start on your fall planting with bulbs and seeds from WNPS, Central Puget Sound chapter! We will be having a booth in partnership with Eastside Audubon's fall native plant sale. It will be held at 21 Acres during the Sammamish Valley Fall Harvest Festival. Eastside Audubon will also have partner booths from Bats Northwest and Rent Mason Bees, and 21 Acres will be hosting a falconry group. Come join us and get your start on fall gardening, native plant information, and farm-fresh food all in one stop. For more information and the species of bulbs and seeds for sale: https://www.wnps2.org/calendar/315

Volunteer Opportunities Volunteer and Get Free Tickets to the Puyallup Fair! Puyallup Fairgrounds Many dates between August 31 & September 23 Contact: Gail Trotter, [email protected] Volunteers are needed to work in South Sound chapter’s native plants display in the NW OUTDOORS building at the Washington State Fair. Volunteers will greet fair-goers and assist with periodic maintenance of the area and displays. The fair runs from August 31 thru September 23 (closed on Sept 4, 5, 11, and 18). If this opportunity interests you, please email Gail Trotter at [email protected] and let her know when you would be able to help. Please provide Gail your home phone and address so she can contact you and mail you your ticket(s)! DETAILS: • Volunteers get a FREE ticket to the fair, plus FREE parking on the day(s) that they volunteer to work. • Volunteers are asked to work two-hour shifts. • Shift starts are at: 11:00am , 1:00pm & 3:00pm. • Shifts occur when the fair is open beginning on FRIDAY, AUG 31 and ending on SUNDAY, SEPT 23 (Closed on Sept 4, 5, 11, and 18). • You can volunteer for multiple days and receive tickets for each day you volunteer. NO SPECIAL EXPERTISE IS REQUIRED. Although a knowledge of native plants is helpful, it is not required. Volunteers working the display area serve as ambassadors to our local chapter and to the Washington Native Plant Society as a whole. They also provide handouts and other useful information to fairgoers.

Seed and Bulb Sorting Party for the Fall Planting and Education Festival Magnuson Park Upstairs Conference Room Thursday, September 20 6:00pm – 8:00pm Contact Brenda Clifton at (360)348-7865.

Come and join us September 20th for socializing and seed and bulb sorting for the Eastside Audubon Plant Sale. The party starts at 6pm at the WNPS office in Magnuson Park: 6310 NE 74th St Ste 215E, Seattle, WA 98115 (upstairs). Refreshments will be provided. Please contact Brenda Clifton at (360)348- 7865 for more information.

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Native Plant Nursery Magnuson Park Nursery First Monday of the month Contact Brenda Clifton at (360)348-7865. The Native Plant Nursery is located in Magnuson Park, near the WNPS office. The nursery maintains an inventory of plants that are offered for sale at CPS plant sales.

Volunteer: The nursery hosts a regular monthly work party on the first Monday of the month from 10:00am to 2:00pm. Additional work parties are scheduled on an as-needed basis, and are announced on the chapter web page.

Donations: The nursery accepts donations of your native plants, 3 to 6” propagation pots, containers, and flats. You can bring your donations to a chapter meeting or drop them off at the nursery. All donations will be put to good use.

For more information, contact Brenda Clifton at [email protected] or 360-348-7865.

Volunteer at the taqwsheblu Vi Hilbert Ethnobotanical Garden Seattle University October 3, 2018, 10:00am to 1:00pm Contact Sharon Baker, [email protected] or 206-464-1068 “The Earth is our First Teacher”

The Central Puget Sound Chapter of the Washington Native Plant Society has formed a partnership with Seattle University. The partnership is focused learning from and caring for the Vi Hilbert Ethnobotanical Garden on the SU campus. YOU ARE INVITED TO TAKE PART IN A WORK PARTY AT THE SU ETHNOBOTANY GARDEN We will be removing invasive plants and planting native plants. If you would like to take part, contact Sharon Baker ([email protected] or 206 464 1068). I will send you detailed instructions, including tools, parking and public transportation. Let me know if you need parking validation.

In particular, we would like to invite Seattle University staff, faculty and students to join us in learning from and caring for this amazing campus resource. If you’re on campus and don’t have 3 hours free, just come by the Garden and pull a few weeds and say hello. We’ll have tools and gloves available.

The taqwsheblu Vi Hilbert Ethnobotanical Garden is 11,500 square feet and is organized in four biomes, representing the major ecological areas of the Pacific Northwest including alpine, lowland forest, wetland and prairie. The garden is designed to help visitors learn more about how the First People of the Puget Sound co-existed with their environment, using the plants for food, medicine, and materials for building, carving, weaving, fishing and ritual activities.

As the plaque at the entrance to the garden says: “Where Seattle University stands, once a forest stood. In and around this forest people and plants lived closely together for many centuries before the city of Seattle was established. This garden invites you to learn more about this intimate, sustainable relationship and encourages you to cultivate your own relationship with our native plants.”

Volunteer with Work Parties at Bellevue Botanical Garden Bellevue Botanical Garden Friday, September 14, 10:00am Friday, October 12, 10:00am with Garden Club Contact Janka Hobbs at [email protected]

Work parties help maintain native plants in the Native Discovery Garden. September 14 tasks will include weeding and pruning. October 12 tasks will focus on fall cleanup and building wattle fences. Please bring long flexible prunings (such as tree or shrub waterspouts) if you have them, for the fencing.

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Field Trips Past Field Trip: Snoqualmie Seeps 2.0 Ray Izumi, Field Trip Co-Chair We made our first field trip to the seeps on July 7th; since then the area experienced a rainless heat wave that dried it out and turned some of our subjects into "crispy critters." So we set out for the strenuous 200' "hike" to the first seep with some trepidation.

Nevertheless, our group soldiered on and discovered that, despite conditions, there are still many interesting things to see in the sun- drenched seep. As with previous trips here, the species of greatest interest were the carnivorous Round-leaf Sundews (Drosera rotundifolia) with their deep red leaves sparkling from the sticky "dew drops" that spell doom for unlucky insects who wander unwisely. These carmine beauties huddle around the mini-bogs where standing water endures year round.

We noticed that in spite of the now dried-out appearance of the larger area that comprises the entire seep, the dried grasses belie the fact that the soil underneath is in fact saturated with water. That's how water-loving plants we saw like Alpine Laurel (Kalmia microphylla) endure the blazing sun right through the summer.

A pleasant surprise was the large number of Ladies' Tresses orchids (Spiranthes romanzoffiana) scattered around the area, all in full bloom. Those in full sun were showing the effects of the recent high temperatures, but we found patches of orchids in excellent condition growing happily in the semi-shade provided by outbuildings.

After lunch at a shady picnic table we headed up the Kendall Katwalk trail, pausing often to scrutinize the many small seeps along the way. One seep in particular stands out due to its location in full sun, where many species live in a delightful mish-mash of sun and water loving species, many still in bloom.

It's always fun to see WNPS members sharing their knowledge and enthusiasm, both of which were evident on this fun trip. We'll have another trip to the seeps next spring to see the early-blooming species like Jefferson Shooting Stars (Dodecatheon jeffreyi) and Marsh Marigolds (Caltha leptosepala) that are found here in great profusion.

There was one particularly hairy hiker who joined us at lunch, but said not a word the entire time (lots of heavy breathing, though). He seemed particularly interested in the ripe blueberries that we found along the trail. It takes all kinds, I guess, but he was a welcome addition nevertheless. If you have any questions about this or the photo, please contact Ray Izumi.

Volunteer as a Field Trip Leader "I'm not a botanist, so I'm not qualified."

"I don't know the Latin names."

"I wouldn't know how to lead people on a trip."

"I don't have the time."

I heard these comments from WNPS members when I asked them if they would like to lead a field trip. But I want to tell you that none of these qualifications are required, because the purpose of leading a field trip is not to dazzle with your botanical expertise or your mastery of binomial nomenclature ("Latin names"). No, the real purpose of leading a field trip is to share your love, enthusiasm, and personal knowledge of a site with other like-minded members, many of whom will come to love it as you do.

Most of us have favorite places that are special to us, whether because of the beauty of the wildflowers, or the presence of unusual and rare species, or any of the other reasons we all joined WNPS to expand

Page 6 of 8 NPP Vol 19, No 6, September 2018 Native Plant Press September 2018 our knowledge of the native flora. I personally like to introduce fellow botanizers to the Snoqualmie Pass area, where we discuss the unique ecology of this often-overlooked area and get to see some unusual and even rare species that live there.

So why not share your special places with the rest of us?

Yes, it takes a certain amount of effort to plan and organize a field trip, but not nearly as much as you might think. Much of the work is done behind the scenes by your WNPS Field Trip Coordinators, who provide publicity, printed guidelines, sign-up sheets, and gladly proffered advice if needed. Organizing participants is done by the leader, mostly by email and/or social media.

As to expertise, much of that will be provided by your fellow hikers, who are eager to share their knowledge too. WNPS field trips are always laid-back affairs with people who are often entirely self- taught as most of us are. You can also designate one or more co-leaders to help. The main criterion for a field trip is to have fun and maybe learn a little as well!

The best way to learn how to lead a trip is to go on a few yourself. Leaders' styles are as diverse as the leaders themselves, who might range from professional botanists to avid amateurs and everything in between. There is no "right way" to do it.

As a leader, you are not limited to places in the geographical confines of your local chapter. You can lead a trip pretty much anywhere in our area and beyond. Indeed, past trips have occurred all over Washington. One particularly ambitious leader ran a trip all the way to the Siskiyous in Southern Oregon!

So, what are you waiting for? If you want to try this unique and enjoyable experience, contact one of the current WNPS Field Trip Coordinators:

Sandy Bowman: [email protected] Ray Izumi: [email protected]

About Plants Plant of the Month: Paoenia brownii By Janka Hobbs This is my annual Vacation column – plants not found in the Puget Sound Lowlands. One of my favorites, that I try to visit every spring, is Paeonia brownii. Found on the Eastern slope of the Cascades from Chelan County South to Central California, in the Blue Mountains, and East into Montana, Nevada and Utah, it grows in Sagebrush steppes and Ponderosa pine forests, usually in partial shade.

P brownii and the closely related P. californicum (from Central California South into Baja) are the only native peonies in the Americas, and form their own section (Onaepia) of the genus Paeonia. The species epithet “brownii” honors Scottish botanist Robert Brown (1773-1858), and is not a comment on the color of the inflorescence. Brown’s Peony is a long-lived herbaceous perennial that can flower from early spring on into June. The drooping flowers have green to purple sepals and reddish petals rimmed with yellow, which contrast nicely with the fleshy bluish green leaves. It has thick roots that help the plant to withstand herbivory and fire.

P. brownii are pollinator generalists, visited mostly by wasps and syrphid flies (and by ants, if the wasps are not around to eat them). The flowers produce nectar that is strongly attractive to some wasp species. The seeds, though not numerous, are large, and are sometimes cached by rodents, though they are not a highly prized food. Seedlings will often come up in clumps, either from caches, or because they fell from the seed pod together.

For those of you who want to grow this intriguing plant on the Westside, seeds are available from some inland nurseries. Remember that it is accustomed to summer drought (regular summer watering will kill it), and is susceptible to our ubiquitous fungal plant diseases. Maybe try it in a container, or better yet, visit it and its dry land cohabitants on the Eastern slope next spring.

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Guerilla Seeding of “Lost” Collomia grandiflora Here in Seattle Stewart Wechsler

About nineteen years ago, when I found Arthur Lee Jacobson’s checklist with all of the species, native or alien, that had ever been found growing wild in the greater Seattle area, and got the idea that I would work to bring back all of the species he had listed as “extirpated”, that is considered native to the greater Seattle area, but now estimated to be lost from the Seattle area because it had not been recorded here for decades. Among the locally lost species that I had found, that I had brought back to Seattle, was Collomia grandiflora – Large-flowered Collomia. It is a winter annual species, with beautiful reddish stems, reddish undersides of its leaves and attractive pastel orange flowers. While common in the Ponderosa Pine zone of the east slopes of the Cascades, it is generally rare west of the Cascades. As I always have made an effort to only move wild gene stock from not very far physically or very different ecologically, I was pleased, years ago, when I found one of the relatively few populations of Collomia grandiflora within my area, west of the Cascades, in the rocky outcrops of SE Thurston County, at a lower elevation. I then found that the plants that grew from the seed I collected there would spread very nicely, especially in sunny, bare, sandy to rocky soils, often dominating the areas with these soils in relatively few generations, of relatively few years, with relatively little weeding around them. I was also pleased when I first found an attractive species of Bee Fly in the genus Bombylius (bee mimic flies that hover, and feed from long, straight, drinking straw-like proboscises) that I had never seen before, drinking nectar from the long, deep pastel orange tube of the Collomia flower, that would be spreading this flower's unusual blue pollen. While this species would have had very little of its preferred sunny, gravelly to rocky habitats, at the time of European contact, and would have been rare then within what we call “Seattle” today, we now have many sunny sites with gravelly, and rocky soils, even if those “rocks” are concrete, that we didn't have here before, giving another reason to bring this species back. So, while Collomia grandiflora might have only rarely grown within the borders of what we now call “Seattle” at the time of European contact, with so many modern appropriate habitats for this species along the alleys, rockeries, and in some of the barer and disturbed soils in the parks, I am happy to bring a lost species back to Seattle, even if most of the habitat it is now using, isn't so “natural” as the rock outcrops and gravelly glacial outwash prairies where it grew in the Puget Trough prior to European contacts.

Central Puget Sound Chapter WNPS Officers & Committee Chairs

Chair Nancy Bowen-Pope Dan Paquette Melissa Obenchain Education 206-715-3718 425-486-4927 971-322-4053 Franja Bryant [email protected] [email protected] [email protected] 425-562-0353 [email protected] Fundraising: VACANT Vice-Chair: VACANT Publicity Jan Bird Botanist Stewardship Program Secretary (425) 427-5218 Nelson Salisbury Chrys Sacco Bertolotto Sharon Baker [email protected] 206-372-4255 206-588-1247 206-935-1769 (h) [email protected] [email protected] 206-464-1068 (c) Field Trip co-chairs: [email protected] Sandy Bowman Botanist Fellow Volunteer Coordinator 206-522-8965 Stewart Wechsler VACANT Treasurer [email protected] 206-932-7225 Amy Lester Ray Izumi [email protected] Nursery Co-Chairs 206-914-2277 425-880-4720 Carter Case [email protected] [email protected] Conservation 425-361-3334 Lori Jirak [email protected] Board Members at Large Programs –Westside 425-748-4626 Brenda Clifton Cindy Spurgeon Shelley Evans [email protected] 360-348-7865 (Stewardship Grants) 206-720-0546 [email protected] 206-632-6432 [email protected] Eastside Team Chair [email protected] Sharon Baker Cheryl Wagner Other CPS Contacts Grace Stiller 206-935-1769 (h) 425-392-0288 (Salvage Program) 206-464-1068 (c) [email protected] Refreshments -Eastside 206-795-5783 [email protected] Kathe Low [email protected] Plant Sale Co-Chairs 206-310*3434 Ted Couillard Programs – Eastside Yen Flanagin [email protected] (Digital Media Coordinator) Cheryl Wagner 425-785-1868 206-384-5277 425-392-0288 [email protected] [email protected] [email protected]

Page 8 of 8 NPP Vol 19, No 6, September 2018 WNPS Conservation Information Sheet Prepared by: preparer name here Date: month, day, year

Evaluation: [Conservation Committee completion] WNPS Review Status: [Conservation Committee completion]

Issue: [One sentence on what the issue is.]

Background: [One to three paragraphs would be fine! More than a page is too much. References and links, added below, are helpful.]

Origin: [Who or what has brought this to WNPS attention. Please keep it short!]

Relevancy to WNPS Mission: [What are WNPS concerns? How do these relate to the WNPS mission? Short and to the point.]

Recommended Actions: [What action is proposed. Attendance/representation at meetings? A comment letter?]

Issue Statement: [This will be completed by the Conservation Committee.]

Issue contacts: [Who is the WNPS lead on this issue. Include contact information]

References: [Supporting documents, Links to information websites of agencies or supporters]

Contacts/Opportunities for Comments: [Very important. Include name (if available), address, and/or email. Try to include contact information for everyone that should receive a copy of the comment letter, for example the agency, and copies to council members.]

ACTION DATES: [Perhaps most important! Include comment deadlines.]

(Please see next page for additional information.)

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WNPS Conservation Information Sheet Prepared by: preparer name here Date: month, day, year

About WNPS Conservation: Comment letters and other actions are a form of outreach that educates the public about WNPS. Letters should draw from the paragraphs below. WNPS strongly encourages use of the final paragraph in its entirety for agency communications. Establishing that botanizing is a use (like hiking, biking, hunting) gives WNPS additional standing with agencies. Conserving intact native plant habitats for their intrinsic ecologic function and value is of highest priority to WNPS. The Washington Native Plant Society works to conserve native plants and their habitats within Washington State. Native plants include all vascular plants, non-vascular plants, fungi, lichens, and algae that were present within the borders of Washington before Euro-Asian contact. WNPS promotes their appreciation with a variety of educational and conservation activities that are open to the public. These activities include studying plants in their native habitats. Conservation of native plant species and their habitats through protection from non-native species is critical to the WNPS mission. Botanizing is a scientific and recreational activity that has a long history in Washington. Rooted in the oral traditions of our state’s First Peoples, documented in the journal of botanist and explorer David Douglas, and continuing today on the web with the meticulous records of the Burke Herbarium and the WNPS plant lists compiled by citizen botanists, botanizing is a discipline worthy of recognition, promotion, and protection. Observations of citizen-botanists have contributed to the human knowledge base of all cultures for thousands of years. Protecting vulnerable habitats and rare plant species ensures that current and future generations will experience and benefit from functional and biologically diverse natural environments in Washington. Becky Chaney, Conservation Chair 2016, updated 2017

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