2019 Symposium: Prairies and Grasslands of the Lower 48

Download the 2019 MNNPS Symposium Registration Form. Registration deadline is March 12.

Prairie historically covered one-third of the state of Minnesota, and has been a topic of previous symposia. This year, we are broadening our geographical range to prairies and grasslands across the lower 48 states. This will provide an opportunity to learn about prairies and grasslands from the unglaciated plains of the Southeast United States all the way to the Pacific Northwest.

Jeffrey Taylor

• Researcher at Konza Prairie, Manhattan, Kansas
• Topic: Program on long-term research at Konza, looking at vegetative composition and how management influences this system.

Dr. Sarah Hamman

• Prairie Conservation Science Program Manager at the Center for Natural Lands Management, Olympia, Washington
• Topic: Hidden prairies of the Pacific Northwest: How unique conservation strategies are restoring diversity and resilience to a highly fragmented ecosystem.

Dr. Reed Noss

• Chief Science Advisor of the Southeastern Grasslands Initiative; he is based near University of Central Florida
• Forgotten grasslands of the unglaciated east: origin, history, and future.

Dr. Bruno Borsari

• Professor at Winona State University, Winona, Minnesota
• Presentation on Soils, Plants Diversity and Peoples of the Cajun Prairie: A Distinctive Ecosystem in Southwestern Louisiana worthy of Reconstruction and Conservation

Rhett Johnson

• Prairie Specialist, Minnesota Department of Natural Resources
• Prairies of Minnesota

Call for Research Track Poster Presentations

Students and academic researchers are invited to submit abstracts on research related to native plants and native plant communities of Minnesota, including taxonomy and systematics, preservation, conservation, and restoration. Posters will be on display throughout the conference and presenters are invited to discuss their posters during the scheduled breaks and lunch. Abstracts can be emailed to Annie Weeks at annie.weeks@mnrinc.us. The submission deadline is March 1, 2019, and presenters will be notified of acceptance by March 8, 2019.

Vendors interested in having a booth at the symposium can contact Shirley Mah Kooyman by email at smkooyman@gmail.com.

Download the 2019 MNNPS Symposium Registration Form