MN PlantWatch

Presented by: Angela Miner and Deanna Leigh.

The recorded Zoom presentation is available on the Video page.

MN PlantWatch is a new community science initiative that supports the conservation of Minnesota’s rare native plants. Volunteers search for plants in their natural habitats, collect important data about species location, population health and potential threats, and contribute to conservation seed banking. We will share stories and accomplishments from the 2023 inaugural field season. Learn what it is like to volunteer, future goals for the program and how you might become involved.

Angela Miner is the Conservation Botanist for the University of Minnesota’s Landscape Arboretum (UMLA). She works with the UMLA’s Plant Conservation Program to conserve, research, and bank seed for MN’s rare plant species. She holds a degree in Conservation Biology from the University of Minnesota, has worked with habitat management and restoration with The Nature Conservancy, and began working with the MN PlantWatch program in the spring of 2023.

Deanna Leigh is a Community Science Program Coordinator with the DNR’s Minnesota Biological Survey. She holds a BS in Environmental Studies from Trinity Western University and a MS in Environmental Science from Western Washington University. She pursued various natural resources and field research opportunities across North America before returning to her home state of Minnesota in 2017 for a position with DNR Parks and Trails. She joined MN PlantWatch in April 2023 and is thrilled to be working with rare species.