Minnesota Native Plant Society

Studying Sundews, a Global Carnivorous Plant Genus Found in Minnesota's Backyard
2022-11-03 19:00 - 20:30 (America/Chicago)
Speaker: Rebekah Mohn, University of Minnesota PhD Candidate
The Zoom presentation is available on the Videos page.
Bio: Rebekah Mohn is a Ph.D. candidate at the University of Minnesota in Saint Paul studying chromosome variation in a group of insect-eating plants commonly known as sundews (the genus Drosera).

The University of Minnesota Bell Museum Herbarium: The history, how it is used, and the ongoing work.
2022-12-01 19:00 - 20:30
The recorded Zoom meeting is available on the Video page.
Presenter: Tim Whitfeld, Herbarium Collections Manager, University of Minnesota Bell Museum
Tim will give a brief history of the Bell Museum Herbarium and discuss the way herbarium collections are used by others. He will also go into some of the ongoing work at the Herbarium in the collection including digitizing and the collaboration with researchers and agencies outside the University. Tim will also touch on some of his collecting work in Minnesota and further afield in Papua New Guinea.

Peatland Restoration as a Natural Climate Solution in Minnesota
2023-02-02 19:00 - 20:30
Presenter: Kristen Blann, Lead Freshwater Ecologist with The Nature Conservancy (MN, ND, SD)
The Zoom presentation is available on the Videos page.

Talk Summary: Peatlands cover 6 million acres or more in Minnesota, representing more than 10% of the state by area and an estimated 37% of stored terrestrial carbon. However, drainage of peat soils has caused and continues to drive significant carbon losses to the atmosphere due to oxidation and decomposition. Given the critical role that protecting and restoring peatlands play in the global carbon cycle, The Nature Conservancy (TNC) in Minnesota is working with partners to develop a peatland strategy as part of our overall climate change mitigation efforts. We have attempted to quantify and refine estimates of peatland conservation and restoration by mapping drained, partially drained and intact peatlands and extrapolating initial estimates of GHG (CO2 and CH4) stocks and fluxes from literature, and we are currently implementing GHG monitoring at a large restored peatland in the Sax Zim Bog. The presentation will summarize our initial mapping results, estimates, and feasibility considerations, as well as updates on our strategies and research plans.
Presenter Bio: Kristen Blann (Conservation Biology, UMN, M.S. ‘00, PhD ‘04) is Lead Freshwater Ecologist with The Nature Conservancy in MN, ND, SD. For the past 15+ years, she has provided technical leadership for freshwater and watershed conservation planning at TNC, including development of ecological flow and water level criteria to support sustainable water management and lake classification and conservation portfolios in 4 states. In addition to peatland protection, she is currently working on climate adaptation and protection for wild rice, as well as science, restoration and protection strategies for floodplains, wetlands, and freshwater in MN, ND, and SD. She is based in north central Minnesota where she and her husband raise vegetables, chickens and grass-fed lamb.

Sherburne National Wildlife Refuge
2023-02-25 09:00 - 12:00
Geology, Birds, and Plants of the Sherburne National Wildlife Refuge
Where: Sherburne National Wildlife Refuge Oak Savanna Learning Center
16797 289th Avenue Northwest, Zimmerman, Minnesota 55398
When: Saturday February 25th, 2023 (9:00 a.m. to 12:00p.m.)
Leader: Bruce Galer, Professional Geologist, Sherburne NWR Volunteer, Master Naturalist, and Jennifer Kamm, Environmental Consultant, Master Naturalist
Come join Bruce Galer and Jennifer Kamm for a discussion of the geology and natural history of the Sherburne National Wildlife Refuge and hike the Blue Hill Trail. A one-hour presentation at the Oak Savanna Learning Center will discuss how the glaciers shaped the landforms we see in the Refuge today, and how these landforms, along with water, influence vegetation and other organisms. Then follow us to the Blue Hill Trail just west of the Learning Center to hike the trail and observe geologic features, birds, and winter botany. The 30,700-acre refuge was established in 1965 at the urging of local conservationists and hunters interested in restoring the wildlife values of the St. Francis River Basin. Following that, the refuge became and remains the largest public land holding in Sherburne County. The refuge is now a wild remnant at the meeting of the western prairies and the northern woods, with oak savanna, prairie opening, forest, wetland and riverine habitats.
Download the flyer with additional information: MNNPS Field Trip – Sherburne National Wildlife Refuge Feb 25 2023
This trip is open to MNNPS members only. To register, please contact:
Field Trip Coordinator: Jennifer Kamm. For more information, feel free to contact
Jennifer at jennifer.kamm@stantec.com or 612-875-0543
Please register by February 24th

State Seed Mixes, Their Evolving Role In Addressing Ecological Challenges
2023-03-02 19:00 - 20:30
Presenter: Dan Shaw, Senior Ecologist/Vegetation Specialist, Minnesota Board of Water and Soil Resources
The Zoom presentation is available on the Videos page.
Talk Summary: State seed mixes have evolved over the last 20 years to meet statewide needs for restoration and conservation programs. With our increasing environmental challenges these mixes are taking on greater significance and new seed mixes are in development to address emerging conservation challenges. This presentation will cover the history, and current activity with state seed mixes, along with a summary of how seed mix design has been evolving to further support wildlife species and increase the climate resiliency of plantings. Information will also be provided about opportunities to provide input about state seed mixes and fact sheets that are in development to guide their installation and management.
Presenter Bio: Dan Shaw is the Senior Ecologist and Vegetation Specialist with the Minnesota Board of Water and Soil Resources (BWSR). His work focuses on plant community restoration, climate mitigation and adaptation, pollinator habitat and invasive species control. He has also taught ecological design and restoration classes at the University of Minnesota for the past 21 years and authored or co-authored and illustrated several publications on ecological restoration and stormwater projects.

Hastings SNA Volunteer Day
2023-03-26 09:00 - 12:00
Help Remove Buckthorn Encroachment on Snow Trillium Population
Where: Hastings Scientific and Natural Area, Hastings, MN
When: Sunday March 26th, 2023, 9:00 a.m. to 12:00p.m.
Leader: Jennifer Kamm
Please join your fellow MNNPS members in an effort to remove buckthorn that is encroaching on a snow trillium population at Hastings SNA. We will be cutting and treating the buckthorn and stacking the cuttings. We will have plenty of tools for everyone. We will meet at the CP Adams City Park parking lot on the north side of Leduc Drive and walk to our treatment area on the south side of Leduc Drive in the south unit of the SNA. We will go to Schoolhouse Scoop for ice cream when we finish.
Hastings SNA consists of two parcels totaling 64.9 acres. The southeast unit where we will be working, is about 43 acres and dominated by mesic oak forest, with old-growth red oak, sugar maple, and basswood on steep north-facing bluffs and bluff tops. Sugar maple-basswood forest covers a small section of the mid-slope, and emergent marsh, pond and floodplain forest cover low-lying areas. Talus slopes and steep escarpments of dolomitic limestone provide habitat for mosses, lichens, and liverworts. The northwest parcel, about 26 acres, is entirely in the Vermillion/Mississippi River floodplain and consists of floodplain forest and emergent marsh. The Vermillion River covers about 3 acres here as it meanders through this parcel. Silver maple dominates the forest, with green ash and American elm. The site topography is varied, with a 52-meter (170 feet) difference in elevation across the site.
This event is for members of the MN Native Plant Society only and will be limited to 20 registrants.
Download the flyer for maps, directions, and more information: MNNPS – Hastings SNA Volunteer Day
To register for this event please contact:
Event Coordinator: Jennifer Kamm, jennifer.kamm@stantec.com or 612-875-0543
Please register by March 20th

Restoring Ecosystem Functionality and Biodiversity in Minnesota’s Changing Climate
2023-04-06 19:00 - 20:30
Presenter: Heather Holm, biologist, pollinator conservationist, and award-winning author
The Zoom presentation is available on the Videos page.
Talk Summary: Four unique biomes converge within Minnesota along a southwest to northeast continuum. Prior to Euro-American settlement, the four contiguous biomes included prairie grassland in southwest and west, tallgrass aspen parkland in the northwest, boreal forest in the northeast, and a mixture of oak savanna, oak woodland, and deciduous forest sandwiched in the middle of these western and eastern biomes. These landscapes have since been radically altered and, with the climate warming, what does the future have in store for Minnesota’s landscape and remaining biome fragments? The presentation will look into the past to understand these biomes at the time of Euro-American settlement, and discuss how Native Americans managed and influenced the composition of the biomes with the regular use of fire. Pivoting to look into the future using projected climate modeling, Heather will address the ecological conditions today, focusing on oak ecosystems and grasslands, then paint a picture of what a functional, biodiverse, and resilient landscape may look like in the future, and what actions are needed to achieve these outcomes.
About the Presenter: Heather is the author of four books: Pollinators of Native Plants (2014), Bees (2017), Wasps (2021), and Common Native Bees of the Eastern United States (2022). Both Bees and Wasps have won multiple book awards including the American Horticultural Society Book Award (2018 and 2022 respectively). Heather’s expertise includes the interactions between native pollinators and native plants, and the natural history and biology of native bees and predatory wasps. Her work has been featured in the New York Times, Minneapolis Star Tribune, and many local publications. Heather is also an accomplished photographer and her pollinator photos are frequently featured in print and electronic publications.

Spring Ephemerals, Sedges, and Birds of Old Growth Hardwood Forest in SE MN
2023-04-30 10:00 - 14:00
Join Michael Lee and Jennifer Kamm in exploring a rich hardwood forest on the bluffs along Partridge Creek In southeastern Minesota.
This field trip is for members of the MN Native Plant Society only and will be limited to 25 registrants. Contact field trip coordinator Jennifer Kamm to register: jennifer.kamm@stantec.com
Download the flyer for more information: MNNPS Field Trip – Partridge Creek April 30

Minnesota’s North Shore
2023-05-04 19:00 - 20:30 | Dakota Lodge, 1200 Stassen Lane, West St. Paul, MN, 55118, United States
Presenter: Chel Anderson, retired botanist & plant ecologist.
A hybrid in-person (Dakota Lodge) and on-line Zoom meeting. The recorded Zoom presentation is available on the Videos page.

7:00 PM Meeting starts, doors will open sometime after 6:30 PM
This will be our first in-person meeting for the plant society in over three years and we hope some of you are able to join us once again! For those who are unable to be there, the option of viewing the presentation through Zoom will continue to take place.
Talk Summary: Northeastern Minnesota straddles the extreme edges of two major North American biomes: the Eastern Deciduous Forest and the Boreal Forest. At this crossroads we find the Lake Superior watershed and MN North Shore. A whirlwind tour of this place—from origins and climate to the diversity and relationships of lands, communities of plants and animals and waters, including Lake Superior— will give you an introduction to one of Minnesota‘s marvel-filled landscapes just as winter relinquishes its firm grip.
About the Presenter: Chel has lived and worked in northeastern Minnesota since 1974. She began her career with the USFS on the Superior National Forest, then transitioned to a consulting botanist, forest and plant ecologist. Before retiring to the rest of her life in 2019, she thrived for a couple of decades as a lead plant ecologist and botanist with the Minnesota Biological Survey. She is co-author with Adelheid Fischer of, North Shore—A Natural History of Minnesota’s Superior Coast.
Other Plant Society Business
Board Member Elections: We will have an in-person vote at the May meeting. Those who are current members of the society will be able to vote. The board of directors has suggested the following slate:
John Arthur (Incumbent)
Jennifer Kamm (Incumbent)
David Remucal (Incumbent)

Geology, Birds, and Plants of the Sherburne National Wildlife Refuge
2023-05-07 09:00 - 12:00
Join Bruce Galer and Jennifer Kamm for a discussion of the geology and natural history of the Sherburne National Wildlife Refuge and hike the Blue Hill Trail.
This field trip is for members of the MN Native Plant Society only and will be limited to 25 registrants. Contact field trip coordinator Jennifer Kamm to register: jennifer.kamm@stantec.com
Download the flyer for more information: MNNPS Field Trip – Sherburne Nat’l Wildlife Refuge May 7

Spring Butterfly Trek
2023-05-13 09:00 - 16:00
This trip is scheduled for May 13 -OR- May 20, depending on weather.
For a dozen years now, Stillwater butterfly enthusiast Dean Hansen has led a day-long trip to look for spring butterflies in the jack pine/oak barrens in northwest Wisconsin’s Burnett County.
This field trip is for members of the MN Native Plant Society only and will be limited to 8 registrants. Contact field trip coordinator Ken Arndt to register: ken.arndt@mnrinc.us
Download the flyer for more information: MNNPS Field Trip – Spring Butterfly Trek May 13 or 20

Tiffany Bottoms Train Ride
2023-09-09 13:00 - 17:00
Where: On Highway 25 about 4.5 miles south of Durand, Buffalo County, Wisconsin
When: Saturday, September 9th, 1-5 p.m.
Leaders: Steve Eggers, Jennifer Kamm
Come join your fellow MNNPS friends on Saturday, September 9th for the unique experience of an open air, antique train ride into an expansive, high quality floodplain forest of the Chippewa River. The event is hosted by the Chippewa Valley Motor Car Association. Enjoy stops with short hikes into floodplain forests, savannas and prairies.
Please see the flyer for more details.
You must be a member of the Minnesota Native Plant Society to participate. Register for this trip by emailing Jennifer Kamm at Jennifer.kamm@stantec.com

Discussion on Welby Smith’s newly published book, Ferns and Lycophytes of Minnesota
2023-10-05 19:00 - 20:30 | Dakota Lodge, 1200 Stassen Lane, West St. Paul, MN, 55118, United States
Presenter: Welby Smith, State Botanist with the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources
The recorded presentation is available on the Videos page.

Please join us for the upcoming monthly meeting with our presenter, Welby Smith, who will discuss his newly published book, Ferns and Lycophytes of Minnesota. Welby will share some interesting stories about ferns and discuss the book itself and the key people behind this great new resource!
Terrace Horticultural Books (Kent Petterson) will have Welby’s new book available for sale at the meeting, so this will give folks an opportunity to both purchase the book and support a local business. The cost for Welby’s book will be $40 (tax included). Kent from THB will be able to accept payment by credit card, cash, and check.
The following is a book review of Welby’s book by Kent.
Book Review: Ferns and Lycophytes Of Minnesota
A new flora for Minnesota from State Botanist, Welby Smith, has been added to his impressive list of work on plants in Minnesota. Ferns and Lycophytes of Minnesota is the first new field guide on ferns, (more on Lycophytes a bit later) in over 40 years. The book is published by the University of Minnesota (ISBN978-1-5179-1466-0) @ $39.95. Editors have repeated the format of Smith’s 2018 Sedges and Rushes of Minnesota, for this updated flora that incorporates rapidly advancing DNA understandings of these plants.
A previous flora, Ferns of Minnesota by Rolla Tryon was last updated in 1980. An aborted attempt at an update by Warren Wagner of the University of Michigan in partnership with Smith ended in 2000 with the death of Wagner.
With this new flora, Welby Smith has not gone alone with this addition to the Minnesota Biological Survey. Support from the Minnesota DNR, specimen photography by Richard Haug, and also help from a long list of contributors produced this fine addition to our flora. A new complete field guide of appropriate size and heft to species identification. Two pages for each species showing a distribution map, in several cases color illustrations by Smith that are actually photos that look like water color paintings, and color specimen ID photos by Haug for 80 fern species, plus 8 orders of 20 Lycophyte species.
Per Welby Smith, “At the beginning of each chapter is a page showing a collage, then the chapter is broken up into genera. At the start of each genus “subchapter” is a page showing 2-dimensional images of a leaf of each species. All the images on the order and genus pages are photographs that I took. Using photo editing software I placed the images side-by-side to show the differences – in typical field-guide style. Every image in the book is a photograph. For each species in the book, there is a page of field photos. That is, photos of the species in their natural habitat. Rick Haug took maybe 90 percent of these field photos (He’s the best field photographer I have ever seen.) A number of other people including myself took the rest of the photos.”
You will learn a lot about these plants and find ID help for sure in this clear and well written book. There is no doubt, Welby Smith is a giant in his field. His flora work with books on Orchids, Trees & Shrubs, Grasses and Sedges, and now Ferns and Lycophytes, together represent 40 years of field work and research. This book is a must have for any plant enthusiast.
Kent Petterson
Terrace Horticultural Books

Minnesota's Peatlands: Climate Change, Carbon, and Cool Plants
2023-11-02 19:00 - 20:30 | Dakota Lodge, 1200 Stassen Lane, West St. Paul, MN, 55118, United States
Presenter: Laura Reuling, Research Scientist, University of Minnesota
The recorded program is available on the Video page.

Laura Reuling is a researcher scientist at the University of Minnesota in the silviculture program. Her research explores applied questions about forest ecology, forest stand dynamics, and regeneration. Current projects include exploring stand development and forest composition in peatland forests, forest response to fire in northern Minnesota, and the impacts of biochar as a soil additive on seedling survival and growth.

2023 Symposium: Minnesota's Forests, Today and Tomorrow
2023-11-11 08:30 - 15:30 | Minnesota Landscape Arboretum, 3675 Arboretum Dr., Chaska, MN, 55318, United States
Speakers and Topics

8:30-9:00 Registration
9:00-9:20 Welcome to the Symposium and the Minnesota Landscape Arboretum
9:20-10:20 White Pine: The Natural and Human History of a Foundational American Tree. John Pastor, Professor Emeritus, University of Minnesota Duluth
10:20-11:20 Adaptive Silviculture for Climate Change. Dr. Windmuller-Campione Lab: Abby Daniel, MS Student, Catherine Glenn-Stone, MS Student, and Nick Parrott, MS Student
11:20-11:35 Minnesota Plant Watch Program Announcement
11:35-12:30 Lunch
12:30-1:25 Giving Nature a Nudge: How National Forests in Minnesota are Incorporating Assisted Migration and Other Climate Adaptation Techniques into Forest Management. Katie Frerker, Climate Adaptation Specialist, Northern Institute of Applied Climate Science, US Forest Service
1:25-2:20 Defining Plant Ecological Specialists and Generalists. Matthew A. Kaproth, Associate Professor, Minnesota State University
2:30-3:30 The Future of Boreal Forests. Lee Frelich, Director, The University of Minnesota Center for Forest Ecology

Payment Options
Register online or download and mail in the 2023 MNNPS Symposium Registration Form & Brochure
Direct any questions regarding registration to: Shirley Mah Kooyman, smkooyman@gmail.com, 763-464-8323.
Event Sponsors
Plant Conservation Program at the Minnesota Landscape Arboretum, and Terrace Horticultural Books

MN PlantWatch
2024-02-01 19:00 - 20:30
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.

Seminary Fen SNA Volunteer Event
2024-03-03 09:00 - 12:00
Please join your fellow MNNPS members in an effort to remove buckthorn that is encroaching on a rare plant population at Seminary Fen SNA on Sunday March 3, 2024, 9:00 a.m. – 12:00 p.m. We will be cutting and treating the buckthorn and stacking the cuttings. We will have plenty of tools for everyone. We will go get coffee when we finish. Download the flyer for further details.
This event is for members of the MN Native Plant Society only and will be limited to 20 registrants. Please register by February 28.
To register for the event, contact Jennifer Kamm at Jennifer.kamm@stantec.com.

Comparing the impacts of patch-burn grazing on vegetation in two northern tallgrass prairies
2024-03-07 19:00 - 20:30 | Dakota Lodge, 1200 Stassen Lane, West St. Paul, MN, 55118, United States
Presenter: Fred Harris, plant ecologist, MN DNR (retired)
The recorded Zoom presentation is available on the Video page.

Plant of the Month: The genus Phemeranthus “Everything you ever wanted to know about Phemeranthus, but…”
Talk Summary: MN Biological Survey has long term projects to monitor the effects of management on the prairie in two of the earliest and largest patch-burn grazing projects in Minnesota: at Chippewa Prairie and at Hole in the Mountain WMA. This presentation will review patch-burn grazing management, differences in results related to different cattle densities, and overall conclusions regarding the importance of monitoring, adaptive management and research in prairie management.
Presenter Bio: Fred Harris is a plant ecologist who worked for the Minnesota Biological Survey from 1992 to 2024 (just recently retired). He conducted surveys to document what remains of significant natural areas and rare plant populations in 27 counties in Minnesota – mostly in the prairie region but also the Big Woods and a portion of the Blufflands. Since 2010, he has also coordinated several projects to monitor the effects of cattle grazing management in Minnesota prairies. Prior to working for the DNR, he spent a year with The Nature Conservancy and completed a PhD thesis on the physiological ecology of several species of Phemeranthus.

Smokey the Beaver: how beaver dams keep riparian corridors green during droughts and wildfires
2024-04-04 19:00 - 20:30 | Dakota Lodge, 1200 Stassen Lane, West St. Paul, MN, 55118, United States
The recorded presentation is available on the Video page.
7:00 PM Meeting starts, doors will open at 6:30 PM
Talk Summary: Beaver dams and beaver mimicry (e.g. Beaver Dam Analogs) are gaining popularity as a low‐cost, nature-based strategy to build climate resiliency at the landscape scale. Beavers slow and store water in their ponds, canals, and the surrounding soil during wet periods which can then be accessed by riparian vegetation during droughts. As a result, the well-watered vegetation in beaver-dammed riparian corridors is less flammable. My research has shown that these beaver-influenced patches of the landscape stay green and can serve as fire refugia, preserving intact, mature riparian habitat – even during fires here in the Great Lakes Region. Perhaps instead of relying solely on human engineering and management to create and maintain drought and fire‐resistant waterways and riparian zones, we could benefit from partnering with beaver’s ecosystem engineering to achieve the same goals at a lower cost.
Presenter Bio: Emily Fairfax is an Assistant Professor of Geography at the University of Minnesota and an affiliate faculty member at the Saint Anthony Falls Laboratory. Dr. Fairfax double majored in Chemistry and Physics as an undergraduate at Carleton College, then went on to earn a PhD in Geological Sciences with an emphasis in Hydrologic Sciences from the University of Colorado Boulder. She uses a combination of remote sensing, modeling, and field work to understand how beaver ecosystem engineering can create drought and fire-resistant patches in the landscape under a changing climate. Her research has been featured internationally in National Geographic, the New York Times, the LA Times, BBC, Vox, and others. When Dr. Fairfax says she can talk about beavers all day, she’s not kidding.

Seminary Fen SNA Volunteer Day
2024-04-14 08:00 - 12:00
Please join your fellow MNNPS members in an effort to remove buckthorn that is encroaching on a rare plant population at Seminary Fen SNA on Sunday April 14, 2024, 8:00 a.m. – 12:00 p.m. We will be cutting and treating the buckthorn and stacking the cuttings. We will have plenty of tools for everyone. We will go get coffee when we finish. Download the flyer for further details.
This event is for members of the MN Native Plant Society only and will be limited to 20 registrants. Please register by April 12.
To register for the event, contact Jennifer Kamm at Jennifer.kamm@stantec.com.

Collaborating to Conserving Native Characeae in Minnesota Lakes
2024-05-02 19:00 - 20:30
This will be an on-line Zoom meeting only. MNNPS members, check your email for instructions.
7:00 PM Meeting starts
Program: Collaborating to Conserving Native Characeae in Minnesota Lakes
Talk Abstract
The Characeae, a family comprised of large, morphologically complex, freshwater green algae are among the closest living relatives of the first land plants. Commonly known as “stoneworts”, they are essential components of lakes throughout Minnesota, yet their preservation is hindered by a lack of expertise in identification. The 2015 discovery of “starry stonewort”, the only known invasive member of this family, in a Minnesota lake underscores the importance of studying the distribution, diversity, and ecological roles of native Characeae. Through collaboration among the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources, the Leech Lake Band of Ojibwe, and the New York Botanical Garden, our project aims to enhance knowledge and proficiency in Characeae identification and ecology. Employing field surveys, microscopic analyses, and phylogenetic studies, our team has identified numerous native Characeae species and monitored the spread of the invasive. Our collaborative initiative seeks to integrate Characeae sampling into routine lake surveys, train surveyors in Characeae identification, and establish baseline data on Characeae communities statewide. Conducting surveys across 650 waterbodies statewide and intensive searches in lakes within the Leech Lake Reservation, our project will inform lake management strategies, aid in prioritizing lakes for conservation efforts, and facilitate monitoring of changes in lake habitats, thereby bolstering the conservation of Minnesota’s lake ecosystems. In this presentation, we provide a preliminary update of our project.
Presenters
Donna J. Perleberg, Research Scientist II, Minnesota Department of Natural Resources, Brainerd, MN
Kate A. Hagsten, Plant Program Director, Leech Lake Band of Ojibwe Division of Resource Management, Cass Lake, MN
Melinda Neville, Earth Systems Science Program Director, Leech Lake Tribal College, Cass Lake, MN
Leanna Goose, Research Student, Leech Lake Tribal College, Cass Lake, MN
Kenneth G. Karol, Ph.D., Associate Curator, The Lewis B. and Dorothy Cullman Program for Molecular Systematics, New York Botanical Garden, The Bronx, NY

Schueler Wildlife Management Area Field Trip (Rescheduled)
2024-05-04 10:00 - 17:00
Where: Schueler Wildlife Management Area
Located 1 mile north of Rushford, MN west of Highway 43, Fillmore County
When: Recheduled – Saturday May 4th, 2024 (10:00 a.m. to 5:00p.m.)
Leader: Michael Lee, Botanist with Minnesota Biological Survey
Please join your fellow MNNPS Members on a fun field trip to Schueler WMA. The tour will include a rich diversity of spring ephemerals including snow trillium and squirrel corn, as well as rare ferns and sedges, on a large north-facing bluff along Rush Creek. Further details are provided in the flyer: MNNPS – Schueler WMA Field Trip-4May2024
The trip is open to all MNNPS members but pre-registration is required. To register for the event, email Jennifer Kamm at Jennifer.kamm@stantec.com

Tettegouche State Park
2024-07-13 10:00 - 15:00
A day of touring the State Park
Where: Tettegouche State Park 5702 MN-61, Silver Bay, MN 55614
When: Saturday July 13th, 2024 (10:00 AM to 3:00 PM)
Leaders: Kurt Mead, Head Naturalist at Tettegouche State Park, Author of Dragonflies of Minnesota, Wisconsin, and Michigan, and Joe Walewski, Naturalist at Wolf Ridge Environmental Learning Center and lichen expert.
Come join Kurt and Joe for a tour of the Tettegouche State Park where participants will tour part of the Park in the morning followed by lunch on-site (bring your own) and then another walk to other areas of the property.
Participants will meet at 10AM at the Visitor Center at 5702 MN-61 in Silver Bay. As always, this field trip is for members of the MN Native Plant Society only and will be limited to 20 registrants. In the event of potential bad weather, participants will be notified of any changes to the day.
To register for this field trip, email Ken Arndt at ken.arndt@mnrinc.us

Judge C.R. Magney State Park
2024-09-14 10:00 - 14:00
A day of touring the State Park.
Where: Judge C.R. Magney State Park 4051 MN-61, Grand Marais, MN
When: Saturday September 14th, 2024 (10:00 AM to 2:00 PM)
Leader: Chel Anderson, Retired DNR Botanist and Plant Ecologist, Minnesota Biological Survey and co-author of North Shore—A Natural History of Minnesota’s Superior Coast.
Come join us as we say goodbye to summer and embrace fall while enjoying the scenic Judge C.R. Magney State Park. The field trip will be led by Chel Anderson and will involve a discussion of local natural history, late summer botany, and the scenery of one of Minnesota’s great State Parks.
Participants will meet at 10AM at the Visitor Center at 4051 MN-61 north of Grand Marais approximately 15 miles. As always, this field trip is for members of the MN Native Plant Society only and will be limited to 10 registrants. In the event of potential bad weather, participants will be notified of any changes to the day.
To register for this event please contact:
Scott Milburn at scott.milburn@mnrinc.us
Download the flyer: MNNPS FIeld Trip Judge C.R. Magney State Park 091424

Euphorbia: how to make sense of the large genus of 2000+ species, and the common members in Minnesota
2024-10-03 19:00 - 20:30 | Dakota Lodge, 1200 Stassen Lane, West St. Paul, MN, 55118, United States
The recorded presentation is available on the Videos page.
Presenter: Dr. Ya Yang – Associate Professor, Curator – University of Minnesota Herbarium
Speaker Bio: Dr. Ya Yang grew up in Beijing, China, where she did her undergraduate degree at the Peking University, Beijing, China. She then moved on to do her Ph.D. at the University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, focusing on the systematics of Euphorbia subgenus Chamaesyce. During that time she also co-authored treatments for the genus Euphorbia in Flora of North America. Currently, Dr. Yang is an associate professor at the University of Minnesota, Twin Cities, and a curator at the University of Minnesota Herbarium. Her research focuses on the evolution of plant lineages using morphology, biochemistry, and gene sequences, using plants in the order Caryophyllales and Euphorbia. She teaches General Botany at the University of Minnesota.

A Seed’s Journey: Can the Seed Rain and Seed Bank Supply Missing Diversity to Restored Prairies?
2024-11-07 19:00 - 20:30 | Dakota Lodge, 1200 Stassen Lane, West St. Paul, MN, 55118, United States
The recorded presentation is available on the Videos page.
Presenter: Dr. Katherine Wynne, Plant Ecologist Midwest Natural Resources Saint Paul, Minnesota.
Speaker Bio: Dr. Katherine Wynne graduated with a Ph.D. in Plant Biology and Ecology, Evolution, and Behavior from Michigan State University in 2024 and a B.A. in Biology from Kalamazoo College in 2017. Since 2016, she has developed, led, and collaborated on plant-focused research projects at the population and community level. These projects include working with rare Lake Michigan dune plants and restored and remnant tallgrass prairie plant communities in Texas, Oklahoma, and Missouri.

Oak Origins: From Acorns to Species and the Tree of Life
2024-12-05 19:00 - 20:30
The recorded presentation is available on the Videos page.
Presenter: Andrew Hipp – Author of Oak Origins
Program: Andrew will discuss his new book: Oak Origins, From Acorns to Species and the Tree of Life. From ancient acorns to future forests, the story of how oaks evolved and the many ways they shape our world.
The following is a link to The University of Chicago Press to view Andrew’s book.
https://press.uchicago.edu/ucp/books/book/chicago/O/bo236998258.html

Rare Plant Conservation in Wisconsin
2025-02-06 19:00 - 20:30
The recorded presentation is available on the Videos page.
Presenter: Kevin Doyle – Botanist with the Bureau of Natural Heritage Conservation Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources
Program: Rare Plant Conservation in Wisconsin
This talk will provide an overview of different types of rare plant conservation projects the Wisconsin DNR is working with, including status assessments, hand pollination, outplantings, assisted migration, and citizen science.
Speaker Bio: Kevin Doyle is a botanist with the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources. He received a bachelor’s degree in conservation biology from UW-Madison and a master’s in plant biology from the University of Texas at Austin. In his role as DNR botanist for the last 12 years he has conducted botanical and ecological surveys across Wisconsin, working in almost every county in the state. He focuses on rare plants in particular and started the Rare Plant Monitoring Program in 2013 to train volunteers to search for and collect data on rare plant populations to inform conservation efforts.

From Data to Diversity: Modernizing Minnesota's Native Plant Community System
2025-03-06 19:00 - 20:30 | Dakota Lodge, 1200 Stassen Lane, West St. Paul, MN, 55118, United States
The recorded presentation is on the Videos page.
Presenter: Alaina Berger, NPC Classification Coordinator, Division of Ecological and Water Resources, Minnesota Department of Natural Resources
Program: From Data to Diversity: Modernizing Minnesota’s Native Plant Community System
Minnesota DNR’s Native Plant Community Classification is a dynamic tool for conservation, vegetation management, and land-use planning, evolving with new data and user experiences. This talk will highlight ongoing efforts to integrate two decades of vegetation data and address knowledge gaps in various plant communities across Minnesota.
Speaker Bio: Alaina Berger is an experienced Forest Ecologist with a passion for understanding and preserving forest ecosystems. With a BS degree in Environmental Science and a Master of Science in Forest Ecology at the University of Minnesota, she has dedicated over 30 years to studying plant communities and how they respond to changes in their environment. Alaina has worked on various projects, from mapping natural habitats to developing guidelines for forest management. Her past research has focused on understory flora response to forest stand structure and disturbance from management activities. Alaina has extensive experience with the Native Plant Community Classification, including 12 years in various roles at the MNDNR, where she was part of the initial launch of the Native Plant Classification. Currently, she serves as the Native Plant Classification Revision Coordinator with the Minnesota Biological Survey (MBS) at the DNR. She coordinates a 3-year project to modernize the DNR Native Plant Community Classification system. Her work is driven by a deep commitment to maintaining the health and diversity of Minnesota’s natural landscapes.

A Dozen of My Favorite Minnesota Plant Stories
2025-04-03 19:00 - 20:30
The recorded presentation is available on the Videos page.
7:00 PM Meeting starts
MN PlantWatch Update by Angela Miner, Conservation Botanist with the MN Landscape Arboretum.
Program: A Dozen of My Favorite Minnesota Plant Stories
Presenter: Dr. Stephen Saupe, Emeritus Professor (Plant Taxonomy, Secondary Metabolism of Plants and Fungi) – St. John’s University
