FLAGSTAFF CHAPTER
President Jessa Fisher (928) 814-2644 Treasurer H. David Hammond (928) 523-7242 All talks begin at 7:00 p.m. on the 3rd Tuesday of the month and are held at room 314 of the Biology Building on the NAU campus (unless a room change comes about, which we will alert you to). All walks meet at 10:00 a.m. on either the 3 rd Saturday or Sunday of the month at the Prochnow parking lot on the NAU campus, corners of Milton and Butler Aves. Come prepared with sun protection, water, food, and a car or gas money for carpooling. For information about the Flagstaff Chapter, contact AZNPS Flagstaff Chapter, c/o Deaver Herbarium, NAU, P.O. Box 5640, Flagstaff, AZ 86011-5640, (928) 523-7242 or e-mail flagstaff@aznps.org. |
Flagstaff Chapter Update from President Jessa Fisher: After a great 2007 season, we are taking a break during the cold winter months. Elaine Ferris is stepping down from her role as publicity chair. She has been an active and involved member of AZNPS for more than 8 years! She still plans to be involved, but will be focusing more time on her garden and other activities. So thank you Elaine for all of your tireless work over the years. Which means…I would love any help getting word out about the meetings, coordinating volunteer activities, and scheduling chapter talks and walks. Please contact me to help out! Thanks, Jessa
2008 ARIZONA BOTANISTS MEETING
Mark your calendars! The Arizona Botanists Meeting is February 9, 2008 at the Desert Botanical Garden in Phoenix, with field trips on the 10th. We are finalizing the program so check the DBG website for information regarding program, field trips, and registration. There will be a silent auction featuring some valuable and rare botany books, so bring your cash and checkbooks! The winter AZNPS board meeting, open to all members, will be Friday, February 8 from 9:00-12:00.
Northern Arizona Native Plant Materials Program
The Arboretum at Flagstaff and the Museum of Northern Arizona will have many volunteer opportunities for AZNPS members to become involved in various aspects of the Northern Arizona Native Plant Materials Program at each institution. The Museum and The Arboretum will be working in conjunction with the Forest Service over the next year to accomplish the main objectives of this FS funded project: to locally collect, process and store seed; to construct six 10 ft X 30 ft seed beds to cultivate and increase native forbs; to establish 5 acres as increaser field plots; to acquire equipment to collect and process native seeds; to provide training on seed collection, processing and storage; and to work cooperatively to develop local native species lists targeting early seral stage species that will become "restoration workhorses."
There will be field surveys and monitoring in September and October on the Coconino and Kaibab NFs involving AZ bugbane, Mogollon thistle, San Francisco Peaks groundsel, AZ cliffrose, and various field projects coordinated by Barb Phillips and Debbie Crisp. During the winter months, the Coconino NF botanists could also use help with plant identification, mounting specimens, and databasing our small FS herbarium. Please contact Debbie Crisp.
The Arboretum at Flagstaff will be conducting seed collecting trips from mid-August through October and we encourage volunteers to join us! Please contact the Research Botanist at The Arboretum, Sheila Murray for more information.
Northern Arizona Native Plant Working Group (NANSA)
In conjunction with the aforementioned Museum, Arboretum, and Forest Service effort, a new working group has formed to address the need for seeds for restoration projects. The Northern Arizona Native Plant Working Group (NANSA) has had several monthly meetings now. The group is comprised of more than 20 people from just as many national, state, educational, and non-profit organizations. NANSA was inspired by and is being modeled after a more regional group with a similar mission, the Colorado Plateau Native Plant Initiative. If you would like more information on NANSA, or would like to get involved, please contact Janet Lynn of the NAU Ecological Monitoring and Assessment Program.