2009 Annual Meeting
"Plants Without Borders"
September 11 - 13
in
Fort Collins
co-hosted by
Click to read the call for posters for the Annual Meeting.
If your organization, agency, or company is interested in participating in this year's CoNPS Annual Meeting as an exhibitor, please submit the Exhibitor Registration Form. Email John Giordanengo or call him at 970-420-7346 for more details. Click for the Exhibitor Registration Form.
Plants have no respect for political boundaries. The “Plants without Borders” theme for this year's Annual Meaning means that we will learn about plants of Colorado but in addition we will learn about plants from the entire Rocky Mountain area and from the whole world.
We will explore plants that are used for medicine, plants that are toxic, and plants that have helped us unlock human history. We will travel from Asia to the Tropics and Europe and from New Mexico to Wyoming. We will learn about new-to-science vascular plant discoveries in and near Colorado, take a journey to the Alps, use forensic botany to re-trace the steps of an ancient human, and share the journey of an extraordinary man who has given almost all of his ninety year life to the Flora of Colorado.
We will also learn about different perspectives on weeds, which are the quintessential plants without borders. Several speakers will give us much to think about as we look at issues with weed management, global warming, and even what constitutes a weed. We will contemplate the benefits of weeds.
And continuing with our “without borders” theme we are welcoming our Wyoming Native Plant Society neighbors to join us this year in making it plant societies without borders, too.
Location and Accommodations
The 2009 Annual Meeting will be held just east of Loveland and southeast of Fort Collins at “The Ranch”, the Larimer County Fairgrounds and Events Complex. This beautiful facility opened in September of 2003. The Ranch is located directly adjacent to I-25, just North of Highway 34, in Loveland, Colorado. The meetings, speakers, poster sessions, silent auction, and book sales will all be held in the education hall (the McKee Building) at the complex. Special thanks are in order to Larimer County for helping to sponsor this event.
Complete recommendations for hotels and camping will be posted here on the CoNPS website. We can tell you now that several lodging accommodations are within easy walking distance of the Ranch and camping at Boyd Lake State Park is less than 5 miles away.
Restaurants are numerous and within easy walking distance. Other attractions include the Chapunga Sculpture Garden which is within biking distance and is located near the Centerra Promenade Shopping center.
We feel that the Colorado Native Plant Society should set an example for a green conference and we, therefore, encourage everyone to bring their own cup, cloth napkin, plate, utensils, etc. for the Friday Social and Saturday conference snacks. The Annual Meeting Planning Committee will do everything we can to keep the conference as green as possible.
SCHEDULE OF EVENTS FOR THE
2009 ANNUAL MEETING
Friday, September 11
9:00 a.m. - 4:00 p.m. Rare Plant Symposium
4:30 p.m. - 6:45 p.m. Colorado Native Plant Society Board Meeting
7 p.m. - Registration
Silent auction
Poster Session (which will also be open Saturday from 7 a.m. - 5:30 p.m.)
Vendors
Evening Social with a cash bar and hors d'oeurves.
Our special guest speaker at the evening social will be Dr. William Weber, Professor Emeritus, University of Colorado, Boulder, who will present “63 Years with the Colorado Flora: The Last Hurrah”. This is the story of how the mimeographed Flora of Boulder County (1949) grew to become the two-volume Colorado Flora, Eastern and Western Slopes. Dr. Weber states, “You can see how my views have changed from an ultra-conservative youngster to that awful splitter”.
Saturday, September 12, 2009
7 a.m. - Registration. Silent auction, poster session, and vendors until approximately 5:30 p.m.
8:00-8:15 a.m. Welcome and Announcements
8:15–9:00 a.m. Keynote speaker Dr. Dennis Woodland, Professor of Botany, Herbarium Curator at Andrews University, Berrien Springs, Michigan, author of Contemporary Plant Systematics, will present “Forensic Botany: Understanding the Mystery of Otzi, the Ice Man of the Alps”.
Otzi was discovered frozen in the outwash of a small glacier on the Austrian/Italian border by two alpine hikers in 1991. It became apparent Otzi had died long ago but many questions surrounded the remains. Who was Otzi? Where did he come from and where was he going? How old was he? How did he die? What was his life like? Answers to these questions and others were found using botanical forensics. Dr. Woodland will retrace Otzi’s steps and explore the botanical evidence used to resolve some of the mysteries surrounding the life and death of Otzi. The flora and ecology of the region of the Alps where Otzi was discovered will be an integral part of the presentation.
9:00-9:05 a.m. Yoga stretch 
led by Fort Collins’ favorite Master Naturalist Kimberly Tamkun.
9:05-9:45 a.m. Dr. Ronald L. Hartman, Rocky Mountain Herbarium, University of Wyoming will present an “Overview and Update on the Floristic Inventory of the Southern Rocky Mountains”, and
Larry Schmidt, Associate Librarian, University of Wyoming Libraries, will present “Imaging of the Grand Teton National Park Herbarium and the Type Specimens at the Rocky Mountain Herbarium” .
Over the past 31 years, 43 graduate students and the two staff members of the Rocky Mountain Herbarium have conducted 54 intensive inventories throughout the Rocky Mountain region. This work led to the acquisition of more than 550,000 numbered collections. Dr. Hartman will give us an overview of this work and then will focus on projects conducted during the past seven years in north-central New Mexico (40,000+ numbered collections) and the Greater Yellowstone region (28,000+).
In New Mexico, areas worked in included the Santa Fe and Carson National Forests, the Valles Caldera National Preserve, and associated Bureau of Land Management and state lands. In addition, the 2000+ collections at the Bandelier National Monument’s herbarium were annotated. Thirty or more species new to that state and at least one species new to science were documented.
In the Greater Yellowstone area, work was completed on the east slope of the Wind River Range (8,000+), Grand Teton National Park and vicinity (8,500+), and the Beartooth, Absaroka, and Gallatin Ranges of Montana (14,000+). In addition, in the past few years, high resolution images of all specimens in the Grand Teton National Park herbarium (7,000+) were captured, the associated information databased, and the identifications verified or corrected.
New software was developed to manage the 700,000 specimen records at the Rocky Mountain Herbarium and a new Web interface for porting these databases and images was developed.
9:45-10:00 a.m. BREAK and DRINKS
10:00–10:40 a.m. Ben Legler, M.S. Candidate, University of Wyoming, Department of Botany, will present a summary of his two year “Inventory of the Vermejo Park Ranch".
Lying near the southern end of the Rocky Mountains and straddling the Colorado/New Mexico border, Vermejo Park Ranch encompasses 950 square miles of terrain ranging from short-grass prairie to alpine tundra. Due to a long history of private ownership, this area has remained virtually unexplored botanically. Ben will discuss the ranch's flora and summarize the results of his two-year inventory of the Ranch within the context of the southern Rocky Mountain region. With plenty of wildflower photographs included along the way, he will highlight some of the more interesting finds including new state records, rare and unusual plants, botanical hotspots, and even the loss of several Colorado endemics such as the rare grass Ptilagrostis porteri. Possibly most exciting of all was the discovery of what appears to be an undescribed and very distinctive species of Phlox.
10:40-10:45 a.m. Yoga stretch with Kimberly Tamkun.
10:45-11:45 a.m. David Theodoropoulos, author of Invasion Biology: Critique of a Pseudoscience” will present, “ Invasion Biology or Integration Biology?”
Invasive species have become an icon of modern environmentalism, yet invasion biology is, David contends, a pseudoscience based on flawed constructs. That invasive species are causing ecological harm, causing extinctions of native species, reducing biological diversity, costing billions of dollars, is unsupported by fact. Invaders are symptoms, not cause, and have many beneficial effects, such as, restoring damaged land, cleaning up pollution, aiding native species, and increasing biodiversity. Anti-invasion groups, funded by Monsanto and other herbicide manufacturers, are killing native species falsely labeled as alien, killing endangered species, and even seeking to prevent the cultivation of native plants.
Invasion biology originated in National Socialist Germany and is not, David contends, a legitimate environmental movement, but instead represents a hijacking of environmental concern by industrial authoritarianism. Species move constantly, and natural ecosystems are composed of past invaders. Invasion is actually necessary for ecosystem vigor and continued evolution. With habitat fragmentation and climate change, movement of species is a necessary conservation strategy. Invasion biology is a dead end; integration biology is essential to preserving biological diversity.
11:45 a.m.–1:10 p.m. LUNCHEON with Dr. William Weber. Dr. Weber will discuss several of his favorite new European books that are pertinent to Colorado Botany. Dr. Weber’s favorites include The Linnean Apostles: Global Science and Adventure, The Illustrated Moss Flora of Sweden, and The Illustrated Flora of Antarctica.
1:10-1:20 p.m. AWARDS AND ANNOUNCEMENTS
1:20-2:00 p.m. Tim D’Amato, Land Stewardship Manager, Larimer County Department of Natural Resources, will present an “Overview of Invasive Plant Issues in the Western United States”.
Tim will present examples of impacts that invasive plant species have had on natural areas and describe how weed species are categorized and management strategies are structured under the Colorado State Noxious Weed Act. Tim will tell us about the local success story on Yellow Starthistle eradication in Larimer County.
2:00-2:05 p.m. Yoga stretch with Kimberly.
2:05–2:45 p.m. Tony Knight, professor and veterinarian in the College of Veterinary Medicine and Biomedical Sciences at Colorado State University will present “Beautiful but Deadly”, a synopsis of plant poisoning experiences in Colorado.
Many native and invasive plant species are appreciated for the beauty of their flowers in their intermountain environment. However, what is often not recognized is that a number of our native plants are poisonous to people and animals. The toxins in our native plants vary considerably in their effects on animals and it is useful to recognize the role these plants have when managing livestock in our forests and prairies. This presentation will cover a variety of poisonous native plants, ranging from the most toxic to those that may affect the developing fetus.
2:45-3:00 p.m. BREAK: DRINKS and SNACKS
Final bids on silent auction.
3:00-3:40 p.m. Jim Tolstrup, Executive Director of the High Plains Environmental Center will present “The State of Suburbitat (Suburb + Habitat)”, environmental education in urban settings.
Jim will highlight his extensive work at the High Plains Environmental Center, which is adjacent to the Annual Meeting and is the site for Jim’s Sunday field trip. Jim will discuss plans for balancing the goals of conservation, education, and recreation in the development of a 275 acre environmental center within Centerra, a 3,500 acre mixed use community. The High Plains Environmental Center is focused on plant conservation in the context of high density development. Jim will offer a "State of Suburbitat" report gleaned from current projects including participation in a global plant conservation network, propagation, plant rescues, and other volunteer projects, as well as HPEC's environmental education programs, collaboration with other environmental centers in the region, and presenting conservation to developers. His presentation is packed full of details and beautiful photographs.
3:40-3:45 p.m. Yoga stretch.C’mon back Kimberly!
3:45-4:25 p.m. Donald Hazlett, Ethnobotanist, Taxonomist, and Ecologist will present “Current Hispanic and Native American Plant Uses”.
Ethnobotany can sometimes be little more than a history report, with stories of how plants were once used by different people in the distant past. Don enjoys these stories but prefers to document current plant uses and he will, therefore, present current plant-use information from both Hispanic boticas (markets), and from the Crow and Lakota Indian reservations. The botica information will include the most utilized herbs in stores. The Crow and Lakota data is free-listing ethnobotanical data obtained by surveying Crow and Lakota students in a classroom setting. Don will also discuss a few Great Plains plants, such as Hoffmannseggia glauca (Hog Potato), and he will summarize data from a survey of 60 Colorado rare plants for alkaloid biochemicals (Colorado Natural Areas Research Grant).
4:25-5:10 p.m. Dr. William Weber will present “My Life with Asiatic Plants in Colorado”.
Dr. Weber will discuss the story of his introduction to lichenology and how it drew his attention to the fact that our Colorado Flora is to a significant extent middle Asiatic, which then developed into an understanding that lichens, flowering plants, and bryophytes have a distinct Altaic flavor. In a five day stop in Colorado with Asa Gray, J. D. Hooker came to the same conclusion in 1877.
5:10-5:20 p.m. Announcements and final details for field trips on Sunday.
Saturday Evening
7:00–8:30 p.m. Dinner and Speaker
Click to read about dinner at the Budweiser Events Center, and
click again to read about the caterer, Ovations Food Services.
Dinner will be followed by a presentation given by
Dr. Dennis Woodland:
“Will Botanists Become Dinosaurs in the 21st Century?
The number of botany students, botany classes, botany departments in universities, and botanists attending conventions has declined over many years in North America. This is a general trend throughout organismal biology, not just botany. The history leading up to this situation in North America will be discussed and reasons will be given for this trend over the last century. Ways to keep botany a viable occupation will be discussed in detail.
Sunday, September 13 Field trips
7:45-8:10 a.m. Box lunches for field trips will be distributed.
8:15-3:30 p.m. Soapstone Prairie Natural Area. Crystal Strouse, Botanist for the City of Fort Collins Natural Areas Program and Pam Smith, Soapstone Prairie Educator will lead this trip of 3-5 miles of walking to the newest and largest natural area owned by the City of Fort Collins.
Soapstone was purchased in 2004 and will be opened to the public June 6, 2009. Ecological systems include: great plains grasslands (short and mixed grass steppe), Mountain Mahogany shrublands, and riparian areas. The area is home to hundreds of species of plants including one of the rarest plants in Colorado, the Colorado Butterfly plant (Gaura neomexicana ssp. coloradensis). The Mountain Plover, Swift Fox, Ferruginous Hawk, and other uncommon and rare species have been documented in Soapstone Prairie. There are many botanical surprises to learn about on this 19 acre property. In addition, you will find spectacular geological features and a world famous archaeological site known as the Lindenmeier Site, as well as a working cattle ranch.
Click for more information about Soapstone Prairie. Transportation will be provided.
8:15 a .m.-12:00 p.m. High Plains Environmental Center. Jim Tolstrup will lead this leisurely trip.
Participants will have an opportunity to see many of the aspects covered in Jim’s Saturday talk. HPEC is a non-profit organization and was designed to facilitate the creation of a permanent, independent environmental center that is currently protecting wetlands and uplands for nearby reservoirs while offering programs to the northern Colorado community. In addition the Center supports local developers, planners, and other consultants with information on sustainable design. Click for more information.
8:15 a.m.–12:00 p.m. Lory State Park. Rick Shory will lead a trip focusing on grass identification.
Each participant will learn intimate details about one grass. “Most people,” says Rick, “come away from a grass workshop with a grand muddle of information overload, and the word "glumes" floating around in their head. On this field trip, we will try something a little different. Each participant will select one grass. Next we will work as a group to decide which grasses are the same and which are different. Then I will help each person learn about their grass.
If you are addicted to plants with colored petals, this trip is not for you. If you will feel cheated unless you have dozens of new species in your notebook by the end of the day, this trip is not for you. But if you want to take one solid step toward learning grasses by learning one single species you can tell apart from all others, this trip is definitely for you.”
Rick Shory is a botanist at the Natural Resource Ecology Lab, at Colorado State University. He trains people to do vegetation survey skills and field data flow management. He has created easy-to-use software for botanist to enter species data in the field on mobile computers. Other areas of his background include chemistry, databases, and electronics. His botanical specialization is in grasses.
Lory State Park is located just west of Fort Collins.
Several more field trips are being planned. Keep checking the website for updates.
Registration and Payment for the
Annual Meeting
Electronic, on-line registration and payment
will not be available this year.
The form will also be available in August in the special
“Annual Meeting” edition of Aquilegia.
Electronic, on-line registration and payment
will not be available this year.
Cancellation policy: If the Annual Meeting Registrar receives your cancellation notification (via phone call, email, or regular mail) before August 28, 50% of your total payment (which includes the registration fee, food fees, and all other fees) will be returned. There can be no refunds August 28 or after.
More Annual Meeting Details
Click for Annual Meeting Area Map (available soon)
Accommodations
Motels:
Many other motels are available:
RV Parks and Camping:
Click for the Colorado Native Plant Society
Annual Meeting Planning Manual
