Aquilegia Newsletter of the Colorado Native Plant Society . . dedicated to the appreciation and conservation of the Colorado native flora” Volume 27 Number 1 January - February 2003 THE YEAR IN REVIEW This year was another busy year for the Colorado Native Plant Society and its members. The Board of Directors, Committee Chairs and members, and Chapter Presidents all volunteer their time and energy to preserve and enhance our native flora. There are many challenges for 2003 and successful plant protection and conservation will depend on all of the CONPS members. Please insider volunteering in some capacity or making a monetary contribution to the Society, either to one of our endowments or a general contribution to CONPS. Society Business In 2002, the Board of Directors welcomed a new Southeast Colorado chapter; approved a new logo with original artwork by Carolyn. Crawford; joined the National Plant Conservation Campaign; endorsed the National Public Lands Grazing Campaign, which advocates legislation to pay grazing permit- tees/lessees to voluntarily retire their permit or lease and end graz- ing on the associated allotment permanently; coordinated with the Center for Native Ecosystems as co-petitioners to the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service on the listing of Penstemon grahamii and Ptilagrostis porterr, and funded the development of a moss flora by Dr. William Weber. 2002 Annual Meeting Glenwood Springs was the setting for the Annual Meeting on September 20-22, 2002. The meeting kicked off with a Friday evening reception held at the Hot Springs Pool. We resumed activity Saturday morning at the Glenwood Springs High School in the midst of a high school volleyball tournament! Registration was brisk - reuniting old friends and associates and welcoming even new members out of 92 total attendees. Positive feedback \^/as received about the talks concerning the conservation of rare plants (Dr. Alice Guthrie, Jill Handwerk, Randy Mandel, Dr. Carol Dawson, and Peggy Lyon), plant communities (Denise Culver), pollination biology (Dr. Vince Tepedino), ecological effects of the conversion of the Old West to the New West (Dr. Richard Knight) and lichens of Colorado (Dr. Larry St.Clair). Many thanks to all who purchased books and other items. The volume of sales will allow the Society to further many of its pro- grams. Fine weather held Sunday for three field trips: touring a native plant nursery and restoration company, surveying lichens on gypsiferous soils, or viewing unusual seep communities. Thanks to all who attended, and those who helped the Plateau Chapter host another successful annual meeting! Society Awards A recognition gift of the 2002 model of the CONPS field vest was awarded this year to Rick Brune and Velma Richards in recogni- tion of their significant contribution to the society by serving 8 and 11 years respectively, on the Sales Committee. Since 1992, they have netted the Society an average of $2000 a year, support- ing activities such as outreach and education, conservation, and most recently, the John Marr Research Fund. A Lifetime Achievement Award was presented to Dr. Ron Wittman for con- tributions to botany in Colorado, his work on the Floras of Colorado and his 20+ years of work with Dr. William Weber. Dr. Dexter Hess was awarded a Honorary Lifetime Membership for his work on Colorado's native flora. The two Special Merit Awards recipients were Dr. Roger Rosentreter for leading several “Year in Review” continues on page 2 Contents About the Society 7 Announcements 5 Articles .3-4 Calendar .8 Chapter News 6 Membership in the Society .7 Society News 1-2 Page 2 Aquilegia Vol. 27 No. 1 “Year in Review” continued from page 1 society workshops and field trips on the lichens of Colorado, and Dr. Leo Bruederle for serving as editor of the Aquilegia for five years and publishing over 30 issues. Certificates of Appreciation and one-year memberships were presented to Kathy Hadasell for her design work on the 25th anniversary poster, Dave Sutherland for design work on the seed packets, and Freddie Valenzuela for design work on the new logo. Society Committees The Website Committee worked on major revisions to the CONPS website, including separate pages for the various divisions of the society, such as Chapter sections and Committee activity pages. Online registration for workshops and field trips is planned for 2003. Stay tuned and visit the website at www.conps.org. The Education and Outreach Committee and volunteers took the CONPS display to the ProGreen Expo in Denver, International Plant Conservation Day in Colorado Springs, Echter's Lawn and Garden Echxpo in Arvada and the Greeley Home & Garden Show. Also, a presentation on gardening with native plants was made to the Boulder Garden Club. The Membership Committee reported that at the close of 2002, the Society has 638 members spread over eight membership cate- gories: 328 Individuals, 120 Families, 79 Seniors, 39 Life mem- bers, 24 Exchanges with other organizations, 22 Students, 14 Corporations and 12 Supporting members. Many of these mem- bers are affiliated with the Society's six chapters: Denver 175, Boulder 159, Plateau 108, Port Collins 78, Southeast 43 and Southwest 25. The Research Grants Committee approved awards from the Man- Fund to K. Holland, K. Duran and D. Rumbaitis-del Rio. No pro- posals met the requirements for the Steinkamp Fund this year. The East Slope Workshop Committee completed its 18th season in Pebruary 2002, conducting 12 workshop classroom sessions over the winter and spring. Pive separate topics were covered and there were slightly over 200 attendees. There were 98 individuals who attended workshops, and of these, 32 attended three or more workshops. Mary Damm and Loraine Yeatts made it to all five topics. Most attendees were from the Port Collins-Greeley- Denver-Colorado Springs urban corridor, but some came from a considerable distance (Nathrop, Livermore, Silverthorne, Eraser, and Grand Junction, Colorado; Laramie, Wyoming; Amarillo and Canyon, Texas). The "greatest hits" of the year were the work- shops on Grasses and on Willows, each going into three sessions. All the workshop leaders did a great job and we thank them for their hard work in preparation and instruction: Carolyn Crawford (Milkweeds of Colorado); Eric Lane and Alicia Doran (Problem Weeds); Dr. David Buckner (Grasses); Gwen Kittel (Willows); Dr. Craig Freeman (Senecio). Handouts for many workshops are available at a small charge (copying and mailing) by calling Workshop Committee chair Bill Jennings at 303-665-6903. The 2002-2003 season is off to a good start. Seven topics are scheduled. The Vegetative Characters, Conifers, and Castilleja workshops were held in November and December 2002. Three sessions of Grasses are scheduled for January, as is a third sessioi of Castilleja. Botanical Art for Beginners is scheduled for February and Thistles and How to know the Families are sched- uled for March. As of this writing, there are still a few openings for some of these workshops. If you wish to register, call 303- 665-6903 as soon as possible. Thanks to the enthusiastic support of our membership, the educational programs presented by our workshop committee continue to be one of the society's most pop- ular activities. A total of 101 people attended five workshops on the Western Slope in 2002. The workshops included Basic Plant Families (Dr. Robin Bingham), "When the Grass Stood Stirrup High" (Dave Bradford), Native & Exotic Grass ID (Peggy Lyons, Jude Sirota and Gay Austin), Xeriscaping Using Native Plants Workshop and Garden Tour (Jim Knopf), and a Beginner Plant Identification Workshop and Field Trip (Dr. Longpre). Chapter News The Boulder Chapter has again been experiencing incredible attendance in the range of 40-60 people per meeting. Occasionally there are conflicts with other groups, but we contin- ue to choose the night that Chapter surveys indicate work best for most of the respondents. It appears that the east Boulder location works well for many members, and while it does get a bit cramped for some presentations, another place that meets the chapter need has not been identified. The speakers were terrific, giving pre-^=>-*^ sentations on a wide variety of plant-related topics. Members vic- ariously traveled to Mongolia where the flora is remarkably simi- lar to our own, and to Great Britain where the native flora has been significantly altered over time. Moving closer to home, we were enlightened about the life and work of T. D. A. Cockrell, who so greatly influenced our understanding of Colorado's flora. There were wonderful pictures of alpine plants and animals, and fascinating stories about the vegetation at the future wildlife refuge at Rocky Flats. Finally we learned about growing native plants in our challenging environment. A handful of hearty souls attended the spring picnic and hike where we wondered how the few plants that were showing themselves had survived the dry winter. Little did we all know what they were in for later! The Plateau Chapter's field trips were adversely affected by the extremely dry summer, resulting in the cancellation of five field trips. However, some activities were carried out including Cindy Carlson's fascinating "Devil's Canyon Lichen Field Trip" in March with 14 people and 24 species of lichens, the Board meet- ing field trip in May to a canyon on the north end of the Uncompahgre Plateau, and the Cumberland Pass Field Trip with a multitude of high alpine wildflowers. John Moore and Jim Knopf led the Garden Tour to five homes in western Grand Junction where homeowners had planted native and xeric plant species. On the West Elk Wilderness Rare Plant Survey i' August one new location of cottongrass {Eriophorum gracile) wa^t^n^ found along with Comarum palustre at the same site. Einally, the Fall Planning Meeting and Potluck was successful with 16 people attending. The food was excellent as was Betty Hall's superb slide show of her and John Moore's botany expedition to Chile! Vol. 27 No. 1 Aquilegia Page 3 COLORADO NATIVE PLANT SURVEY - VOICES OF THE GREEN INDUSTRY PARTI LAUREL E. POTTS, MSc, CONPS Board member and Co-Chair, Horticulture and Restoration Committee; assisted by MICHAEL J. ROLL, CSU Cooperative Extension Service, and STEPHEN J. WALLNER, Chairman, CSU Department of Horticulture & LA The entire survey can be found in the Fall 2002 issue of the Native Plants Journal (www.nativeplantnetwork.org). We questioned members of Colorado's native plant industry to better understand the current status of native plant use in the state. Our suspicions were that the native plant sector had untapped potential, was small and fragmented, and had needs that were perhaps unique within the Green Industry, and worthy of better definition. Our objectives were to gather information, determine areas of need, bring industry leaders together to facilitate a more effec- tive support network, and ultimately, to develop solutions to respondents' concerns. Survey results combined information from a variety of industries with specific needs; nurseries, garden centers, seed companies, landscape architects and designers, as well as consumers. The survey also addressed , roblems associated with native plants in ^*^11 landscape uses and types. Our survey information can be a useful tool for grow- ers, researchers, educators, planners, designers, and consumers and could help promote native plant use along the rural-to- urban continuum. The role of native plants in cultured land- scapes and restoration has been validated now that supportive legislation exists (4, 6) which advocates using native plants to manage alien (invasive) species and to achieve desirable plant communities. The primary uses for native plants are to preserve natural environments and restore disturbed areas. Native plants can restore habitat; provide food, shelter and other eco- logical processes for wildlife; delay or reduce species extinction; and stabilize species richness (8). In terms of preservation and restoration, native plants are invaluable in dealing with the impacts of noxious weeds on native plant communities. They can ameliorate or eliminate the potential loss of biodiversity y^^/om ecosystems disrupted or displaced by noxious weeds. Noxious weeds reduce genetic and structural diversity, increase soil erosion, decrease available soil mois- ture, change the dynamics of organic mat- ter accumulation, reduce nutrient availabil- ity, increase fire frequency, slow the rate of succession, and reduce land values (5, 7). Although more research is needed to cor- roborate many of these claims, the increas- ing need and demand for native plants and functional ecosystems will positively impact companies such as those surveyed. The native plant sector has the opportunity to collaborate with their communities to identify land management practices that will ensure biodiversity. Other benefits for using native plants are their ability to help cultured landscapes transition into natural areas, and to create greenways and buffer strips between differ- ent land use types and habitats (1). In addi- tion, there is a growing movement in Colorado to create a regional sense of place, and native species can be used as a unique design element to accomplish this. In creating landscapes more authentic to a region, we must be concerned with ecolog- ical structure and function, not merely hor- ticultural aesthetics (2, 3). Native plants are being assigned a new value as a philosophy of environmental stewardship and responsibility evolves. The need for a more sustainable approach to horticulture is a natural outgrowth of increased ecological understanding of land- scapes, the process of manipulating or cre- ating landscapes, and the desire to conserve and reduce resource use. Nevertheless, arguments that promote using native plants on the theory they are lower maintenance, more adaptive, and more resistant to pests are less conclusive. The result of moving native species into cultured landscapes is not adequately observed or reported. Research into this area is particularly need- ed to measure the true benefits of native plantings in cultivated environs. Poor land management decisions can be avoided by proper site evaluation and plant selection, regardless of a plant's native status. We conducted 33 interviews. Our partici- pants covered a wide geographic range within Colorado and were chosen to repre- sent different sizes of businesses that work with native plant propagation, production, and sales, and those that consult in restora- tion, reclamation, revegetation, and plan- ning and design with native plants. These included 16 nurseries and garden centers, 9 seed companies, 6 landscape architects and designers, a nature center and a sales orga- nization. We focused on problem areas in each company's work with native plants, and on identifying issues in need of research, education, and information. Participants were generous with their time and information. Their receptivity to the survey was encouraging and suggests that the issues we identified are overdue in being addressed. Participants agreed that the native plant sector is growing slowly, determined largely by water conservation concerns despite that water is currently available at a comparatively low cost. An increased interest exists, however, because native plants are widely unknown and pro- vide a new aiTay of plants for the gardening public. Native plants constitute a largely unfilled market niche with unfulfilled mar- ket potential. Consumers are motivated to purchase native plants not because they are native or because of their appearance, but rather to provide habitats for wildlife, xeri scape or water-smart gardens, low maintenance gardens, and firewise land- scapes. Landscape restoration and its associated fields are still the largest factors in deter- mining native plant material supply and demand, with wholesale and landscaping outlets as the next determinants. There is much less causality between retail sales and the sector's growth or decline. Availability of plant material, especially for larger plant sizes, is still an occasional problem. The industry, however, has made good progress in increasing supply to keep up with current demand. “Survey” continues on page 4 Page 4 Aquilegia Vol. 27 No. 1 “Survey” continued from page 3 REFERENCES 1. Anella LB. 2000. Debunking native myths. American Nurseryman Aug 15; 39-40, 42, 44. 2. Beatty RA. 1981. Ornamental horticulture redefined. HortScience 16:614-618. 3. Nassauer JI. 1988. The aesthetics of horticulture: neatness as a form of care. HortScience 23: 973-977 4. [PEO] Presidential Executive Order #13112. 3 February 1999. Invasive species. 5. Rosentreter R. 1994. Displacement of rare plants by exotic grasses. In: Monsen SB, Kitchen SG, editors. Proceedings, Ecology and Management of Annual Rangelands; 1994 Sept; USDA Forest Service, Intermountain Research Station. General Technical Report INT-GTR-313. pl70-174. 6. [SCEO] State of Colorado Executive Order D 00699. 19 July 1999. Development and implementation of noxious weed manage- ment pro-grams. 7. Sheley RL, Petroff JK, editors. 1999. Biology and management of noxious rangeland weeds. Corvallis (OR); Oregon State University Press. 464 p. 8. Smith F. 1996. Biological diversity, ecosystem stability and eco- nomic development. Ecological Economics 16:191-203. Post-Survey comment: Although this survey was done several years ago, much of it is more pertinent with the current drought sit- uation. Crises can be the best motivators to reexamine common practices. The Green Industry is certainly experiencing an increased demand for native species in the marketplace. Questions or comments can be sent to Laurel at kalmia@rifle.net. BOTANICAL ILLUSTRATIONS ON EXHIBIT AT CU MUSEUM The University of Colorado Museum of Natural History will be exhibiting Coloradoan Carolyn Crawford Y Botanical Illustrations from October 1, 2002 - March 31, 2003. Inspired by the beautifully intricate Plant Portraits of the late Ida Hrubesky Pemberton, Carolyn Crawford decided to begin a career as a botanical artist. Intrigued by the elegant detail of plant forms she focused on capturing the complexity of milkweed pol- lination in her work as well as illustrating the technical details of new plant species. She is also well-known for her numerous illus- trations of Colorado’s rare plant species, such as the Ute Ladies’ tresses orchid, and her many images of popular garden plants for a Colorado-based seed company. Her work has been shown wide- ly including selected exhibitions at the Denver Botanical Gardens, The Smithsonian Institution, in Washington D.C., and Royal Horticultural Society Westminster, in London, England. The CU Museum of Natural History will be hosting a variety of public programs to accompany this exhibition. Please call the Public Programs office at (303) 492-3396 for more information, or check out their website at www.colorado.edu/cumuseum/. The Museum is located at 15th and Broadway, in the Henderson building, on the CU-Boulder campus. Echter's Lawn & Gardening Echxpo Volunteers Needed The Echter's Lawn and Garden Echxpo is March 7, 8, 9 at 9170 W. 52nd Ave. in Arvada. It is the largest gardening event of its kind in Colorado, designed to educate and entertain the entire family, and is an ideal showcase for our organization. The Echxpo fea- tures over 50 exhibitors, free gardening seminars and demonstra- tions, plus children's activities. CoNPs members are invited to shop at Echter's on Friday, March 7 between 2-5:30 pm and will receive a 10% discount off all regular priced merchandise with proof of CONPS membership (ie. a copy of newsletter). CONPS will have a booth at the Echxpo and is looking for volun- teers to staff it. We need help the following times: Friday March 7 from 2-5:30 pm Saturday March 8 from lOam-5: 30 pm Sunday March 9 from 10am-4pm. To volunteer please contact Jill Handwerk at 970/221-3460 or jhandwerk2@earthlink.net. NEW CSU EXTENSION FACT SHEETS ON NATIVES FOR LANDSCAPING Two new fact sheets on using native plants for landscaping have recently been published by Colorado State University Cooperative Extension. Native Trees for Colorado Landscapes and Native Shrubs for Colorado Landscapes contain plant lists along with research-based information on planting altitude, native Colorado life zone, moisture requirements and descriptive comments. Single copies of these fact sheets can be obtained at no charge from any Cooperative Extension office. You can also download the fact sheets from www.ext.colostate.edu. For more information, contact Robert Cox, Horticulture Agent, or Barbara Fahey, Director, CSU Cooperative Extension in Jefferson County, at 303-271-6620. Upcoming Symposia Intermountain Native Plant Summit II - April 2-3, 2003 at the Special Events Center, Boise State University, Boise, Idaho. There is no registration fee, but advance pre-registration is recom- mended, For an agenda, e-mail dale.nielson@usu.edu (please title header as "INPS") or mail: Dale Nielson, Forage & Range Research, Utah State University, Logan, UT 84322-6300. Innovations in Species Conservation: Integrative Approaches to Address Rarity & Risk. April 28-30, 2003, in Portland, Oregon, http://outreach.cof.orst.edu/isc/index.htm Vol. 27 No. 1 Aquilegia Page 5 ANNOUNCEMENTS New Mexico Workshops J This April, the Carlsbad Caverns/Guadalupe Mountains Association will sponsor a series of interactive native plant con- servation programs at Carlsbad Caverns National Park. The area is vital habitat for approximately one thousand species of flower- ing vegetation, including the red, tri-lobed Castilleja lanata (Woolly Paintbrush), Phlox mesoleuca (White-Eyed Phlox) and the rare Salvia summa (Supreme Sage). Scheduled workshops include botanical drawing classes with Donald Davidson (work- shop coordinator and ^002 Native Plants Society of New Mexico Grant Recipient) and Sandra Lynn (University of New Mexico at Carlsbad), plant identification with William Reid (Guadalupe Mountains National Park), wildflower photography with a KODAK Ambassador, and desert biodiversity studies with Steve West (Native Plants of the Chihuahuan Desert). Some workshops will also take place at nearby Guadalupe Mountains National Park. All events are free, but space is limited, so advance regis- tration is advised. For more information and to register, please contact Paula Bauer at 505.785.3131 or via e-mail at paula_bauer@nps.gov. Making a Difference Denver Museum of Nature and Science Exhibit CONPS will be distributing literature about the Society as part of the Making a Difference campaign at the Denver Museum of Nature and Science. The Making a Difference campaign is in con- junction with a traveling exhibit entitled Discovering Chimpanzees: The Remarkable World of Jane Goodall. CONPS members will be on hand to answer questions each Saturday March 21 - June 8, from 10am-2pm. Amidst an engag- ing set of activities about chimpanzees and the life's work of Dr. Jane Goodall is her message of hope. The exhibit encourages vis- itors to get involved in their communities as each individual truly can make a difference. If you would like to help distribute liter- ture, contact Jill Handwerk at 970-221-3460 or jhandwerk2@earthlink.net IN MEMORIUM BETTIE WILLARD 1925-2003 Thank You! The Education and Outreach Committee would like to thank the following volunteers for their time and expertise at the annual ProGreen Expo in Denver, January 2003. The ProGreen Expo is a trade show geared to the landscape and nursery trade. In this year of drought, our exhibit was well attended and our volunteers were busy answering questions and distributing information on native plants and their use in the urban landscape. Over 300 nurs- ery retailers, wholesalers, designers and green industry professionals visited our booth. Many thanks to Lee Curtis, Casey Davenhill, Dick and Marty Fisher, Rhody Keegan, Denise Larson, Mignon Macias and April Wasson for a success- ful event. DEADLINE APPROACHES Submit Aquilegia contributions by March 25 Submit contributions for Vol. 27, No. 2 of Aquilegia on or before March 25. Articles not exceeding 1000 words are especially wel- come. Previously published articles submitted for reprinting require permission. Include author’s name, address and affilia- tion; anonymity may be requested. Follow the format from pre- vious issues closely. Spell check. Submit via e-mail or on disks as an MS Word or rtf (rich text format document. See page 7 for additional information. Beatrice (Bettie) Willard died of natural causes on January 7, 2003, at the age of 77. She earned a doctorate in ecology from the University of Colorado in 1963. Her work on the sensitivity of tundra ecosystems to disturbances is still considered seminal by many ecologists and environmentalists. She studied the effects of trampling on the alpine ecology and began promoting alpine con- servation as people were starting to explore the high alpine of Colorado. She co-authored Land Above the Trees with Ann Zwinger. She was an active participant in CONPS, giving pre- sentations for chapters, leading field trips and, for many years, speaking at or attending annual meetings. Sue Martin remembers one adventure. "In 1986 she led a particularly memorable field trip to Taylor Peak that will never be forgotten by the lucky par- ticipants. The group met in Aspen and took the "back way" up the mountain. Bettie led the way, charging up the rutted, rocky track driving a beat-up, rented open-top 4WD Jeep, her trademark broad-brimmed hat flying in the wind. Once on the mountain, the group, typical of CONPS field trips, scattered to find and photo- graph the rare plants to be found there, but always there was a cluster of people gathered around Bettie as she shared her knowl- edge of the alpine flora and ecology. Several photos taken on that trip subsequently appeared in CONPS's Rare Plants of Colorado." In recognition of her many contributions to the Society and to Colorado botany, Bettie was awarded Honorary Life Membership in CONPS in 1989. Her knowledge (which she was always willing to share), her good humor and her wise counsel will be greatly missed. (Sue Martin and the Daily Camera) Page 6 Aquilegia Vol. 27 No. 1 CHAPTER NEWS ^ Boulder Chapter The Boulder Chapter invites you to join us for a guest speaker, refreshments, book sales and socializing at 7:00 pm on the sec- ond Thursday of the month from October through April, at the City of Boulder Open Space and Mountain Parks offices in the north building conference room, 66 South Cherryvale Road. From South Boulder Road, go south on Cherryvale 1/10 mile and turn west onto a lane to the offices. For more information, contact Chapter President Kathy Damas at (303) 543-1492. Chapter President Annette Miller at (970) 482-3063 or almiller@lamar.colostate.edu. February 4, 2003 NREL update: Projects and Findings Rick Shory, field botanist for the Natural Resources Ecology Lab at CSU, will give an overview of current projects and find- ings. Rick has also experimented with sev- eral methods of buffalograss lawn estab- lishment and will share practical tips for lawn conversion. Justin Dombrowski (Wildland Fire Management Officer, City of Boulder Fire Dept.) will help us understand what firefight- ers go through, the risks they take and why they do it. Firefighters have become fire managers as they undertake forest and grass- land management using prescribed burning, forest thinning and other techniques to bene- fit native vegetation, reduce the severity of wildfires and help reduce the impacts of mountain pine beetle and other disturbances. Metro-Denver Chapter March 13, 2003 25 Years of Plant Conservation at the Colorado Natural Areas Program Ron West (Program Manager) will sum- marize CNAP's long history of plant and plant community work across the state. About 80 percent of Colorado’s natural areas have either rare plants, rare plant communities or outstanding examples of native communities. These include open space, state park and private sites in some of the most obscure corners of Colorado. April 10, 2003 Comparative Ecology And Botany Of Southern Peru Join local restoration ecologist Dr. David Buckner as he shares observations (through photos and discussion) made while working in Southern Peru. We'll learn about the current and ancient envi- ronments of Southern Peru, and floristic similarities to Colorado conditions that contrast with lifeform differences as they relate to those environments (i.e. compara- tive ecology). May 8, 2003 Annual Picnic and Hike - 5:30 P.M. Location and destination to be announce. Watch Aquilegia or check the web site (www.conps.org) for details. Fort Collins Chapter Monthly meetings are scheduled October through April at 7:00 pm in room El 12 of the Anatomy/Zoology building on the CSU campus. Before each meeting, members are invited to join the speaker at 5:15 pm for dinner at Toy’s Thai Cafe on Laurel St. between Mason St. and College Ave. in Fort Collins. For more information, contact Monthly meetings are September through April, at 7 pm at the Denver Botanic Gardens. Prior to the meetings, members are invited to join the speaker for pizza at Angelo's, 620 East 6th Avenue (between Pearl and Washington) in Denver at 5:30 P.M. Call Chapter President, Rita Berberian, at 303-513-0591 or e-mail rber- berian@hotmail.com for information. Chapter activities are scheduled through- out the year. For more information, contact Chapter President Jeanne Wenger at 970- 256-9227 and Bluecrow2u@aol.com or Program Chair Lori Brummer at 970-641- 3561 and lbrummer@gunnison.com. Feb 21-23 Landscapes West (Grand Junction.) Contact John Moore at 970- 242-1936 for more information. February 25, 2003 Smooth Brome - An Overlooked Invasive Species? Waring House, Denver Botanic Gardens Plant ecologists Ann Ai’mstrong (City of Boulder Open Space/Mountain Parks) and Jody Nelson (Rocky Flats Environmental Technology Site LABAT) will discuss reseai’ch on the invasiveness and competi- tiveness of non-native smooth brome {Bromopsis inerrnis), attempts to control it in native plant communities and some of the controversy surrounding the discussion of this species as a "noxious" weed. March 25, 2003 Botanizing in the South Pacific: Fieldwork in New Caledonia Waring House, Denver Botanic Gardens Mark Simmons, CSU, will provide an overview of the natural and human histories of New Caledonia and discuss his experi- ences and fieldwork in all of the major vege- tation types, from the seaside, sclerophyllous forests to the mesic forest on the island's highest peak. New Caledonia has an extremely diverse and endemic flora, with an estimated 3,137 native species of seed plants, of which 79% are endemic April 29, 2003 The World of Wildland Fires, Prescribe Burns, and Fire Ecology Waring House, Denver Botanic Gardens April 2- 30 Wednesdays 7-8:30 PM Native Plant Landscaping for the^— ^ Homeowner. Mesa State College Montrose Center. John Margolis will teach a class on using native plants in landscap- ing. Field trips to native plant gardens and native plant communities nearby. Contact John Margolis, 970-249-7009, for fee information and registration. May 17-18 Western Slope Field Trip and Board Meeting - Field trip to Raven Ridge Saturday and meeting in Rangeley Sunday morning. Contact Jeanne Wenger at 970-256-9227 (bluecrow2u@aol.com). Southeast Chapter Activities for the Southeast Chapter are scheduled throughout the year. Meetings are held at the Beidleman Environmental Center, 740 W. Caramillo St., Colorado Springs. For more information, contact President Dan Fosha at (719) 572-6972 or danfosha@ aol .com. Southwest Chapter For more information regarding news anc activities, please contact Chapter President Sandy Friedley at (970) 884-9245 or by e- mail at friedley@frontier.net. Vol. 27 No. 1 Aquilegia Page 7 Colorado Native Plant Society Board of Directors Jill Handwerk (03) . . Fort Collins . . 970- Sue Kamal (03) . . Andy Kratz (03) . . Denise Culver (03) Pat Ploegsma (03). . Greeley 970 . Lakewood . . . 303 . Fort Collins . . 970 . Strasburg. . . . 303- The Colorado Native Plant Society is a non- profit organization dedicated to the apprecia- tion and conservation of the Colorado native flora. Membership is open to all with an inter- est in our native plants, and is composed of plant enthusiasts both professional and non- professional. Please join us in helping to encourage interest in enjoying and protecting Colorado's native plants. The Society sponsors field trips, work- shops, and other activities through local chap- ters and statewide. Contact the Society, a chap- ter representative, or committee chair for more information. Schedule of Membership Fees Life $250 Supporting .$50 Organization or Corporate $30 Family or Dual $20 Individual $15 Student or Senior .$8 Membership Renewal/Information Please direct all membership applications, renewals, and address changes to the Eric Lane (Chair of Membership), Colorado Native Plant Society, P.O. Box 200, Fort Collins, CO 80522. Please direct all other inquiries regarding the Society to the Secretary at the same address. Aquilegia is published four or more times per year by the Colorado Native Plant Society. This newsletter is available to members of the Society and to others with an interest in native plants. Articles for Aquilegia may be used by other native plant societies or non-profit groups, if fully cited to author and attributed to Aquilegia. Artieles not exceeding 2000 words in length and shorter items fewer than 500 words in length, such as unusual information about a plant, are especially welcome. Previously pub- lished articles submitted for reprinting require permission. Camera-ready line art or other illustrations are also solicited. Please include author’s name and address, although anonymi- ty may be requested. Articles submitted via e- mail or on disks (IBM preferably) are appreci- ated. Please indicate word processing software and version; if possible, submit as an RTF (rich text format) file. Please direct all contributions to the newsletter to; Alice Guthrie 509 Collyer Longmont, CO 80501 E-Mail: macalice@earthlink.net guthriea@ci.boulder.co.us Officers President ... Jill Handwerk . . 970-491-5857 Vice-President . . . David Anderson , 970-484-0774 Secretary Kim Regier .... 303-556-8309 Treasurer Georgia Doyle . . 970-491-6477 David Anderson (04) Fort Collins . . 970 Gwen Kittel (04). . . . Boulder 303 Laurel Potts (04). . . . Glenwood Springs ..... 970 Mark Simmons (04) . Fort Collins . . 970 Neil Snow (04) ..... Greeley 970- -491-5857 -353-9240 914-8291 491-2998 622-9439 -484-0774 258-0908 ■625-4769 491-2154 330-4823 Chapter Presidents Boulder Kathy Damas . . Fort Collins .... Annette Miller . Metro-Denver. . . Rita Berberian . Plateau Jeanne Wenger Southeast Dan Fosha .... Southwest .... . Sandy Friedley. . 303-543-1492 . 970-495-3240 . 303-513-0591 . 970-256-9227 . 719-572-6972 . 970-884-9245 Standing Conservation . . . Education and . . Outreach Field Studies . . . Field Trips Finance Horticulture and. Restoration . . . Membership. . . . Newsletter ., . . . . Sales Rare Plant .... Monograph . . Research Grants Website Workshop: East West Committees and Chairs Joe Rocchio 720-494-0876 Jill Handwerk. . . . 970-491-5857 and Alice Guthrie . 303-65 1-3127 Neil Snow 970-330-4823 Gwen Kittel ..... 303-258-0908 Denise Culver . . . 970-225-1930 and Georgia Doyle 970-491-6477 Laurel Potts 970-625-4769 and Lisa Tasker . . 970-544-3633 Eric Lane 303-239-4182 Alice Guthrie 303-651-3127 Ann Armstrong . . 720-564-2052 Sue Kamal . 970-353-9240 and Laurel Potts . . 970-625-4769 Eleanor Von Bargen .... 303-756-1400 Neil Snow 970-330-4823 Bob Clarke 970-242-6067 Bill Jennings .... 303-666-8348 Gay Austin 970-641-6264 MEMBERSHIP APPLIGATION AND RENEWAL FORM Name(s) Address (Address) City Phone Chapter; _ State Zip E-mail Boulder Fort Collins Metro Denver Plateau Southeast MEMBERSHIP CLASS: Dues cover one calendar year. Individual, $15.00 Family/dual, $20.00 . Senior, $8.00 Student, $8.00 Corporate, $30.00 Supporting, $50.00 Lifetime, $250.00 Southwest In addition to my membership, I have included $ as a contribution to the John Marr ^und (endowment in support of small grants-in-aid of research), $ as a contribution to ^^wthe Myrna P. Steinkamp Memorial Fund (endowment in support of small grants-in-aid of research), or $ as a general contribution to the Society. CoNPS IS A NON-PROFIT ORGANIZATION - DUES AND CONTRIBUTIONS ARE TAX-DEDUCTIBLE CALENDAR - 2003 CHAPTER EVENTS Plateau Chapter March 13 April 10 May 8 Boulder Chapter 25 Years of Plant Conservation at the Colorado Natural Areas Program Comparative Ecology and Botany of Southern Peru Annual Picnic and Hike - 5:30 P.M. Fort Collins Chapter April 2-30 May 17-18 Native Plant Landscaping for the Homeowner Field Trip and Board Meeting March 5 April 8 May 8 Southeast Chapter Song of the Alpine Land of Grass and Sky Nebraska Sandhills; Sea of Grass March 4 Plants and Selenium April 1 New Computerized Plant Keys SOCIETY EVENTS March 25 April 29 Metro-Denver Chapter Botanizing in the South Pacific: Fieldwork in New Caledonia The World of Wildland Fires, Prescribed Burns, and Fire Ecology Annual Meeting September 27 The Tivoli on the Auraria Campus, Denver, CO WORKSHOPS March 1, 2 Colorado Thistles March 15, 16 Basic Botany Colorado Native Plant Society P.O. Box 200 Fort Collins, Colorado 80522 http://www.conps.org Place Stamp Here TIME SENSITIVE MATERIAL