FRIENDS OF PLANT CONSERVATION
...conserving North Carolina's imperiled plants in their natural habitat by supporting
the NC Plant Conservation Program...
the NC Plant Conservation Program...
"...wild flowers should be enjoyed unplucked where they grow." Theodore Roosevelt
:...if a man would be alone, let him look at the stars." Ralph Waldo Emerson, Nature
FIELD MUSEUM, CHICAGO - Dinosaurs and Fungi
When an asteroid smacked into the Earth 66 million years ago, it triggered mass extinctions all over the planet. The most famous victims were the dinosaurs, but early birds, insects, and other life forms took a hit too. The collision caused clouds of ash to block the sun and cool the planet’s temperature, devastating plant life. But a new study in Scientific Reports shows that while land plants struggled, some kinds of lichens—organisms made of fungi and algae living together—seized the moment and evolved into new forms to take up plants’ role in the ecosystem.
“We thought that lichens would be affected negatively, but in the three groups we looked at, they seized the chance and diversified rapidly,” says Jen-Pan Huang, the paper’s first author, a former postdoctoral researcher at the Field Museum now at Academia Sinica in Taipei. “Some lichens grow sophisticated 3D structures like plant leaves, and these ones filled the niches of plants that died out.”
“We thought that lichens would be affected negatively, but in the three groups we looked at, they seized the chance and diversified rapidly,” says Jen-Pan Huang, the paper’s first author, a former postdoctoral researcher at the Field Museum now at Academia Sinica in Taipei. “Some lichens grow sophisticated 3D structures like plant leaves, and these ones filled the niches of plants that died out.”
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TO JOIN FOPC, GO TO JOIN - Become a Member! 2019 PRESERVE Work & Learn days
Kalmia carolina. Carolina laurel or sheepkill in Cedar Mountain Bog. c. K.Schlosser
Preserve Work & Learn days are opportunities to slow down; wander through areas seldom seen; see, feel, and hear nature surrounding you. Work with a small group led by experienced staff or volunteers who share their knowledge and passion for protecting our imperiled plant species, and see some of those species growing in their natural habitat.
Most Work & Learn days are limited to 15 participants to protect the land and to provide you with an opportunity to visit, learn, and photograph these treasures of North Carolina. There are no trails and no amenities of any sort on Plant Conservation Preserves. These are not recreational lands and Workdays are intended to share the special nature of the Preserves, to provide help with invasives removal or other tasks necessary to maintain healthy ecosystems, and to promote their continued conservation. There is no public access to Preserves without a Permit. CURRENT NEWSLETTER - |
REDLAIR PRESERVE Redlair is a large preserve protecting Magnolia macrophylla, bigleaf magnolia, and Helianthus schweinitzii, Schweinitz's sunflower. There are a number of research projects underway on the Preserve. If you are looking for data related to one of the projects, contact us for information on how to reach the page(s) you need. Use the form below to request permission to access the research data. The Redlair Preserve button will take you to general information. The Redlair for Researchers button will take you to the Password Protected page. You will receive the password once you complete the Contact Form below Online shopping helps the efforts of
the Friends of Plant Conservation That's right! If you click on the "smile.amazon.com" button to do your online shopping, then Amazon will donate funds to Friends of Plant Conservation for every purchase you make.
No additional cost to you. Order our RECOMMENDED books using Amazon Smile! 
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The Friends of Plant Conservation supports the efforts of the NC Plant Conservation Program to preserve rare plants in unique habitats throughout North Carolina. The Friends of Plant Conservation provide support through education, resource development, and advocacy. Specific goals of our organization include the following:
- Upholding the regulations of the Plant Conservation Program.
- Seeking stakeholder and other public constituency input when taking actions and positions.
- Recognizing that issues have human and social dimensions, not just environmental ones.
- Supporting and respecting the role of volunteers within the organization.
- Providing information to the public about imperiled native plant conservation issues.