​FRIENDS OF PLANT CONSERVATION

...conserving North Carolina's imperiled plants in their natural habitat by supporting
​the NC Plant Conservation Program...
"...wild flowers should be enjoyed unplucked where they grow."   Theodore Roosevelt

2018 Annual Conference and
​Members Meeting

Menace or Marvel: Beaver as Ecosystem Engineers or Troublesome Pests
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Photo courtesy Steve Hersey via Flicker. CC BY-SA 2.0. https://www.flickr.com/people/31563480@N00
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Saturday, November 10th
9:30 am - 5:30 pm
​Gaston County, NC

​JOIN the Friends of Plant Conservation
 
For it’s 10th Annual Meeting of Members & Friends
 
SATURDAY, NOVEMBER 10TH
 
9:30 am ~ 4:30 pm
 
Hickory Grove Baptist Church
3717 Hickory Grove Road
Gastonia, NC
 
 
Cecil Frost, second director of the NC Plant Conservation Program and premiere beaver expert, will share his experiences with and knowledge of beavers, their
impact on the land and on plant protection preserves.
 
The meeting site is just down the road from Redlair Preserve, where we will enjoy an Autumn Afternoon Ramble through forest and fields.  Haywood Rankin and Bob Peet will lead the walks (strenuous or easy, your choice).
 
Meeting and lecture in the morning, lunch together on site (order on next page), and the Afternoon Ramble will make for a relaxing and informative day.
 
Send in your registrations by November 3rd if you want to order lunch.
PLANT OF THE MONTH
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Platanthera grandiflora (Bigelow) Lindl. Greater purple fringed orchid Photo courtesy Cheryl Gregory


Platanthera grandiflora,  Greater purple fringed orchid. 

Purple fringed orchid should be in bloom now and into August, in shades of pink, purple and rarely white blooms are to be found.  They are in Clay, Buncombe, Avery, Watauga, and Ashe counties in North Carolina often growing in bogs, forests, meadows and fields, and wetland edges.

They are on the Threatened list in North Carolina.  The NC Plant Conservation Program has them protected on one of their 24 Preserves.

Join the Friends of Plant Conservation to help protect this beauty from disappearing. 
​​

CURRENT NEWSLETTER - 
for archived newsletters, see
​News & Newsletters page.

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North Carolina Plant Conservation Program NC Dept. Agriculture & Consumer Services Plant Industry Division
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 at 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
NEW BOOK REVIEW:  ​
​Geology and Plant Life:  The Effects of Landforms and Rock Types on Plants. ​Arthur Kruckeberg, Univ. of Washington Press, 2004.

2018 PRESERVE Workdays/ Walks

Kalmia carolina.  Carolina laurel or sheepkill in Cedar Mountain Bog.                                      c. K.Schlosser
​Preserve walks are opportunities to slow down; wander through areas seldom seen; see, feel, and hear nature surrounding you.  Walk 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.
 
Preserve Workdays/Walks are free for Friends members and open to the public for $15 per person (no fee if you participate in a Workday).  Most walks 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 Walks are intended to share the special nature of the Preserves and to promote their continued conservation.  There is no public access to Preserves without a Permit.
​ 
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!

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.