​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

Saturday, November 10th
9:30 am - 5:30 pm
​Gaston County, NC

Details are incomplete at this time, but we hope you will put the date on your calendar.  We are planning a morning of discussions--Pro and Con--on beavers in the landscape, especially plant conservation lands.  Cecil Frost, who has much experience working with a large beaver project and an enthusiasm for them, is one of our featured speakers.  Others to be announced.

Following lunch, a visit to Redlair Plant Conservation Preserve (700 + acres in Gaston Co.) will be available in two forms:
1.  As visit to a site that has been visited by beaver and a look at how much beaver activity can be tolerated by the existing plants.  A rather long hike in, but you will be back in time to get home. Led by Haywood Rankin and Cecil Frost.
2.  A shorter walk to enjoy other sections of Redlair in the Fall; led by Bob Peet. Too late for those of you who have not seen Magnolia 

If you are coming from a distance, we will soon have hotel information available for you.  We will also offer lunch choices on your Registration Form - coming soon.
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. 
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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.
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Online shopping helps the efforts of
the Friends of Plant Conservation
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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.