IntroductionThe relationship between herbivorous insects and their respective foodplants ranges from a species acting as a generalist versus a species acting as a specialist (Miller and Hammond 2003, 2007, Miller et al. 2020). The generalist life strategy is less common than the specialist life strategy. A generalist herbivore can successfully develop on any one of…
Olympic onion (Allium crenulatum). Photo by Judi Sanders. We need your help to make Native Plant Appreciation Month permanent in Oregon. Every year we send a proclamation request to the Governor’s Office to proclaim April as Native Plant Appreciation Month. Usually, the governor issues such a proclamation, but it does not always happen. For example,…
NPSO has found a legislative ally of OregonFlora. Representative Pam Marsh (District 5, Ashland area) has submitted HB3173 in this year’s legislative session to secure support for OregonFlora, a critical resource for both the NPSO and a wide variety of governmental agencies, businesses, educators, and Oregon residents. House Bill 3173 requests $400,000 per biennium of…
Last spring, Spruce Ridge Resources, a Canadian-based mineral exploration company, staked 115 mining claims totaling 2,376 acres on the west side of Eight Dollar Mountain in Josephine County, Oregon. Spruce Ridge, who recently changed its company name to Homeland Mining, claims that Eight Dollar Mountain contains nickel laterite deposits. These mining claims are on the…
Help NPSO Sponsor Spalding’s Catchfly! The Rare and Endangered Committee has proposed contributing funds to complete sponsorship of the rare Spalding’s catchfly (Silene spaldingii) from the Rare and Endangered Fund to the Center For Plant Conservation (CPC) as part of their 40th Anniversary Campaign. Our partners at the Oregon Department of Agriculture’s Plant Conservation Program have already partially sponsored this…
The following article by Rachel R. Renne, Doctoral Candidate at the Yale School of the Environment, is based on research that was partially supported by funds from the NPSO’s field research grants program. Special thanks to Rachel for taking the extra effort to provide this perspective that illustrates the kinds of research that our society supports…
The following article by Nikki Hill is based on research that was partially supported by funds from the NPSO’s Field Research Grants program. Kudos to Nikki for making the extra effort to provide these insights on their project. Their work illustrates the kind of research that NPSO supports via your membership and donations. This type…
Plan now for activities in your chapter to help promote NPSO’s mission to support “the enjoyment, conservation, and study of Oregon’s native plants and habitats.” What could your chapter do? Your chapter might lead hikes or walks to view native plants in your area. The chapter could also organize workshops such as how to propagate,…
Celebrate the 50th anniversary of the Endangered Species Act (ESA) by adopting a rare plant species. Through our southern Oregon community (citizen) science project, we will teach volunteers how to monitor populations of rare plant species. The goal is for volunteers to be able to visit known populations of their adopted species and report on…
Although the biodiversity of the Siskiyou Crest region is globally significant, it is poorly documented in the academic literature. Located at the convergence of many spectacular ecosystems, this region contains many range extensions, disjunct populations, and endemic species found nowhere else on the face of the earth. Yet, the obscurity of the region, the rugged,…