NATIVE PLANT IDENTIFICATION WORKSHOPS PART OF THE ARKANSAS VASCULAR FLORA PROJECT

http://www.uark.edu/~arkflora

Locations: Fayetteville, Jonesboro, Monticello, Arkadelphia, Conway

FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. — The opportunity to learn more about plants native to Arkansas will be made available at several locations throughout the state from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m., Saturday, May 18, through the Arkansas Vascular Flora project.

The members of the Arkansas Vascular Flora Committee will host the half-day workshops to highlight many of the tools and techniques used by botanists to identify plants.

Participants will learn:

• How plants are named
• To decipher technical terms
• To identify families of plants
• Ethical collection techniques
• To use keys and a hand-lens
• How to press plants for posterity
• And more.

The cost is $15 per person. Registration will continue until the workshops are full. Space is limited, so please pre-register by May 15, on the Internet at http://www.uark.edu/~arkflora. Registration after May 15 will be on a first-come, first-serve basis until all slots are filled. The program is designed for ages 16 and up.

Participants should bring a sack lunch. Technical keys, hand lenses and/or microscopes, and plant specimens will be provided, but if participants have personal copies of Steyermark's Flora of Missouri; Rad ford, Ahles & Bell's Manual of the Vascular Flora of the Carolinas; or Smith's Keys to the Flora of Arkansas, please bring them as there are limited quantities available.

The Arkansas Vascular Flora Project is the first attempt to create a comprehensive book-length, fully illustrated manual about the vascular plants of Arkansas.

"The active involvement of amateur botanists in the project is essential to expanding our knowledge of the flora of Arkansas," said Johnnie Gentry, coordinator for the flora project who also oversees the University of Arkansas Herbarium.

The Vascular Flora of Arkansas Project is a cooperative effort among botanists, both within and outside of Arkansas. This project is being coordinated by the Arkansas Vascular Flora Committee (a committee of professional academic and field botanists). This workshop will serve as another opportunity for professional and amateur botanists to share information about the flora of Arkansas. The active involvement of amateur botanists in the project is essential to expanding our knowledge of the flora of Arkansas.

Registration information for the individual locations is as follows:

Fayetteville (U of A Herbarium)
Contact: Dr. Johnnie Gentry
University of Arkansas
Herbarium/ Biomass Research Center 139
Fayetteville, AR 72701
(479) 575-4372

Jonesboro (Arkansas State University)
Contact: Dr. Staria Vanderpool
Dept. Biological Sciences
Arkansas State University
P.O. Box 599
Jonesboro, AR 72467
(870) 972-3082

Monticello (U of A Monticello)
Contact: Dr. Eric Sundell
School of Mathematics and Natural Sciences
U of A Monticello
Monticello, AR 71656
(870) 460-1165

Arkadelphia (Henderson State University)
Contact: Dr. Brett Serviss
Dept. of Biology
Henderson State University
Arkadelphia, AR 71999-0001
(870) 230-5158

Conway (UCA)
Contact: Dr. Don Culwell
Dept. of Biology
University of Central Arkansas
Conway, AR 72035
(501) 450-5919

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