Kelseya uniflora, the mascot plant of the Montana Native Plant Society, is named for its discoverer, Francis Kelsey, namesake of the Kelsey Chapter. (Peter Lesica photo)

For more information about Kelsey Chapter programs and events:

Kathy Lloyd
503 State Street
Helena, MT 59601
(406) 449-6586

Interested in Native Plant Landscaping in our area? Click here  

Wednesday, 4/25, 7:00 pm. ExplorationWorks! in Helena will host a slide show on Mt. Helena wildflowers with Bob Person and Mary Johnson. The cost is $5 for members and $8 for non-members. This will be followed with a field trip to see the plants on May 16. The hike is free and runs from 7 to 9 pm. Info: Amy, 457-1800, ext. 3.

Tuesday, 5/15. Bob Person and Mary Johnson will host a slide show on the flora of Mt. Helena. This is intended for, but not limited to, folks who will be volunteering their time on Mt. Helena the following week (see below). Meet at the Forest Service office. Info: Sam Chapman, 495-3718.

Activities:

Tuesday, 4/17. Help select the winning artwork submitted by 4th grade students in honor of National Wildflower Week. The judging will take place at the Helena National Forest Headquarters. Info: Sam Chapman, 495-3718.

Monday, 5/21, 5:30 pm. Hike leaders for Wildflower Week will meet at the Mt. Helena parking lot to scout out flowers in bloom and to become familiar with the hiking route.

Tuesday, Wednesday, Friday, 5/22, 5/23 and 5/25. The Kelsey Chapter and other organizations will host area 4th graders on guided hikes and at educational stations. To volunteer, call Sam Chapman, 495-3718.

Wednesday, 5/23, 7:00 pm. Bob Person will host a free hike on Mt. Helena with Prickly Pear Land Trust. Meet in the Mt. Helena parking lot.

Saturday, 5/26, 10:00 am. Spring wildflower hike to Lewis & Clark Pass. Numbers are limited, so reserve your space - Info and RSVP: Sam Chapman, 495-3718.

Sunday, June 10, Carl Creek Wildflower Walk East of Townsend on the Helena National Forest. Join Kelsey Chapter member Jeff Van Tine on this Montana Wilderness Association sponsored fun, but strenous, point-to-point hike in a roadless area in the shadows of Grassy Mountain. Wildflower enthusiasts and wilderness supporters will have plenty to admire. We’ll travel along the Carl Creek Trail #123 to a vehicle left below at the Cedar Bar Trailhead #105. This House of Sky author, Ivan Doig, described Grassy Mountain with “its trees and grass in a pattern tipped upside down from every other mountain in sight…darkly cowled with timber at the bottom and opens into a wide generous pasture - ­ a brow of prairie some few thousand feet higher than any prairie ought to be…” Weather permitting we will do a ridge walk on Grassy Mountain. On a clear day we will enjoy views of more than 11 mountain ranges. Reservations, please, by May 26. Meet 9:00 a.m. at the Department of Transportation parking lot east of I-15, off Hwy 12 in Helena. For reservations and additional information, contact Jeff Van Tine by phone 461-8475 or email. 

Tuesday, June 19, 5:30 p.m. Join Martha Vogt for an evening hike up to Flesher Pass. We will meet at 5:30 at the west end of Lundy Center, and carpool the half hour to Flesher. Bring a sandwich for dinner, water, and appropriate clothing. We will have 2-3 hours of wildflower viewing. Last year there were at least 40 species. We will be back in town by 9:30. Call Martha at 495-9270 for details.  

Saturday, June 23, 12:00 Join Kelsey Chapter to hike, ID plants, and trim willows in the wetland along Rimini Road. Diane Tipton will give a tour showing how the planned Rimini Road revision will affect wetlands and the bottomlands in the gulch. A picnic and fire are planned for later in the day. Bring marshmallows to roast, potatoes to bake, salads, drinks, and your own table service. Diane will supply a big pot of chili. The address is 1968 Rimini Road­the ranch is between the two and three mile marker on the Rimini Road. At the second white bridge prepare to turn right at the gate. The black mail box has the address on it. Call Jane Horton 443-6353 or Diane Tipton 457-8474 for additional details.

 

Here is a special series of events -

Kelsey Chapter member Jeff Van Tine will also be leading a series of walks on the Rocky Mountain Front, sponsored by the Montana Wilderness Association, emphasizing Species of Concern (SOCs), the Natural Resources Information Service (NRIS) Database, and an attempt to gather SOC information on the Rocky Mountain Front. These trips are designed for those people who may have been out for a hike and saw a wildflower or animal that they have never seen before and wondered how to find out if they have just come across a rare or threatened species. On each of these walks, leaders will help give participants some tools to identify species of concern and to learn how to report sightings. There will also be some tips for taking top-notch photographs. Please bring food, water, and a camera. These hikes are not appropriate for young children. Reservations required... see details in each walk listing for the registration deadline. For more information on any of these walks, contact Jeff Van Tine 406-640-4301 or by email for the specifics on the hike locations and goals.

Sunday, June 17. Rare Plants and Animals on the Front near Choteau. Join us for exploring in a secret location just west of Choteau for this easy, fun, and informative walk. Reservations, please by June 4. Meet 9:00 a.m. at the Choteau Information Center located on Hwy 89. For reservations and further information, contact Jeff (see above).

Saturday, June 23. Rare Plants and Animals on the Front near Augusta. Join us exploring in a secret location west of Augusta for this easy, fun, and informative walk. Reservations, please, by June 11. Meet 9:00 a.m. at Chubby’s Diner in Augusta. For reservations and further information, contact Jeff (see above).

Saturday, July 14. Rare Plants and Animals on the Front near Bynum. Join us for exploring in a secret location just west of Bynum for this easy, fun, and informative walk. Reservations, please, by July 7. For reservations and further information, contact Jeff (see above).

Sunday, July 29. Rare Plants and Animals on the Front near Dupuyer. Join us for exploring in a secret location just west of Dupuyer for this easy, fun, and informative walk. Reservations, please, by July 16. For reservations and further information, contact Jeff (see above).

Chapter Projects

The Flora of Mount Helena  The Flora of Mount Helena database includes most of the nearly 300 vascular plant species found on Mount Helena. The database is maintained by the Lewis and Clark Library and updated by the Kelsey Chapter of the Montana Native Plant Society. Click here to access the database online.

The Flora of Mount Helena permanent specimen collection is housed in the Montana section at the Lewis and Clark Library in Helena. The collection is arranged alphabetically by scientific name. Nomenclature follows Dorn 1984. An index is provided that allows cross-referencing by common name and common family name. Click here for a pdf file of the species list.

The Flora of Mount Helena collection is a joint project of the Kelsey Chapter of the Montana Native Plant Society and the Lewis and Clark Library. The Kelsey Chapter formally donated the specimen collection to the Lewis and Clark Library in 1999.

For more information about the collection or to make suggestions, call the Montana Native Plant Society at 406-449-6586.