2022 Annual Meeting: Ferns and Forests
Hosted by the Flathead Chapter and the Western-at-large Members:
The Flathead Chapter and Western Members-at-Large are hosting the long postponed 33rd Annual Meeting June 24-26, 2022 at Timberlane Campground, 8 miles north of Libby, just off the Pipe Creek Road in the Kootenai National Forest.
The rustic campground has vault toilets, water, 11 pull in campsites, plenty of room for tent camping and a small pavilion. If you need other accommodations, consider making reservations early in or around Libby since summers are busy.
We have the campground reserved on Thursday night, June 23, as workshops will start on Friday. Make some time for a long weekend adventure! Writer, storyteller and educator extraordinaire, Jack Nisbet, is joining us as our guest speaker. Field trips will explore the ferns, forests and flowers of this damp part of Montana, including the nearby Cabinet Mountains.
We don’t know what the COVID situation will be in June 2022, but please be assured we will plan for the health and safety of attendees as appropriate at the time of the meeting.
Mark your calendar and watch for more details in the Winter and Spring Kelseyas. We look forward to seeing you and all our plant enthusiast friends! Registration will be available around April 2022.
Here are a few online programs to enrich your visit and orient you to this part of the country:
“Stories from BC’s Forgotten Rainforest.” Northwest Montana is part of the Inland Temperate Rainforest and “Wildsight,” an environmental organization based in southeastern British Columbia, hosted photographer David Moskowitz for a program on this remarkable part of the world. A broad overview of the ecosystem along with stunning photos make this time well spent. See the video at: https://vimeo.com/486205680.
“Ferns of North Idaho” Ferns are a fascinating and diverse group of plants. In many ways they are very much like the flowering plants we are all so familiar with, but they have some striking differences. Derek Antonelli with the Idaho Native Plant Society will cover the natural history of this group of plants and describe anatomical features that make the group special. This knowledge will make identifying ferns a whole lot easier. Northern Idaho, (and adjacent NW Montana, of course) with its higher levels of precipitation, has the highest diversity of fern in the state. Derek will show photos of a number of these ferns and fern allies. Presented by: Derek Antonelli, Calypso Chapter of Idaho Native Plant Society Kinnikinnick Native Plant Society, February 27, 2021 program. To access the You Tube recording, go to: https://youtu.be/JfqlTwSjhFs.
“A Vascular Flora of the Selkirk Mountains of Bonner and Boundary Counties, Idaho.” West of NW Montana sits Idaho’s Selkirk Mountains. This program is presented by Harpo Faust from the University of Idaho Herbarium in Moscow and hosted by the Kinnickinnick Native Plant Society in Sandpoint, Idaho. The Selkirk range is ecologically distinct, hosting an assemblage of boreal, coastal, Rocky Mountain, and Columbia Basin floristic influences, with a rich geologic and glacial history. During the past two summers, more than 4,000 unique vascular plants were collected over the 886 square mile study area. The study resulted in many interesting finds, including state and county collection records, and an updated inventory of nearly 95 plant families. Harpo gave this program to the Kelsey Chapter, but this is a recording of an earlier presentation. To access the YouTube recording, go to: this link.
“Yaqan Nukiy Wetland and Floodplain Restoration.” Just across the Border is the Creston Valley of British Columbia. Wildsight hosts Norm Allard, community planner for Yaqan Nukiy (Lower Kootenay Band), as he tours restoration projects on the Kootenay and Goat Rivers. The floodplain and wetland restoration work holds multiple benefits for wildlife, water, and community. Watch the video to learn more about the blending of historical knowledge, technology, and effort to restore ecological function to this area. To access the Vimeo Recording, go to: this link.
Last Updated: December 2021
Annual Meeting Photos
Click on the Caption at the bottom of the following pictures to go to photos from past annual meetings shared by generous annual meeting participants. Please enjoy the pictures and respect the talents and work of the photographers – i.e. please don’t steal their work.
