Summary: This issue emphasizes the importance of combining field experience, public education, and interdisciplinary thinking to strengthen native plant conservation. Members are encouraged to participate in field trips exploring North Park, Aspen, and alpine Cameron Bowl, where ecological restoration, revegetation practices, and alpine ecosystems can be observed firsthand. Reports from recent events celebrate successful workshops on grass identification and collaborative field studies at Roxborough State Park that documented over seventy plant species, including a rare Colorado occurrence of wild black currant. Articles from the herbarium highlight advances in regional floras, slide archives, and botanical reference tools, while essays advocate for broad natural history perspectives that integrate ecology, taxonomy, and evolution. Additional features explore plant-insect mutualism, prairie disjunct communities, native plant propagation, and edible uses of wild plants, reinforcing the value of curiosity, stewardship, and lifelong learning in understanding Colorado’s flora.

Plant Species: Plant species mentioned in this issue include Cascade Azalea (Rhododendron albiflorum), Wild Black Currant (Ribes americanum), Yarrow (Achillea lanulosa), False Dandelion (Agoseris glauca), Wild Alyssum (Alyssum minus), Serviceberry or Juneberry (Amelanchier alnifolia), Pussy-toes (Antennaria parviflora), Rock Cress (Arabis drummondii), Purple Milkvetch (Astragalus dasyglottis), Drummond’s Milkvetch (Astragalus drummondii), Wiry Milkvetch (Astragalus flexuosus), Field Mustard (Brassica rapa), Camelina (Camelina microcarpa), White-top (Cardaria draba), Indian Paintbrush (Castilleja spp.), Mouse-ear Chickweed (Cerastium arvense), Mountain Mahogany (Cercocarpus montanus), Blue Mustard (Chorispora tenella), Blue-eyed Mary (Collinsia parviflora), Hawthorn (Crataegus erythropoda), Nelson’s Larkspur (Delphinium nelsonii), Sticky Cinquefoil (Drymocallis fissa), Ellisia (Ellisia nyctelea), Field Horsetail (Equisetum arvense), Spreading Fleabane (Erigeron divergens), Storksbill (Erodium cicutarium), Sulphur Flower (Eriogonum umbellatum), Wallflower (Erysimum asperum), Bedstraw (Galium boreale), Scarlet Gaura (Gaura coccinea), Waterleaf (Hydrophyllum fendleri), Wild Iris (Iris missouriensis), Arctic Rush (Juncus arcticus), White Peavine (Lathyrus leucanthus), Blue Flax (Linum lewisii), Narrowleaf Puccoon (Lithospermum incisum), Lupine (Lupinus argenteus), Cheeseweed (Malva neglecta), Chiming Bells (Mertensia lanceolata), Microsteris (Microsteris gracilis), Cutleaf Evening Primrose (Oenothera coronopifolia), Wood-sorrel (Oxalis dillenii), Lambert’s Locoweed (Oxytropis lambertii), Sidebells Penstemon (Penstemon secundiflorus), Blue-mist Penstemon (Penstemon virens), Scorpionweed (Phacelia heterophylla), English Plantain (Plantago lanceolata), False Salsify (Podospermum laciniatum), Western Chokecherry (Prunus virginiana var. melanocarpa), Buttercup (Ranunculus macounii), Skunkbrush (Rhus trilobata), Boulder Raspberry (Rubus deliciosus), Skullcaps (Scutellaria brittonii), Bunny-in-the-grass (Scrophularia lanceolata), Stonecrop (Sedum lanceolatum), Fendler’s Senecio (Senecio fendleri), Early Spring Senecio (Senecio integerrimus), Blue-eyed Grass (Sisyrinchium montanum), Copper Mallow (Sphaeralcea coccinea), Common Dandelion (Taraxacum officinale), Golden Banner (Thermopsis divaricarpa), Fanweed (Thlaspi arvense), Easter Daisy (Townsendia grandiflora), Spiderwort (Tradescantia occidentalis), Salsify (Tragopogon dubius), Oyster Plant (Tragopogon porrifolius), Bracted Vervain (Verbena bracteata), American Vetch (Vicia americana), White Violet (Viola canadensis), Nuttall’s Violet (Viola nuttallii), Wild Grape (Vitis riparia), Death Camas (Zygadenus venenosus), Bush Morning Glory (Ipomoea leptophylla), Foamflower (Tiarella), Mitrewort (Mitella), Golden Saxifrage (Chrysosplenium), Showy Milkweed (Asclepias speciosa), Arenaria (Arenaria fendleri), Minuartia (Minuartia obtusiloba), Cryptantha, Cushion Nailwort (Paronychia pulvinata), Alpine Bladderpod (Lesquerella alpina), Sulphur Buckwheat (Eriogonum flavum var. flavum), Spoonleaf Milkvetch (Astragalus spatulatus), and Stemless Hymenoxys (Hymenoxys acaulis var. caespitosa).

Keywords: field trips, North Park, Steamboat Springs, Mount Zirkle Wilderness, Aspen, Cameron Bowl, alpine tundra, revegetation, coal mine reclamation, topsoiling, species selection, reseeding, mulching, transplanting techniques, grasses workshop, grass identification, Roxborough State Park, plant inventories, rare species documentation, herbarium collections, Colorado Flora, West Slope flora, Rocky Mountain Flora, slide archives, botanical illustration, Mesa County flora, Moffat County flora, natural history, interdisciplinary biology, amateur naturalists, professional science, multidisciplinary research, plant-animal interactions, ant mutualism, pollination ecology, seed dispersal, mycology, rust fungi, evolutionary relationships, alpine disjunct communities, Pawnee Grasslands, native seed propagation, landscaping with native plants, edible native plants, ethnobotany, public outreach, volunteer engagement, conservation education, and stewardship of Colorado’s native ecosystems.

Summary: This issue emphasizes practical conservation through education, restoration, and citizen participation. Members are introduced to new opportunities to support endangered plant protection through the Endangered Wild Flower Calendar and are invited to contribute directly to botanical research through employment with the Natural Heritage Inventory’s Piceance Basin surveys. Reports from the annual meeting highlight cooperation among federal and state agencies in balancing land use with protection of sensitive species and habitats. Feature articles encourage the use of native plants in home landscapes through a detailed profile of River Birch and revive efforts to distribute native seeds among members. The issue concludes by celebrating edible uses of native plants while reinforcing the Society’s commitment to stewardship, outreach, and hands-on involvement in conserving Colorado’s flora.

Plant Species: Plant species mentioned in this issue include Eagle’s Claw Cactus, River Birch (Betula fontinalis), Kentucky Bluegrass, rose, serviceberry, prickly pear cacti, fourwing saltbush (Atriplex canescens), buffaloberry, snowberry (Symphoricarpos), saltbush (Atriplex), Gambel Oak (Quercus gambelii), gooseberry (Ribes), lead plant (Amorpha), mountain ash (Sorbus), hedgehog cactus (Echinocereus), ball cactus (Coryphantha and Pediocactus), coneflower, black-eyed Susan (Rudbeckia), hymenoxys (Hymenoxys), golden smoke (Corydalis aurea), gentians, geranium (Geranium), pink bergamot (Monarda fistulosa), skullcap (Scutellaria), golden pea (Thermopsis), lupine (Lupinus), sweet vetch (Hedysarum), locoweed (Oxytropis), milkvetch (Astragalus), wild four o’clock (Mirabilis), evening primrose (Oenothera), phlox (Phlox), Jacob’s ladder (Polemonium), trumpet gilia (Ipomopsis), false buckwheat (Eriogonum), shooting star (Dodecatheon), anemone (Anemone), windflower (Pulsatilla), columbine (Aquilegia), larkspur (Delphinium), ninebark (Physocarpus), raspberry (Rubus), alum-root (Heuchera), monkey flower (Mimulus), penstemon (Penstemon), Indian ricegrass (Oryzopsis), yucca (Yucca), false forget-me-not (Hackelia), bluebells (Mertensia), fleabane (Erigeron), aster (Aster), arnica (Arnica), rabbitbrush (Chrysothamnus), blazing star (Liatris), pearly everlasting (Anaphalis), pussy toes (Antennaria), hymenopappus (Hymenopappus), sagebrush (Artemisia), goldenrod (Solidago), Easter Daisy (Townsendia), bladderpod (Lesquerella), double bladderpod (Physaria), fireweed (Epilobium angustifolium), mountain mahogany (Cercocarpus), bluestem (Andropogon), Indiangrass (Sorghastrum), giant reed (Phragmites), fescue (Festuca), wheatgrass, junegrass (Koeleria), cattail (Typha latifolia), and marsh marigold (Caltha leptosepala).

Keywords: endangered wildflower conservation, endangered species education, conservation fundraising, Rare and Endangered Native Plant Exchange, Natural Heritage Inventory, Piceance Basin surveys, rare plant inventories, botanical employment opportunities, field botany, population mapping, specimen collection, high altitude revegetation, reclamation research, mine reclamation, restoration ecology, annual meeting, federal land management, Multiple-Use Sustained Yield Act, Bureau of Land Management, threatened and sensitive species, Habitat Evaluation Procedure, Natural Areas Program, natural heritage databases, conservation partnerships, audiovisual education, wildflower photography, membership growth, board activities, native landscaping, seed distribution, seed collecting techniques, native plant propagation, edible native plants, ethnobotany, horticulture, public outreach, volunteer engagement, and stewardship of native ecosystems.