Events

Sewanee Purple Phacelia (Phacelia sewaneensis) --  The Story of How We Discovered and Named a New Species of Plant that was Hiding in Plain Sight on our Campus.

NOTE: This event will be a hybrid zoom event. Dr. Evans will join via Zoom, and you have the option to join via zoom or join the WildOnes group at the South Huntsville Public Library for a watch party. Please email [email protected] in advance for a zoom link if you are not a WildOnes member.

These days, it is a rare and highly unusual opportunity in the life of a botanist to be able to name a new species of plant.  It is even more unusual when that new species happens to be one of the most charismatic spring wildflowers found on your own campus and whose flowers are also exactly the school color!    In this talk, I describe the ecological and genetic research over the last four years that led my lab to the conclusion that we had two distinct species of Phacelia living in Shakerag Hollow rather than just one.  My explanation for why I believe this species was missed by botanists for over 200 years, goes beyond science and involves a French spy from the 1700s.  Finally, I will explain the complicated process of how one goes about naming a new species and why we chose to name this species, Phacelia sewanensis,  the Sewanee Purple Phacelia!

Dr. Jon Evans is a Professor of Biology at the University of the South in Sewanee, TN. His research in plant ecology focuses on plant population dynamics and the processes that determine the composition and structure of plant communities over time and across landscapes. He is specifically interested in the role of clonal growth as a mechanism for population persistence in plant communities. He also studies land-use history and exotic species introductions as drivers of long-term change in forest communities. Much of his research is conducted within ecosystems of the southern United States, concentrated on the southern Cumberland Plateau and on the coastal barrier islands.

Since 1995, he and his students have conducted research on the dynamics of old-growth, upland forests of the Cumberland Plateau.  Long-term plots established in Franklin State Forest and Fall Creek Falls have informed our understanding of the importance of old-growth upland forests to the maintenance of biological diversity on the Plateau and the critical role they now play in combating climate change by sequestering and storing large
amounts of carbon.

He also leads University efforts to promote landscape–level conservation across the Cumberland Plateau region. As founding Director of Sewanee’s Landscape Analysis Laboratory, he led a federally funded, multi-disciplinary project that used GIS and remote sensing to examine the environmental consequences of native hardwood conversion to pine plantations on the Cumberland Plateau. This research led to fundamental changes in land-use decision-making within the region and helped to catalyze major conservation initiatives.

He has been a faculty member at Sewanee since 1994 and teaches courses in ecology, botany and conservation biology. He also directs the Sewanee Herbarium, which maintains an extensive vascular plant collection for the University’s 13,000 acre campus and surrounding region.

In this special collaboration, Robin Wall Kimmerer, author, botanist, and founder of Plant Baby Plant, joins youth leader and Nurture Natives founder Esther Bonney for an intergenerational conversation about belonging, reciprocity, and native plant action. 

Together, they will explore questions such as:

How do we create opportunities for young people to have a voice and feel empowered, even when they are not homeowners or decision makers?What kinds of relationships and mentorships help people stay engaged in native plant work over decades?Why do stories, shared practices, and community invitations matter just as much as plant lists?

Robin and Esther will reflect on what invites people into this work, what keeps them here, and what elders and youth have to teach each other.

This will be an in-person workshop on winter sowing, inspired by Homegrown National Park and hosted by Sara Johnson. WONA members may participate for free, and the general public may participate for a $15 donation. Participants MUST RSVP before the event.

This workshop will consist of a lecture and skills training that will include: types of seeds and seed traits, advice on planting depth, how to address different seed coats, how to know when seeds are ready for harvest, basic collection ethics, where to source native seed and what to buy, seed cleaning and preparation, seed storage, seed stratification, seed scarification, soil types and germination substrates, and a guide to helpful resources to get you started on your journey.

Details coming soon! This will be a paid webinar with all proceeds supporting the Seeds for Education Program. 

Join WONA and Patrick Thompson, curator of Auburn University's Davis Arboretum, as he teaches us about Alabama sandstone oak (Quercus boyntonii).

WONA's quarterly board of directors meeting. All members are welcome to join. Please email [email protected] if you would like to be sent the zoom.

Details coming soon! 

Join WONA for our quarterly member meeting to find out what we are doing to advance the native plant movement in our area. This is a meeting for planning, strategizing, and developing plans to educate our community about native plants.

Planning time for the WONA Weed Wrangle committee. If you'd like to get involved, please email [email protected] with the subject line “Weed Wrangle.”

Join local botanist and native plant advocate Lynne Weninegar as she takes us through the steps of planning a native garden.

WONA's quarterly board of directors meeting. All members are welcome to join. Please email [email protected] if you would like to be sent the zoom.

Join WONA for our quarterly member meeting to find out what we are doing to advance the native plant movement in our area. This is a meeting for planning, strategizing, and developing plans to educate our community about native plants.

April Waltz will speak about the Alabama Wildlife Federation and more specifically the Habitat Learning Lab program. 

April works with schools to create schoolyard habitats that can be used for hands-on, inquiry-based learning opportunities.  The Habitat Learning Program emphasizes the importance of using native plants in pollinator, butterfly, frog & toad, and songbird habitats.  WONA members can learn more about our program on our website at https://alabamawildlife.org/habitat-learning-lab/.

This will consist of a 30 minute presentation with time for questions afterwards. 

Join WONA and Janice Barrett from Wild Alabama as she tells us the story of the hemlock wooly adelgid, an invasive insect threatening hemlock trees across the Easter U.S.

Planning time for the WONA Weed Wrangle committee. If you'd like to get involved, please email [email protected] with the subject line “Weed Wrangle.”

WONA's quarterly board of directors meeting. All members are welcome to join. Please email [email protected] if you would like to be sent the zoom.

Details coming soon! 

Join WONA for our annual member meeting to elect a new Board and find out what we are doing to advance the native plant movement in our area. This is a meeting for planning, strategizing, and developing plans to educate our community about native plants.

Details coming soon! 

Details coming soon! 

Planning time for the WONA Weed Wrangle committee. If you'd like to get involved, please email [email protected] with the subject line “Weed Wrangle.”

WONA's quarterly board of directors meeting. All members are welcome to join. Please email [email protected] if you would like to be sent the zoom.