Table of Contents
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From Young to Old, People and Plants are a Natural
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Video: The Work Continues
Exit to Native Plant News 75th Anniversary Edition
Three Funds, Many Impacts
Three Shinn grant alums out in the field in connection with their work at the North Carolina Natural Heritage Program. From left are Merry Conlin in a patch of Purple Milkweed (Asclepias purpurascens), Laurie Hamon in a cypress swamp, and Katherine Culatta counting pitcherplant (Sarracenia) flowers.
By Debra Murray for Native Plant News 75th Anniversary Edition
As we reflect on the history and accomplishments of the NCNPS on our 75th anniversary, we can appreciate the foresight and generosity of the members and officers who helped create lasting sources of support for native plant projects. Since 2002, three funds have been established that now provide yearly grants for student research, land conservation, and stewardship projects across North Carolina.
Tom and Bruce Shinn Fund
Shinn grants are a vital source of funding for native plant research. Since 2002, 67 undergraduate and graduate students have benefited from these grants. The results of their research enrich our understanding of native flora and strengthen conservation efforts. Importantly, student grants also support young researchers as they begin their careers. Four recent Shinn grant recipients are now working with the North Carolina Natural Heritage Program (Katherine Culatta, Laurie Hamon, and Merry Conlin) and the North Carolina Botanical Garden (Brandon Wheeler) helping document, restore, and protect native plants.
Alice Zawadzki Land Conservation Fund
Since 2017, the Zawadzki Fund has awarded 23 grants to help support and protect land across the state. These grants have helped expand state parks, protect watersheds, and conserve sensitive habitats. Recently, with support from a Zawadzki grant, the Piedmont Land Conservancy placed a conservation easement on a riparian habitat in Stokes County helping protect the rare Small-Anthered Bittercress (Cardamine micranthera).
B. W. Wells Stewardship Fund
The B. W. Wells Fund supports stewardship projects throughout North Carolina. This popular grant program plays an important role in helping volunteers with conservation-minded organizations care for natural areas, gardens, and public spaces for future generations. Since 2017, NCNPS has awarded almost 80 B.W. Wells grants to install native gardens, support public gardens, restore parks and neglected places, and expand outreach efforts across the state. One recent grant helped the Daniel Boone Native Gardens near Boone install a rain garden to reduce persistent flooding during severe weather events.
These grants and all they make possible exist because of donations from our members. That generosity reaches far beyond a single project or place. It supports the people, partnerships, and protected landscapes that will carry the mission of NCNPS into its next 75 years.
Debra Murray, PhD, is chair of the North Carolina Native Plant Society’s Grants & Scholarships Committee and is responsible for the distribution of the Society’s Shinn Scholarships, B.W. Wells Grants, Alice Zawadzki Conservation Grants, and donations to the Cullowhee Native Plant Conference Scholarships fund. She is a research scientist at Duke University studying the genetics of fungal pathogens.