PULLMAN, Wash. — Potential uses of native plants for a variety of uses will be explored at the Native Plants as Minor Crops International Symposium scheduled May 5-7 at the Washington State University Tri-Cities campus in Richland.
Speakers will discuss seed collection, native plant propagation, ethics of native plant collection, restoration of ecology, native wild root foods, landscaping with native plants and volunteer projects around the country involving native plant surveys and salvaging.
“We think this conference should interest a variety of audiences, including environmentalists, land managers, gardeners, the nursery industry, people interested in revegetation and people interested in native food plants,” said Steven Link, WSU plant ecologist.
The keynote address will be delivered by Kathy Hutton of Plants of the Wild, from Tekoa. Her topic will be “Horticulture Industry Native Plant Revegetation.”
The conference includes a tour of the Fitzner-Eberhardt Arid Lands Ecology Reserve. The ALE is an undisturbed shrub steppe ecosystem on the Hanford Reservation.
Registration deadline is April 11. The conference fee is $100 for three days. Single day registrations are available. Contact Chris Eder at (509) 335-2954 or by e- mail at eder@wsu.edu for registration information.
Contact Dora Rumsey at (509) 372-7256 or Steven Link at (509) 372-7372 for further information on the program.
The conference is sponsored by WSU Cooperative Extension.
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