NPSO 2023 Annual Meeting

Evening Programs

Saturday Banquet Keynote Speaker - Dr. James Mickley

Saturday, June 3

James Mickley

The importance of community science, and how you can help

We are currently in the midst of a citizen-science plant data bonanza, driven largely by submissions to iNaturalist, but also including regional contributions, such as the sharing of NPSO field trip species lists with OregonFlora, or continued, targeted collecting of specimens for the herbarium. This data is useful and most welcome, but is outpacing the ability of traditional resources such as the OSU Herbarium and OregonFlora to curate and process that data. To effectively use this information to understand and conserve our state’s flora, we are working to develop tools and processes that allow us all to access this data in ways that highlight correctly identified and informative contributions. I’ll share a number of ways in which NPSO and you all as community scientists can help further the work at the herbarium and OregonFlora so that your contributions will create meaningful data. Regardless of your level of expertise, your role as citizen scientists is valuable and continues NPSO’s longtime contributions toward furthering our knowledge of plants in the state of Oregon.

Bio: James Mickley joined Oregon State University in 2020 as the curator of plants at the herbarium, and an instructor in the Botany department. At the herbarium, he manages the curation and digitization of specimens, collaborates with OregonFlora, and also contributes improvements to the OregonFlora website. He grew up in Pennsylvania, and earned graduate degrees at Stony Brook University and University of Connecticut on the East Coast, where he studied evolution and adaptation of floral petal number in the Polemoniaceae.

Other Speakers - Ed Alverson

Ed Alverson

Ed Alverson will join James Mickley during the Saturday evening banquet keynote to offer some insights into the value of community science from his perspective as Natural Areas Coordinator for Lane County Parks.

Bio: Ed is a field botanist and stewardship ecologist with over 4 decades of experience exploring the prairies, forests, and mountains of the Pacific Northwest and beyond. His interests include floristics and biogeography, ecological history, botanical exploration, fire ecology, plant propagation, ecological restoration, and endangered species recovery. He is a long-time member of the Natural Areas Association, California Botanical Society, American Fern Society, North American Rock Garden Society, Washington Native Plant Society, and the Native Plant Society of Oregon. Particular plant groups that Ed has focused on are western North American ferns and the genus Erythronium. He has contributed taxonomic treatments to Flora of the Pacific Northwest 2nd ed., The Jepson Manual, Flora of North America, and Flora of China.

Friday Evening Mixer

Friday, June 2

Enjoy the good company of other Annual Meeting attendees at WildCraft Cider Works between 5:30 and 8:30PM. A variety of beverages including WildCraft's award winning ciders made from apples, pears, blueberries, plums, cherries and elderberries will be available for purchase. Hors d'oeuvres will be provided by Emerald Chapter.

If you have questions that aren't answered here, send email to annualmeeting@npsoregon.org.