Wednesday, January 14th, 2026, 9:00AM-12:00PM EST, Virtual and Free

“Coming Together to Discuss Current Botany Projects, Conservation, and Collaboration in Kentucky and Beyond“

The Kentucky Native Plant Society (KNPS) and the Office of Kentucky Nature Preserves (OKNP) is co-hosting the 5th annual Virtual Kentucky Botanical Symposium on Wednesday, January 14th, from 9:00AM-12:00PM EST. For ten years, KNPS has organized a botanical symposium with a goal of bringing together professionals, community scientists, academics, researchers, gardeners, and students to learn about what is going on in the world of Kentucky botany and beyond.

This year, speakers and facilitators include Kendall McDonald, President of KNPS facilitating the meeting and speaking about OKNP’s Kentucky Forest Biodiversity Assessment Program, Jeff Nelson, Immediate Past President of KNPS providing a KNPS update, Tara Littlefield, of the Office of Kentucky Nature Preserves on the state of Kentucky plant conservation, Tony Romano of OKNP speaking about the Kentucky Roadside Conservation Program, Joey Shaw of the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga providing an update on the Tennessee-Kentucky Plant Atlas, and our keynote speaker Dr. Wesley Knapp, CEO of the Center for Plant Conservation.

“Coming Together to Discuss Current Botany Projects, Conservation, and Collaboration in Kentucky and Beyond“

KNPS will be hosting our annual, virtual, Botanical Symposium on Monday, January 12th, from 9AM-1:00PM EST. For several years, KNPS has organized a botanical symposium in the fall/winter with a goal of bringing together professionals, citizen scientists, academics, gardeners and students in order to learn about what’s going on in the world of Kentucky Botany. Everyone interested in the native plants of Kentucky is welcome to watch the Symposium and there is no charge for this event. The Symposium will be recorded and will be made available online if you are unable to attend.

We are currently working on lining up presenters and developing the topics for the Symposium. Watch for the November Lady Slipper for the full agenda and for registration details.

The Symposium will include a slide show of updates from other individuals and organizations working with the native plants of Kentucky. If you or your organization would like to update Kentucky’s botanical community about recent native plant related news, projects, or upcoming events start planning your update now. When the Symposium registration opens in November, you will have the opportunity to upload a PowerPoint slide with your update.

Starting in 2021, the Kentucky Native Plant Society began formally recognizing individuals and organizations with the KNPS Conservation Award. Individuals and organizations are recognized for their outstanding contributions in advancing KNPS’s mission: to promote education about, appreciation for, and conservation of Kentucky’s native plants and native plant communities. When the Symposium registration opens in November, you will have the opportunity to submit nominations for the awards.

While waiting for January 12th, you might want to watch the presentations from the 4th Annual Botanical Symposium, the 3rd Annual Botanical Symposium, the 2nd Annual Botanical Symposium, and the 1st Annual Botanical Symposium .

If you have any questions, shoot us an email at BotanicalSymposium@knps.org

Friday, February 2, 2024, 9:00AM-11:30AM EST, Virtual & Free

“Coming together to discuss current botanical projects, conservation, and collaboration in Kentucky and beyond”

The Kentucky Native Plant Society (KNPS) and the Office of Kentucky Nature Preserves (OKNP) is co-hosting the 4th annual Kentucky Botanical Symposium on Friday, February 2nd, from 9:00AM-11:30AM EST. For ten years, KNPS has organized a botanical symposium with a goal of bringing together professionals, community scientists, academics, researchers, gardeners, and students to learn about what is going on in the world of Kentucky botany and beyond.

This year, speakers and facilitators include Jeff Nelson providing KNPS updates, Tara Littlefield (OKNP) providing current state updates related to Kentucky plant conservation, Bashira Chowdhury (Mississippi State University) discussing Prices potato bean (Apios priceana) and pollinators, Vanessa Volker (OKNP) presenting awards for the Kentucky Botanist Big Year project on iNaturalist, Dr. Sally Chambers (Eastern Kentucky University) discussing filmy fern (Vandenboschia boschiana), Dr. Shawn Krosnick and Chris Waters (Tennessee Tech) covering pollinator interactions in rare plants and Invasive Plant Assessments by Frannie Preston and Dr. Ellen Crocker (University of Kentucky and Invasive Plant Council-KY-IPC).

We are also accepting updates from our plant partners to be featured in the botanical stakeholders highlights portion of the meeting. You can submit a PowerPoint slide including information about news or events to be featured during the symposium break. If you want to update Kentucky’s botanical community about recent native plant related news, projects, or upcoming events, check the appropriate box in the registration form below. Upon submitting your registration you will be directed to a page where you will be able to upload your slide.

KNPS is also taking nominations and giving out awards for significant conservation actions in Kentucky in 2023. As you register for the Botanical Symposium you will have the option to nominate organizations or individuals in the following categories:

• Plant Conservation Organization Award: An agency or organization that has contributed significantly to Kentucky plant conservation in 2023
• Plant Conservation Individual Award: A person who has contributed significantly to Kentucky conservation in 2023
• Ex situ conservation Award: Person or agency that has significantly contributed to ex situ plant conservation in Kentucky in 2023
• Plant Research Award: Person or agency that has significantly contributed to plant research in Kentucky in 2023
• Stewardship Award: Person or agency that has significantly contributed to native plant community stewardship in KY in 2023
• Community Science Award: Person or agency that has significantly contributed to community science in KY in 2023

We hope you will be able to attend the Botanical Symposium. If you have any questions, please contact us at BotanicalSymposium@knps.org.

Tentative Agenda

Finalized agenda will be distributed at a later date to those who register. The following list is tentative and non-comprehensive.

Welcome & General Symposium Rules Overview, Kendall McDonald, KNPS Vice-President

Kentucky Native Plant Society Updates, Jeff Nelson, KNPS President

State of Kentucky Plant Conservation, Tara Littlefield, OKNP Plant Conservation/Biological Assessment Branch Manager

Prices potato bean (Apios priceana) and pollinators, Bashira Chowdhury, Mississippi State Univeristy

Invasive Plant Assessments for Kentucky, Frannie Preston and Dr. Ellen Crocker, University of Kentucky, Invasive Pest Council

Filmy Ferns in Kentucky, Dr. Sally Chambers, Eastern Kentucky University herbarium curator

Break with stakeholder and upcoming events slideshow

Studying pollinator interactions in rare plant species: old dog, new tricks, Dr. Shawn Krosnick and Chris Waters, Tennessee Tech

Kentucky Botanists Big Year iNaturalist overview and awards, Vanessa Voelker, OKNP

Conservation Awards Ceremony and Tribute to Bob Dunlap

Questions and Discussions Section

Coming Together to Discuss Current Botany Projects, Conservation, and Collaboration in Kentucky and Beyond

KNPS will be hosting our 4th annual, virtual, Botanical Symposium on Friday, February 2nd, from 9AM-11:30AM EST. For several years, KNPS has organized a botanical symposium in the fall/winter with a goal of bringing together professionals, citizen scientists, academics, gardeners and students in order to learn about what’s going on in the world of Kentucky Botany. Everyone interested in the native plants of Kentucky is welcome to watch the Symposium and there is no charge for this event. The Symposium will be recorded and will be made available online if you are unable to attend.

We are currently working on lining up presenters and developing the topics for the Symposium. Watch for the January Lady Slipper for details as they become available. In the meantime, you might want to watch the presentations from the 3rd Annual Botanical Symposium, the 2nd Annual Botanical Symposium, and the 1st Annual Botanical Symposium . If you have any questions, shoot us an email at KYPlants@knps.org

Thursday, January 26, 2023, 9:00AM-11:30AM EST, Virtual & Free

“Coming together to discuss current botanical projects, conservation, and collaboration in Kentucky and beyond”

The Kentucky Native Plant Society (KNPS) and Office of Kentucky Nature Preserves (OKNP) is co-hosting the annual Kentucky Botanical Symposium on Thursday, January 26th from 9:00AM-11:30AM EST. For several years, KNPS has organized a botanical symposium with a goal of bringing together professionals, community scientists, academics, researchers, gardeners, and students to learn about what is going on in the world of Kentucky botany and beyond. This year, speakers and facilitators include Tara Littlefield (OKNP/KYPCA) discussing the current state of Kentucky plant conservation, Jeff Nelson providing KNPS updates, Dr. Alan Weakley (NCBG) providing an update on the SE flora project, Justin Thomas (NatureCITE) providing an overview of management effects on grasslands in Missouri, Nour Salam (OKNP) discussing modernizing data collection for field botanists and land managers, and Dr. Bridgette Williams discussing conservation genetics and the recent Kentucky Glade Cress (Leavenworthia exigua var. leavenworthia) project. 

We are accepting updates from our plant partners to be featured in the botanical stakeholders highlights portion of the meeting. You can submit a PowerPoint slide including information about news or events to be featured during the symposium break. If you want to update Kentucky’s botanical community about recent native plant related news, projects, or upcoming events, please contact us at BotanicalSymposium@knps.org to be added to the stakeholders update section.

Starting in 2021, the Kentucky Native Plant Society began formally recognizing individuals with the KNPS Conservation Award. Individuals are recognized for their outstanding contributions in advancing KNPS’s mission: to promote education about, appreciation for, and conservation of Kentucky’s native plants and native plant communities. If you know of someone deserving of this award, please send us an email to BotanicalSymposium@knps.org with the individual’s name (and contact info) and a description of what this person has done to qualify for this recognition.

Agenda

Welcome & General Symposium Rules Overview, Heidi Braunreiter, KNPS Vice-President

Kentucky Native Plant Society Updates, Jeff Nelson, KNPS President

State of Kentucky Plant Conservation, Tara Littlefield, OKNP State Botanist, Plant Conservation & Biological Assessment Branch Manager & KPCA Coordinator

Update on the Southeastern Flora Project, Dr. Alan Weakley, North Carolina Botanical Garden & Southeast Botanist

Modernizing Data Collection for Field Botany and Management, Nour Salam, OKNP Database Analyst

Break with stakeholder and upcoming events slideshow updates

Species Level Vegetation Monitoring – Letting the Trees, Forbs, Grasses, and Communities Speak for Themselves, Justin Thomas, NatureCITE Co-director

Advancing Plant Conservation with Genetic and Epigenetic Tools: A case study of the federally threatened “Kentucky glade cress,” Leavenworthia exigua var. laciniata, Dr. Bridgette Williams & Dr. Christie Edwards, Missouri Botanical Garden

Questions and Discussions Section, Moderator: Ted Brancheau, KNPS Board Member

Kentucky Botanical Symposium Speakers:

Kentucky Native Plant Society Updates, Jeff Nelson, KNPS President

Jeff Nelson has a B.S. in Chemistry from the University of California at Santa Barbara. Jeff worked as the IT Director of the Paducah Independent School District for 15 years, retiring in 2008. A native of California, Jeff, his wife Liz, and his son Aaron, moved to McCracken Co., Kentucky, in 1987. After building their house on their 10 acres, the family has spent the last 30 years restoring the property from farmland to a native woodland. As a lifelong amateur naturalist, Jeff loves exploring Kentucky and learning about the rich diversity of the Commonwealth’s many ecosystems. He has been a member of the KNPS since the early 1990s and on the Board since 2017, and is the current KNPS president (2022-2024)

State of Kentucky Plant Conservation, Tara Littlefield, OKNP State Botanist, Plant Conservation & Biological Assessment Branch Manager & KPCA Coordinator

Tara Littlefield is the state botanist and manager of the Plant Conservation and Biological Assessment Branch at the Office of Kentucky Nature Preserves.  She has over 17 years’ experience as a heritage biologist (botany and ecology) and natural area conservation leadership.    She also coordinates the states Plant Conservation Alliance, a public private partnership working on rare plant and community conservation, and is the past president of the KNPS (2016-2022).  Tara has a B.S. in Biochemistry from University of Louisville, M.S. in Forestry/Plant Ecology from the University of Kentucky and is currently pursuing a PhD at the University of Kentucky in Forest/Natural Resource Conservation.  Much of her work involves rare species surveys, general floristic inventories, natural areas inventory, biological research, acquisition/protection of natural areas, rare plant/community restoration and recovery, and biological/conservation program development and management.

Update on the Southeastern Flora Project, Dr. Alan Weakley, Plant Taxonomist, Community Ecologist, UNC herbarium director and professor

Alan Weakley is a plant taxonomist, community ecologist, and conservationist specializing in the Southeastern United States. He holds a B.A. from UNC-Chapel Hill and a Ph.D. from Duke University.  He has worked as botanist and ecologist for the N.C. Natural Heritage Program, and as regional and chief ecologist for The Nature Conservancy and NatureServe. He is currently Director of the UNC Herbarium, a department of the N.C. Botanical Garden, and teaches as adjunct faculty at UNC-Chapel Hill and at the Highlands Biological Station. Alan is the author and coordinator of The Flora of the Southeastern United States is an open access, downloadable flora with over 10,000 species. See the article about this important research here: Flora of the Southeastern United States – 2020 Edition. He has also released an app, FloraQuest, co-developed with Michael Lee and Rudy Nash, covering the Southeastern United States flora. Alan focuses on systematics and biogeography of the Southeastern United States, community classification developing the U.S. National Vegetation Classification, and land management, conservation planning, and environmental policy involving the conservation of Southeastern United States ecosystems and species.

Modernizing Data Collection for Field Botany and Management, Nour Salam, OKNP Database Analyst

Nour Salam is a database analyst at the Office of Kentucky Nature Preserves. She is passionate about using her SQL and GIS skills to guide data-driven conservation decisions. Nour earned a bachelor’s degree in Biology from the American University of Beirut and a master’s degree in marine biodiversity and conservation from the University of Pierre and Marie Curie, and got the opportunity to live in five different countries as part of that path. For the last 3 years, she has been focusing on managing Kentucky’s natural heritage database and making sure that staff botanists, zoologists, and land managers have the GIS tools they need to operate efficiently in the field. During her off time, she’s currently pursuing her mission to birdwatch in every Kentucky county, and to hike the state’s most beautiful preserves and trails.

Species Level Vegetation Monitoring – Letting the Trees, Forbs, Grasses, and Communities Speak for Themselves, Justin Thomas, Co-Director of NatureCITE, Director of the Institute of Botanical Training

Justin Thomas is the co-founder and Science Director of NatureCITE and the co-founder and Director of the Institute of Botanical Training. He conducts ecological and taxonomic research, instructs plant identification workshops, and serves as a scientific advisor to several conservation organizations in the central and eastern United States. 

Advancing Plant Conservation with Genetic and Epigenetic Tools: A case study of the federally threatened “Kentucky glade cress,” Leavenworthia exigua var. laciniata, Dr. Bridgette Williams & Dr. Christie Edwards, Missouri Botanical Garden

Brigette Williams is a Postdoctoral Fellow in Plant Conservation Genetics in the Center for Conservation and Sustainable Development at the Missouri Botanical Garden. Her primary research interests focus on understanding how plants with limited or fixed genetic diversity, such as rare and endangered species, respond to and survive changing environmental conditions in order to better conserve and protect native plants. She uses a range of approaches, including field-based and greenhouse experiments, in combination with genetic tools to identify important variation that can promote rare plants’ capacity to adapt and survive, and to enable their conservation.

Coming Together to Discuss Current Botany Projects, Conservation, and Collaboration in Kentucky and Beyond

KNPS will be hosting our annual, virtual, Botanical Symposium on Thursday, January 26th, from 9AM-11:30PM EST. For several years, KNPS has organized a botanical symposium in the fall/winter with a goal of bringing together professionals, citizen scientists, academics, gardeners and students in order to learn about what’s going on in the world of Kentucky Botany. Everyone interested in the native plants of Kentucky is welcome to watch the Symposium and there is no charge for this event. The Symposium will be recorded and will be made available online if you are unable to attend.

We are currently working on lining up presenters and developing the topics for the Symposium. Watch The Lady Slipper for details as they become available. In the meantime, you might want to watch the presentations from the 2020 Botanical Symposium and the 2021 Botanical Symposium. If you have any questions, shoot us an email at KYPlants@knps.org

Wednesday, December 8, 9AM-1130AM EST, virtual and free

“Coming Together to Discuss Current Botany Projects: Conservation and Collaboration in Kentucky and Beyond”

Kentucky Native Plant Society (KNPS) is hosting our annual botanical symposium on Wednesday, December 8^th from 9AM-1130AM EST. For several years, KNPS has organized a botanical symposium in the fall/winter with a goal of bringing together professionals, community scientists, academics, researchers, gardeners and students in order to learn about what’s going on in the world of Kentucky Botany and beyond. Please join us!

To Kentucky Native Plant Society members and general native plant stakeholders! While the symposium agenda will highlight updates from Kentucky native plant society, the office of Kentucky Nature Preserves, and our main speakers from division of water, NRCS/Quail Forever/Southeastern Grasslands Initiative, and the Illinois plants of concern program, there will also be a section devoted to hearing about native plants projects from KNPS members and native plant stakeholders like YOU! If you would like to be included in this section, please send an email to Tara Littlefield @ tara.littlefield@ky.gov about the native plant project you are working on and you will be added to our stakeholder announcements section.

We are very excited to announce the agenda, featuring updates from botanists/ecologists from the Office of Kentucky Nature Preserves on state listings, adding plants to the state wildlife action plan, adopting a rockhouse in the RRG, implemented plant conservation conservation horticulture projects, and current monitoring programs; updates from Kentucky Native Plant Society board members on upcoming meetings and projects; Chris Benda, the Illinois botanizer, will be talking about the rare plant monitoring program he leads in southern Illinois, Brittney Viers will discuss working with private landowners to restore remnant prairies, Joey Shaw will discuss the Tennessee-Kentucky Plant Atlas, and Brittany White will provide updates on the Wetland Assessments conducted by Kentucky Division of Water. Click on the PDF below for the agenda.

Kentucky Botanical Symposium 2021 Speakers and Facilitators :

Brittney Viers, QF/NRCS TN State Coordinator/Southeastern Grasslands Initiative Liaison will be discussing Remnant Grassland Restoration on Private Lands in Kentucky and Tennessee.

“I’m originally from Northeast TX, which historically was the Blackland Prairie region.  My parents and I moved to southern Indiana since my Mother is from there.  I spent the rest of my childhood growing up on a row crop and cattle farm, but realized that natural history and ecology was my passion.  While in college at Murray State University studying Wildlife Biology I started working for IN DNR Div. of Nature Preserves and fell in love with the glades and barrens of southcentral IN.  I stayed at MSU to acquire a masters degree in Botany.  Because of my native plant and natural communities knowledge, I became a quail biologist in KY and later in TN working with private landowners desiring to restore habitat and improve their quail and other upland wildlife populations.  In 2019, I got the chance to have a strictly grasslands and quail focused position through a specialized Farm Bill grant in both KY and TN.  I will always strive to merge private lands work with restoration practices in degraded remnant grasslands since they are in desperate need of our recognition, care, and attention”. 

Chris Benda, Botanist and former president of the Illinois Native Plant Society will be discussing Monitoring Rare Plants of Southern Illinois (Plants of Concern program). 

Chris Benda is a botanist and past president of the Illinois Native Plant Society (2015-2016).  Currently, he works as a Researcher at Southern Illinois University, where he coordinates the Plants of Concern Southern Illinois Program and teaches The Flora of Southern Illinois.  Besides working at SIU, he conducts botanical fieldwork around the world, teaches a variety of classes at The Morton Arboretum and leads nature tours for Camp Ondessonk.  He has research appointments with the University of Illinois and Argonne National Laboratory, and is an accomplished photographer and author of several publications about natural areas in Illinois.  He is also known as Illinois Botanizer and can be reached by email at botanizer@gmail.com. Visit his website at https://illinoisbotanizer.com/

Brittany White, Division of Water Wetland Biologist, will be discussing Wetland Monitoring in Kentucky.

Brittany is a wetland biologist with the Kentucky Division of Water’s Wetlands Program.  After spending several years working in wetlands across the southeast, she is happy to work in Kentucky searching for salamanders, admiring soil profiles, and of course, looking at plants.  Although not in her job description, she also specializes in performing terrible nature-based parodies for her coworkers. When Brit is not at work, she enjoys meandering the woods with her best mutt Evelyn, hanging out with her two kiddos, and having far too many hobbies than is reasonable.

Dr. Joey Shaw, Associate Professor @ University of Tennessee, will be presenting on the Kentucky Tennessee Plant Atlas Project. 

Tara Littlefield, Botanist and Plant Conservation Section Manager at the Office of Kentucky Nature Preserves and President of the Kentucky Native Plant Society, will be co-facilitating the meeting and presenting updates on on a few priority plant projects from OKNP.

Tara Littlefield is the senior botanist and manager of the Plant Conservation Section at the Office of Kentucky Nature Preserves.  She serves on the board of the Kentucky Native Plant Society and coordinates the state’s plant conservation alliance activities-a public private partnership working on rare plant and community conservation.  She grew up on the southern edge of the cedar creek glade complex in Hardin County, Kentucky and has had a fascination with the natural world since a small child.  Tara has a B.S. in Biochemistry from University of Louisville and a M.S. in Forestry/Plant Ecology from the University of Kentucky.  Much of her work involves rare species surveys, general floristic inventories, natural areas inventory, acquisition of natural areas, and rare plant/community restoration and recovery.

Vanessa Voelker, botanist at OKNP, will be discussing the adopt a rockshelter program and other volunteer opportunies.

Vanessa Voelker is a botanist with the Plant Conservation Section at the Office of Kentucky Nature Preserves. Originally from central Illinois, Vanessa worked as a lab tech for the USDA before fleeing the lab for the woods, and honed her skills as a botany technician in Missouri and Indiana before coming to Kentucky in 2020. When she isn’t in the field, Vanessa is active on iNaturalist (@vvoelker) and is always happy to help with plant identification and offer pro-tips for differentiating between tricky species

Kendall McDonald, OKNP botanist/lichenologist will be presenting on the forest biodiversity project and lichen assessments.

Kendall McDonald is a KY native who researched lichens at Morehead State University. Since 2017, she has been a botanist and lichenologist with the Office of Kentucky Nature Preserves. She is the lead on OKNP’s Forest Biodiversity Assessment Program and lichen monitoring

Rachel Cook will be discussing the Kentucky Native Plant Suppliers database. Rachel Cook is a botany technician with the Office of Kentucky Nature Preserves. Rachel is a Kentucky native, growing up on a farm in Perryville, Kentucky. She graduated from the University of Kentucky with a B.A. and a B.S. in Environmental Sciences, but botany was always her passion. As a botany technician, she helps on rare plant surveys and floristic inventories throughout the state.  When not working, Rachel is tending to her house plant collection, hiking around Kentucky, or cuddling her cat.

Heidi Braunreiter will be presenting the KNPS updates and upcoming events. Heidi is a botanist and burn boss for the Office of Kentucky Nature Preserves. She is originally from Wisconsin and has done botanical surveys across the eastern United States. Heidi received her B.S. in Biological Aspects of Conservation and a certificate in Environmental Studies from the University of Wisconsin-Madison. In 2011, she met Dr. Ronald Jones on a KNPS Wildflower Weekend hike and decided to pursue a graduate degree at Eastern Kentucky University. She received her M.S. in Biology at EKU and finished her master’s thesis on A Vascular Flora of Boyle County, Kentucky.

Tony Romano will be providing an update to the states roadside pollinator habitat project. Tony is a botanist with the Plant Conservation Section at the Office of Kentucky Nature Preserves. He is the project coordinator for OKNP’s roadside pollinator habitat project. Originally from Illinois, Tony received a M.S. in Geography from Southern Illinois University. Tony spent several years working in land management and botany in Colorado before moving to Kentucky in 2019. When not botanizing he can be found climbing in the red river gorge and fly fishing on Elkhorn Creek.

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