Thursday, April 18, 2024. 7:00 pm. White Pine Chapter Meeting
Program: Converting a Wheat Field into Palouse Prairie
Location: Lecompte Auditorium, 2nd floor, 1912 Center, Moscow, Idaho
Presenter: Tom Besser

Tom will walk us through his attempt to reconstruct Palouse Prairie on a few acres of a former wheat field. His project was initially seeded in September 2017 and so is about to start its 7th growing season. Why did they do it? How did they go about it? Which aspects went well and which not so well? Are invasive weeds going to do it in? He hopes this presentation will celebrate the beauty and resiliency of the native plant community as seen through the eyes of a non-botanist.

Tom is a retired WSU researcher in veterinary microbiology. He first became interested in native plants through chance encounters with native bunchgrass prairie remnants then later through participating in field trips and seeing presentations sponsored by the White Pine Chapter INPS and the Palouse Prairie Foundation. This project wouldn’t have been possible without the efforts of the dedicated and passionate group of Palouse Prairie advocates who have done so much to write the educational materials and build the physical resources (seeds and equipment) that make projects like this possible.