[MPWG] Janet Meakin Poor Research Symposium - Celebrating 10 years of the PCA!

[Patricia_DeAngelis at fws.gov]

To All Working Group Members and Partners:

I am pleased to provide you with information on the upcoming Janet Meakin
Poor Research Symposium - Celebrating 10 years of the Plant Conservation
Alliance (PCA) to be held October 26th, 2004 at the Chicago Botanic Garden
(Illinois).  The Symposium will focus on the four areas (invasives,
restoration, medicinals, and seed banking) in which PCA has fostered
partnerhips for the conservation of native plants and their habitats.  I'll
be speaking at the Symposium about the MPWG - past, present and future!

ABOUT THE SYMPOSIUM...
This is the ninth annual Symposium developed in collaboration with the
Center for Integrated Conservation Science and the School of the Chicago
Botanic Garden.  Each year, they address current issues in plant
conservation and habitat management.  Past Symposia have include, "Sowing
the Seeds for Change: Restoration of Plant Communities" (2003) and
"Invasive Plants?Global Issues, Local Challenges" (2002).

ABOUT CHICAGO BOTANIC GARDEN.....
What more appropriate setting to celebrate 10 years of PCA than with our
PCA Cooperator, The Chicago Botanic Garden
(http://www.chicagobotanic.org/)?   The Garden is actually comprised of 26
specialty gardens and native habitat areas that demonstrate the diversity
and beauty of the "green kind."  Situated on 385 acres, the Garden provides
a gorgeous backdrop for this Symposium!

ABOUT JANET MEAKIN POOR...
It is also fitting to highlight one of the sponsors of this Symposium,
Janet Meakin Poor, who epitomizes the drive and commitment that our Garden
Club of America partners demonstrate each year as they provide the
volunteer womanpower (mostly) during our annual MPWG field projects.

Few have bestowed upon the world of horticulture more riches than Janet
Meakin Poor.  Janet's true love for all beauty of plants and her dedication
to the preservation and nurturing of plants of all kinds can be seen in the
tireless efforts that she has devoted to horticulture spanning fully a
quarter of a century.  Janet Poor's horticultural expertise has proven to
be of enormous benefit to the Garden Club of America (GCA).  While she has
served the Board in many capacities since becoming a member of the GCA in
1978, and has received many of its awards, it was as Horticulture Chairman
that she undertook, for the GCA, the job as editor of a three volume
series, Plants That Merit Attention.  Volume I, Trees, was published in
1984 and met with wide critical acclaim.  Volume II, Shrubs, was published
in 1996 and all these works are excellent examples of Janet's passion to
increase the variety of plant material available to each and every one.

Janet enjoys an excellent reputation as a garden designer on Chicago's
North Shore.  It is here that she designs and creates wonderful gardens
filled with a wide variety of components.  As a member of the Advisory
Board of the nationally recognized Garden Conservancy, Janet strives to
preserve treasured gardens which might otherwise fade from America's
landscape.  Since the inception of the Center for Plant Conservation at the
Arnold Arboretum in 1985, Janet has been committed to its ideals.

Follow this link below to see the brochure and registration form:
http://www.chicagobotanic.org/symposia/index.html. (Early bird registration
goes through Sept. 28th).

If any of our working group members or partners plan on attending, please
let me know!

Sincerely,
-Patricia

P.S.: Please feel free to disseminate this information.

Patricia S. De Angelis, Ph.D.
Botanist - Division of Scientific Authority
Chair - Plant Conservation Alliance - Medicinal Plant Working Group
US Fish & Wildlife Service
4401 N. Fairfax Dr., Suite 750
Arlington, VA  22203
703-358-1708 x1753
FAX: 703-358-2276
Working for the conservation and sustainable use of our green natural
resources.
<www.nps.gov/plants/medicinal>