Albuquerque talk:The public is invited to a program focused on rare plant botany in New Mexico, presented by botanist Jim McGrath on Wednesday July 6th at 7:00 p.m. at the NM Museum of Natural History (1801 Mountain Rd. NW, Albuquerque),.
Field Botanist Jim McGrath will describe his involvement with New Mexico rare plants over the past fifteen years. Jim’s story includes the strategies, problems, successes and the rare plants found while performing rare plant surveys in the oil and gas fields of northwest New Mexico. Jim will also discuss several rare plants found during rare plant field trips he organized and led after first teaching rare plant workshops at UNM Herbarium.
For the past fifteen years, Jim McGrath has been a contract botanist who has performed threatened and endangered plant surveys on various proposed construction projects, the majority of which were proposed well pads and pipelines in the oil and gas fields of northwestern New Mexico. Jim has also performed botanical inventories and has specialized in wetland plants during his 25 year career as a botanist. He has been trained in and has performed wetland delineations. As one of four members that comprise the Southwest Carex Working Group, Jim has become very involved in the study of the taxonomy, distribution and habitat preferences of New Mexico sedge species in the genus Carex. During the 1990s, he worked seasonally for the National Park Service leading nature walks and doing evening programs. Jim has an M.S. degree in Zoology (ecology) from Southern Illinois University in Carbondale. During 2011-2012, he served as the Conservation chair for the Native Plant Society of New Mexico. He has served as the program chair for NPSNM’s Albuquerque chapter for nine years.
A short chapter meeting precedes the talk. Native plant books will be on display and available for purchase. This free public program and field trip are sponsored by the Albuquerque Chapter, Native Plant Society of New Mexico. More information about the organization is available at www.npsnm.org.
