MNPS Meeting: "Botany in the Washington, D.C., Region: A Historical Overview"

J. Douglas Ripley, a botanist and natural resource manager with the Air National Guard at Andrews Air Force Base, will give a presentation on the history of botanical exploration in the greater D.C. area - a region extending from the High Alleghenies of West Virginia to the ocean shore of New Jersey and the Delmarva Peninsula. The plants and ecological habitats of the D.C. region have long been studied by residents and visitors alike. American Indians relied on many native plant species, as well as farm crops such as corn and squash that came from elsewhere in North America. In 1607, Captain John Smith marveled at the Potomac’s rich, dense forests with many unfamiliar kinds of trees. Early botanists such as John Clayton, David Warden, and Samuel Rafinesque described many of the Washington area’s plants scientifically. More comprehensive views of the local flora emerged by the late 19th Century, and have been refined to the present day.

Location: White Oak Library – Large Meeting Room

Directions: Exit the Washington Beltway at New Hampshire Ave (exit 28). Go north about 2 miles. The library is the first building on the right, once you have passed under Route 29, just after the Sears store.

There will be refreshments and door prizes. Pot luck refreshments are always welcome.

The meeting is open to non-members.

Meetings take place on the last Tuesday of each month.