The Search for Endangered Plant Species

The plant species I'm photographing for this project are placed into one of the following categories:
(1) Endangered - in danger of becoming extinct in Michigan; (2) Threatened - likely to become endangered if they are not protected; (3) Special Concern - not yet protected by the Endangered Species Act, but identified by the Michigan Department of Natural Resources (MIDNR) as needing special attention; and (4) Extirpated - believed to be extinct in Michigan. How do they determine what category each plant is in? The degree of endangerment is based on the size and distribution of the populations of that species and the vulnerability of those populations to various threats.

Because these plants are extremely rare, they're difficult to find, let alone photograph, in their native habitats. I was encouraged by Mike Penskar, Lead Botanist at Michigan Natural Features Inventory, a private/public collaboration that has assembled a database of endangered plant species and their locations throughout Michigan, to visit the Endangered and Threatened Species Garden at the W.J. Beal Botanical Garden at Michigan State University. This section of the garden includes Michigan native plants whose remaining populations are protected by the Endangered Species Act. I met with Dr. Frank Telewski, Professor of Plant Biology and Curator of the MSU Beal Garden and Campus Arboretum and he graciously issued me a permit to photograph the plants. This allows me to move the signs and mesh wire around the plants. It also permits me to harvest some of the invasive plant species along the Red Cedar River with which to make my paper. Thank you Dr. Telewski!