Turning Over A New leaf: Native Plant Discovery in Hawai‘i

Turning over a new leaf: Native plant discovery in Hawai‘i

Hawai‘i’s State Botanist takes audience on a botanical journey

Join Hawai‘i’s State Botanist Dr. Maggie Sporck-Koehler on Tuesday, October 11 at 5:30 p.m. in the cafeteria at the KCC Campus Center in Puhi as she takes her audience on a botanical journey of plant discovery on O‘ahu and Maui.

Maggie will talk about her botanical field work in the mountains of O‘ahu and the shrublands of Maui. Learn about plant discovery and documentation in Hawai‘i today and how the islands’ natural features influence discovery. Maggie will discuss her own contributions made while working for the Department of Land and Natural Resources, Division of Forestry and Wildlife.

Describing how botanizing has allowed her to combine formal training with her passion for nature, Maggie says, “I have been lucky to be in the right place at the right time with just the right amount of curiosity that led to being a part of species discovery.”

Maggie will share her experiences through stories and photos documenting the discovery of plants in the wild, specifically a previously undescribed Cyanea and a Coprosma. She will also address the question of why new species are still being discovered and rediscovered.

The “What in the World” lecture series is one of many collaborations between the nonprofit National Tropical Botanical Garden and Kaua‘i Community College. Both NTBG and KCC share a common goal of quality education to truly change lives. NTBG is a not-for-profit institution, headquartered in Kalāheo. KCC, which is part of the University of Hawai‘i system, operates a large campus in Līhu‘e.

For questions about accessibility or to request accommodations, please contact Margaret Clark at (808) 332-7324 ext. 225 at least 10 days in advance.

For information on the institutions, visit their respective websites at www.ntbg.org and kauai.hawaii.edu

Speaker Dr. Maggie Sporck-Koeher working in the field