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Smoke Signals
Volunteers, experts tracking down Oregon plants
A grass-roots collaboration of sci
entists, college students, and every
one from teenagers to senior citizens
is working in Oregon to produce a
modern, complete manual to identify
all of the plants in the state.
Called the Oregon Flora Project,
the effort is already six years old and
may continue for another decade. It's
no small task, considering that Or
egon has the fourth largest plant spe
cies diversity of any state in the na
tion 4,430 species, subspecies and
varieties known and probably more
yet to be discovered. This informa
tion is critical for studying every
thing from rare plants to the poten
tial effects of climate changes or in
vasions of foreign species.
"The last manual of this type was
produced in 1961 with data mostly
from the 1950s and before," said Scott
Sundberg, an OSU research assis
tant professor and coordinator of the
project. "Since then, probably one
third of the plant names have been
changed based on extensive botani
cal research. We really need this in
formation, and almost anyone can
contribute if they are willing to vol
unteer their time."
So far, 230 volunteers around the
state have helped in this project,
many of them OSU faculty or mem
bers of the Native Plant Society of
Oregon, a partner and financial sup
porter of this project. People inter
ested in contributing to the project
can do so in many ways, from pro
viding lists of plant species for an
area to entering information into
databases.
The state has been divided into 174
"blocks" of 576 square miles each,
Sundberg said, and volunteers can
"adopt" a block to observe and list the
plant species found there.
Eventually, the project hopes to
produce a checklist that catalogues
the plants growing throughout the
state; an atlas that maps informa
tion about plant distribution on top
of such data as precipitation or el
evation; and a flora, which is a
manual, in both printed and elec
tronic form, for identifying plants.
"These books are as essential as a
dictionary for identifying plants,"
said Linda Hardison, an OSU re
search associate. "With Oregon's rich
and unique habitats, from coastal
dunes to mountain and desert, the
sheer volume of information can be
overwhelming. But this is how people
can identify the plants of the state
and measure our biodiversity. It's
difficult to study anything if you
don't know what's out there."
Among other things, there is al
ways the chance of discovering a new
plant species that no one ever knew
existed in Oregon. Large areas of the
state have never been adequately
explored, Sundberg said, especially
some of the remote parts of Eastern
and Southwestern Oregon.
From 1975 to 1994, 58 new spe
cies, subspecies or varieties of plants
were found in the state. One of the
newest is calochortus umpquaensis,
ortheUmpquamariposalily. Or you
can look for plants that my be ex
tinct Clarkia heterandra, the
small fruited clarkia, hasn't been
found in the state since 1888.
Sundberg says eventually the
project may cost $2 million and take
up to 15 years. So far, it's been op
erated on a shoestring budget with
free volunteer help, and even small
donations are welcome.
It received one substantial boost
when Kenton Chambers, professor
emeritus at OSU and former direc
tor of the OSU Herbaruim, started
an endowment for the project by sell
ing his 40-year stamp collection for
$28,000 and donating the proceeds.
OREGON FLORA PROJECT
VOLUNTEERS: Persons interested in volunteering for this project may contact
Sundberg at Oregon Flora Project, OSU Department of Botany and Plant Pathology,
2082 Cordley Hall, Corvallis, OR 97331-2902.
MORE INFORMATION: www.orst.edudeptbotanyherbaruim.
A note from the Wellness Program:
Alcohol and Substance Abuse Prevention
The number of teens drinking is on the rise despite all efforts to curb it.
Many teens engage in binge drinking.
Drinking may often lead to fights, violence, and most deadly of all car accidents.
Excessive drinking should never be encouraged.
More females are drinking now than ever before.
Set limits so your teens know your expectations.
Talk to them about drinking and driving and violence.
If you think your child has a problem, talk with a drug abuse counselor or your doctor.
Socialize safely. Encourage your teen to take responsibility for his or her friends.
I
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Agency can assist local
senior citizens get care and
maintain their independence
The Mid-Willamette Valley Senior Services Agency's mission is to assist
senior citizens in staying as independent as possible.
The agency serves older adults, age 60 and older, in Marion, Polk and
Yamhill Counties and assists them and their families in making choices re
lated to care or services needed as part of the aging process. Since most
senior citizens prefer receiving help in their own homes for as long as pos
sible, and since this is the most cost effective way to provide care, their first
contact with Mid-Willamette Valley Senior Services Agency is often to locate
services to help in the home. These services could include home-delivered
meals or help with household tasks and personal care activities like bathing,
eating and grooming.
Agency staff helps older adults develop an individual plan of care based on
their care needs and finances. This information is used to determine a senior's
ability for agency programs funded by Medicaid or Oregon Project Indepen
dence (OPI). Services can be provided on a temporary basis, such as follow
ing an injury or illness, or can be part of a long-term care plan, such as when
a senior has an on-going need for assistance because of chronic illness.
OPI is funded by the State of Oregon to help older adults in their homes.
Services are provided by trained workers, many of who are screened and hired
by in-home care agencies to help eligible seniors. For most seniors, this pro
gram provides help that is less expensive than if they had to move into a
facility for care. Fees for OPI services are based on income and ability to pay.
For seniors that are eligible, for Medicaid services, generally have less than
$2000 in disposable assets and who meet monthly income guidelines. Med
icaid might pay for physician services, hospital care, prescription drugs, du
rable medical equipment, medical supplies, medical transportation, home
health care, personal care, physical therapy, speech therapy, occupational
therapy and oxygen.
Medicaid can also pay for care received in facilities such as licensed adult
foster care homes, assisted living facilities and nursing homes. Agency staff
helps seniors determine their eligibility for these Medicaid services by matching
medical needs with the most appropriate level of care.
If staying at home is not the appropriate level of care, Mid-Willamette Val
ley Senior Services Agency's staff can help seniors or their family members
locate adult foster homes. These are family-like settings, usually in private
homes, with trained staff who can help seniors with their increased care
needs including help with bathing, grooming, toileting, eating and taking
medications.
Agency staff can also locate assisted living or nursing home facilities for
those needing a higher level of care. Assisted living facilities offer an apartment-like
setting where seniors receive help services such as meals, house
cleaning, medications or bathing. Nursing homes offer 24-hour nursing care
for seniors with serious medical problems.
For more information about Mid-Willamette Valley Senior Service Agency,
visit the Dallas office at 182 SW Academy, Suite 102, or call (503) 623-230L
The agency's headquarters is located in Salem at 3410 Cherry Avenue NE
(503) 304-3400 or 1-800-469-8772. Information is also available on the
Agency's Web page: http:www.open.orgmwvssa.