June 16th - 18th
MONPS 2023
Summer Field Trip
Join us for our next MONPS weekend! We will be visiting several sites near Columbia, MO beginning the afternoon of Friday, June 16th and wrapping up on Sunday morning, June 18th.
As part of our summer trip, we’ll also hold our 2023 Annual Meeting where members are invited to hear about activities we’ve been working on in the past year and the work we expect to be doing in the future. The meeting will also feature presentations of the 2023 MONPS awards. See details below and be sure to mark your calendars!
Friday Afternoon - June 16th
1:00PM
Tucker Prairie Natural Area
At 146 acres, Tucker Prairie is the largest prairie remnant in mid-Missouri. The University of Missouri purchased this tract in 1957 and has maintained it as a research prairie. The rich, biological diversity of this prairie supports over 250 species of plants, including Michigan Lily (Lilium michiganense) and Virginia Bunchflower (Veratrum virginicum).
Friday Evening -June 16th
7:00PM
Friday Night Speaker
(MDC Central Regional Office)
An expert in many various genera, Paul McKenzie will give us an in-depth look into his work with invertebrate species, including the Hine’s Emerald Dragonfly (Somatochlora hineana).
Saturday Morning - June 17th
8:30AM
Johnson Private Property and Sinkhole Pond
Join us for a special tour! Private landowners, Brian and Susan Johnson have invited the MO Native Plant Society to tour their property located near Columbia, MO. Our Friday evening speaker, Paul McKenzie, will join us for this tour. Paul is working to nominate this land as a Natural Area, which is not commonly done for private lands. Their property includes an incredible array of plant species and showcases a sinkhole pond where many species of sedges, some rare, have been observed. The landowners will have a vehicle available to transport anyone with mobility issues.
Leave from Quality Inn and Suites at 8:00 AM
Click Here for Detailed Directions
Saturday, June 17th
12:00 PM - Lunch Break
Johnson Private Property
Saturday Afternoon - June 17th
1:30PM
Hundred Acre Woods Nature Preserve
Managed by the Greenbelt Land Trust of Mid-America, this 102-acre preserve includes a diversity of habitats and rare plant species have been observed on the area. From the website, “The property features upland grassland and savanna habitat, as well as woodland and forested areas at lower elevations along Silver Fork and Kelly Branch creeks, and a small glade.”
Click Here for Detailed Directions
Saturday, June 17th
5:30 PM - Dinner (Optional)
HuHot Mongolian Grill
3802 Buttonwood Drive, Columbia, MO 65201
Saturday Evening -June 17th
7:00PM
Annual MONPS Meeting and Board Meeting
MDC Central Regional Office
The quarterly Board Meeting will immediately follow the Annual Meeting
Sunday Morning - June 18th
8:30AM
Auxvasse Glade within Reform Conservation Area
We’ll wrap up the weekend with a visit to Auxvasse Glade. This outstanding and extensive dolomite glade system extends for 31 acres. Located on the western edge of the conservation area, this site houses over 220 native plant species, including yellow coneflower (Echinacea paradoxa) and a rarer species of sedge, Crawe’s Sedge (Carex crawei). An important note about this area: We will meet at a parking lot on Reform CA and carpool to the glade via an access road that traverses private property.
Leave from Quality Inn and Suites at 8:00 AM
Click Here for Detailed Directions
Lodging Options
Make your lodging reservations soon as it’s difficult for us to block rooms in advance. Be sure to make reservations and let them know you are with the Missouri Native Plant Society.
Quality Inn and Suites
801 N. Keene Street, Columbia, MO 65201
(573) 449-4422
Room block: Missouri Native Plant Society
Reserve rooms by May 27 to get the group rate of $95 per night.
Account number is: 4624323