Maryland Native Plant Society

Rodney Bartgis is a renowned botanist who has extensively surveyed the flora and ecology of western Maryland, West Virginia, and mountain regions of neighboring states. His work with the Maryland Department of Natural Resources and in West Virginia over the years has yielded many new discoveries of rare species and significant natural areas. He is the author of numerous papers in scientific journals and technical reports, and currently is the State Director of the West Virginia Chapter of The Nature Conservancy.

Barbara Hurd teaches at Frostburg State University and in the Stonecoast Program in Creative Writing. She is an editor of the literary annual Nightsun. Her essays and poems have appeared in numerous publications, including the 1999 and 2001 volumes of The Best American Essays, the Yale Review, the Georgia Review, Audubon, and Sierra. She lives in Frostburg, Maryland.

Deborah Landau is the Conservation Ecologist for the MD/DC Chapter of The Nature Conservancy (TNC), where she is responsible for restoration of the natural habitats of many of TNC's preserves in Maryland. In western Maryland, Deborah initiated the planting of red spruce seedlings at Cranesville Swamp and the improvement of the natural wetlands at Finzel Swamp. Throughout the state, she also works on projects such as prescribed burns and monitoring of rare species and communities.

Field trips are led by experienced botanists. Carole Bergmann, Cris Fleming, Joe Metzger, and Rod Simmons are on the MNPS Board of Directors and have led numerous field trips for the MNPS, Audubon Naturalist Society, Virginia Native Plant Society, and the Botanical Society of Washington. Kevin Dodge teaches at Garrett College and leads field excursions in Western Maryland. Liz McDowell and Ron Boyer own Elk Ridge NatureWorks and chair the MNPS Western Mountains Chapter.