What threatens the Colorado hookless cactus?

Sclerocactus glaucus habitat

What threatens Sclerocactus glaucus (see a video showing some of the causes)? Installation and maintenance of huge pipelines that move oil and gas from the well pads miles and miles to the collection facilities; roads; browsing and trampling from livestock; weeds; and people who collect them from the wild to name a few. Why are we doing something about it? Just look at the beautiful landscape and plant community. Do you want to lose that? Neither do we.

Denver Botanic Gardens spends springtime in the field

Sclerocactus glaucus: Collection for genetic analysis

Each year, as spring rolls around, the Research and Conservation staff load up a 4-wheel drive vehicle with our gear, head out across Colorado and the Rocky Mountain west region in search of rare plants. This year we’re bringing the field home to you. Watch our first field video at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lqE5b4AXYRM.

Our first trip takes us west to the threatened cactus, Sclerocactus glaucus. This lovely little cactus is found in Western Colorado along with several other rare plant species. This is also an area with intense oil and gas development, residential growth and spreading weeds. Our aim is to protect the western region by studying and protecting this tiny cactus.

DBG’s first PhD student

Michelle Ohrtman doing field research

Join me in congratulating Michelle Ohrtman who has recently successfully defended her doctoral dissertation on the subject of invasive tamarisk trees at the University of Denver (DU).  Michelle is now the fourth graduate student officially affiliated with DBG to finish her degree since the two institutions became partners 6 years ago (the other three earned Master’s degrees).  Much of this research has focused on restoration of river ecosystems in the West and was funded by the Bureau of Reclamation.  
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Are Plants Important?

Are plants important? If so, why?

These seem like odd questions considering my career, but they have been on my mind a lot lately. To me plants are part of who I am; I have no interest in a planet without wild areas, without diversity, these are the things that give life color. Recent conversations have indicated that many people do not feel this way and want justification for spending resources on plant conservation and habitat restoration.
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This is Where the Scientists Work

During our recent stairwell work in the Boettcher Memorial Education Building, all of our staff and visitors had to avoid the public stairwell and use the elevator or the stairs near my office. One day, I found a child and chaperone looking for their school group. I volunteered to guide them to the classrooms to see if their group was there. We stepped behind the scenes, through a shadowed hallway to the stairs. At the bottom, the stairs open into a hallway between the research department offices and the herbarium. As we passed through, I explained “This is where the scientists work.” 

And as we headed towards the classrooms, I realized how cool that was. 
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