Morgan Taylor/Reporter
HOLDENVILLE, Oklahoma – The fourth annual Plant ID Field Day was held at the Hughes County Expo Center on Sept. 29.
The event was a result of a partnership between the Muscogee Nation Natural Resource Conservation District, Hughes County Conservation District, Oklahoma Conservation Commission, Farm Service Agency and Oklahoma Cooperative Extension Service.
MCN Conservationist Julie Norem said the MCN Conservation District often partners with other conservation districts and commissions for the purpose of educating the public.
Norem’s role as a conservationist requires her to help land owning citizens maximize the utilization of the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) programs and other federal programs and technical assistance.
According to the Oklahoma Outdoor Journal, Oklahoma is home to nearly 3,000 species of plants, each with their own identities and purposes.
Norem said most plants are fully grown by this time of year.
“You can identify them by their seed heads,” Norem said. “It’s easier to show people what they look like.”
The event kicked off with breakfast at the Expo Center then moved to the first location, which was the home of Muscogee Nation Conservation Commission Member and Vice-Chair Robin Jenkins.
Jenkins has been a part of the commission since its formation in 2014.
This year, Jenkins volunteered her property to host a portion of the Plant ID Field Day. The second location belonged to member of the Hughes County Conservation Commission.
The group traveled to each property to identify native plants in the area.
Jenkins claimed even though both locations were in the same county and town, the composition was very different from one another.
According to Norem, the purpose of the event is to educate citizens on plants located in their areas and possibly even on their very own lands.
Blaine Stacy with the Oklahoma Conservation Commission led the group and provided information regarding the different species identified on each property.
According to Jenkins, her favorite part of the event is getting the community together and learning about each species.
Norem claimed the event has been held in a different county on the Mvskoke Reservation each year and plans to cover a new county next year.
The MCN Conservation District offer technical assistance, soil, water and hay testing along with hog trap services.
For further information, please call: 918-549-2609.
