About Us
The Flora of Saskatchewan Association Inc. (FOSA) is an initiative by local botanists whose goal is to publish the first Flora of Saskatchewan.
About Us
The Flora of Saskatchewan Association Inc. (FOSA) is an initiative by local botanists whose goal is to publish the first Flora of Saskatchewan. The Flora is based on current nomenclature and systematics, will include all known native and naturalized species in the province, and will provide a complete taxonomic treatment for each taxon. Our intention is to make Saskatchewan botany accessible to a wider audience and to make the process of studying plants easier and more productive by including detailed line drawings, morphological explanations, and glossaries.
The Flora of Saskatchewan project was started in 2003 by a volunteer group of Saskatchewan botanists, and the non-profit Flora of Saskatchewan Association Inc. was formed in January 2004. Membership is open to anyone interested in the project.
Support from the botanical community for this project is above and beyond any other previous effort. With the support of sponsors and the hard work of many volunteers, the project has already made tremendous progress. Six sections are published as fascicles, with a seventh underway. When finished, the completed fascicles will form the first Flora of Saskatchewan.
Current Board of Directors:
- Andrew Stewart
- Sarah Vinge-Mazer
- Beryl Wait
- Luc Prefontaine
- Rayelle Schamber-Brown
- Beth Dolmage
- Meghan Mickelson
- Alexandria Gallon
History
The production of a Flora of Saskatchewan has been the long-time goal of botanists in the province. In particular, Dr. Vernon Harms at the University of Saskatchewan, John Hudson at the Saskatchewan Research Council, and Dr. George Ledingham at the University of Regina worked tirelessly over many years to pave the way. Dr. Harms’ Checklist of the Vascular Plants of Saskatchewan and the Provincially and Nationally Rare Native Plants in Saskatchewan in 2003 (University Extension Press, University of Saskatchewan; updated in 2006) and his preliminary treatments of many groups form the basis of our current work. John Hudson’s Carex of Saskatchewan became the first draft of the Carex fascicle.
In the Flora’s early stages, many volunteers assisted with its administration, research, writing and testing. As the project has gained momentum, and with generous funding support from project partners, FOSA has been able to hire writers to complete sections of the Flora.
The Need for a Flora of Saskatchewan
For many years, the critical need for a flora of Saskatchewan has been recognized. The Saskatchewan Naturalist’s Club, formed in 1912, gave as its goal “To compile and keep up to date a Saskatchewan flora” (Belcher, 1996, page 4). This need is no less evident than it was nearly a century ago. A provincial flora will contribute to the understanding of biodiversity, to the compilation of full lists of species and habitats that should be considered rare or threatened, and to the best assessment of the impacts of resource development and climate change in Saskatchewan. Saskatchewan is truly, in a botanical sense, where east meets west and north meets south. Many species reach the limits of their geographical ranges in the province. Currently, students learning botany, field workers, botanists, and interested amateurs must consult floras from adjacent regions, making plant identification tedious and problematic. The Flora of Saskatchewan will compile decades of study and expertise and make learning the botany of Saskatchewan much easier, generate more interest in botany, and make the identification and study of Saskatchewan plants much more efficient and reliable.
References: Belcher, Margaret. 1996. The Isabel Priestly Legacy: Saskatchewan Natural History Society 1949-1990. Special Publication No. 19. Saskatoon, Saskatchewan: Saskatchewan Natural History Society (Nature Saskatchewan).