协会概况
美国肯塔基州原生植物协会（Kentucky Native Plant Society，简称 KNPS）是一个成立于 1986 年的非营利性植物保护学术团体，501(c)(3) 注册身份，会员遍布肯塔基州及邻近各州。协会以该州原生植物与野花为关注对象，把植物看作本州自然生态健康与公众生活乐趣的共同基石，长期推动原生植物的教育、欣赏和保护工作，工作完全依靠志愿者和会员及友人的捐助来推进，对所有年龄与知识背景的人开放，无论你是业余爱好者还是专业植物学者，都可以在 KNPS 找到合适的参与方式。协会的英文名称是 Kentucky Native Plant Society，会标以本州代表性野生花卉——黄色凤仙花（Lady’s Slipper，兰科杓兰属）为核心图形，圆环上沿弧线书写 Kentucky Native Plant Society 字样，下方注明官方网站 www.knps.org，是协会对外识别与品牌传播的统一标识。
宗旨与目标
协会的宗旨是充当植物学者之间——不论业余还是专业——的交流纽带，推动肯塔基州原生植物及自然植物群落的保护，开展面向公众的植物学教育，并鼓励在肯塔基州境内开展植物学研究；在执行层面，协会把这一宗旨拆解为五条可操作的目标：作为肯塔基州原生植物教育资源、支持原生植物研究、支持识别和保护濒危、受威胁及稀有原生植物物种的工作、推动原生植物生态系统多样性的欣赏、鼓励原生植物的适当使用，这套目标同时也是会员活动设计的依据——无论是年度大会、野外考察，还是研讨会与出版物，都围绕这五条线索展开。
会员与组织
KNPS 的会员体系分为六个等级：学生 10 美元、个人 15 美元、家庭 25 美元、赞助 50 美元、机构 100 美元、终身 200 美元，会籍按自然年（1 月 1 日至 12 月 31 日）计算，每年 9 月 1 日之后加入或续费的会员自动顺延至下一年度；会员可参加野外考察、研讨会、学术报告会等活动，优先注册由专业领队带队的全州野外考察，参加以本土植物研究为主题的专题研讨会，并参与物种保育与入侵物种清除等保育项目。协会每年举行两次会员大会：春季 Wildflower Weekend（一般在 Natural Bridge 州立度假公园举行）和秋季会员大会（在肯塔基州内不同地点轮流举办）。2026—2027 年度执行委员会由主席 Kendall McDonald（艺术家、植物学家与地衣学家，曾任肯塔基自然保护办公室遗产植物学家与地衣学家）、副主席 Rachel Cook（中央肯塔基州农场长大的自然资源学者）、财务 Sally Chambers、秘书 Ted Brancheau 组成，董事包括 Heidi Braunreiter、Wes Cunningham、Jen Koslow、David Taylor，上届主席 Jeff Nelson 同时担任通讯委员会主席，Lady Slipper 通讯由 Ciara Knisely 担任主编。
主要活动与项目
协会常年运行的研究资助项目自 2012 年开始设立，最初只面向在肯塔基州从事原生植物研究的本科生与研究生，截至目前已颁发超过 9,000 美元资助，2019 年扩展到非学生群体，覆盖原生植物普查与恢复工作，2023 年再度扩展，新增 pollinator Garden 资助方向；2026 pollinator Garden Grant 资助名单由 David Taylor 公布，获奖者将用资助款采购本土传粉植物、种子或两者兼有，搭建可见可学的传粉者展示园，2026 Botany Blitz 在 4 月 11 日至 19 日举办，是第六届以野花为主题的生物多样性速查活动，参与者通过 iNaturalist 平台记录尽可能多的物种，4 月 11 日至 12 日，协会在四个不同县组织了 Kick-Off 徒步活动，由 Tyson Gregory 等专家带队；4 月 17 日至 19 日，超过 200 位会员与友人在 Natural Bridge SRP 参加了 Wildflower Weekend 2026——本年是协会成立 40 周年庆典，设有 31 场面向各年龄段的徒步与工作坊、第二届学生研究海报展、两场高水平讲座，第五届肯塔基植物学研讨会于 1 月 14 日在线举行，近 200 人参与，由 KNPS 与肯塔基自然保护办公室联合主办，2026 年秋季会员大会定于 9 月 12 日在 Kenlake SRP 举行。
合作与交流
2016 年，KNPS 与肯塔基自然保护办公室共同发起了肯塔基植物保护联盟（Kentucky Plant Conservation Alliance，KYPCA），把州内及联邦机构、土地管理者、学术研究者、植物园、保育园艺师、非营利组织、保育团体、私营顾问、社区科学家与志愿者整合到一个协作框架中，目标是防止本州植物灭绝，KYPCA 还与乔治亚植物保护联盟等区域性联盟保持密切联系，借鉴它们的保育组织经验；协会运营一份名为 The Lady Slipper 的在线通讯与博客平台，按月发行，刊登新闻、植物档案、书评、入侵物种动态、田野记录、保育项目进展等多类内容，与 Lady’s Slipper 协会会标相互呼应，也成为会员之间日常交流的重要媒介。如希望与协会联系或申请加入，建议通过该网站联系页面提交咨询。
Overview
The Kentucky Native Plant Society (KNPS) is a non-profit native plant conservation society founded in 1986 and registered as a 501(c)(3) organization. With members across Kentucky and neighboring states, KNPS centers its work on the native plants and wildflowers of the Commonwealth, treating native flora as a foundation of both ecosystem health and public enjoyment of the state’s landscapes. The society runs entirely on volunteer effort and the contributions of members and friends, and is open to anyone with an interest in native plants regardless of age or background. Its English name is Kentucky Native Plant Society, and its emblem features the yellow Lady’s Slipper orchid (Cypripedium, the state wildflower), encircled by the society’s full name with the website www.knps.org set beneath.
Purpose and Goals
KNPS serves as a fellowship and information exchange medium among botanists, both amateur and professional, promotes the conservation of Kentucky’s native plants and natural plant communities, supports public education in botanical science, and encourages botanical research within the Commonwealth. The society translates this purpose into five operational goals: to act as Kentucky’s native plant education resource, to support native plant research, to support efforts to identify and protect endangered, threatened, and rare native plant species, to promote appreciation for the biodiversity of native plant ecosystems, and to encourage the appropriate use of native plants. These five goals also guide how member activities, events, and publications are designed across the year.
Membership and Organization
Membership is open to all ages and levels of experience, and is structured into six tiers: Student $10, Individual $15, Family $25, Sustaining $50, Institutional $100, and Lifetime $200. The annual cycle runs from January 1 to December 31, with members joining or renewing after September 1 carried forward to the following year. Members receive priority registration for field trips, workshops, and symposiums; opportunities to participate in conservation projects such as rare-species propagation and invasive species removal; and invitations to the two annual meetings: the spring Wildflower Weekend, generally held at Natural Bridge State Resort Park, and the Fall Membership Meeting, which rotates to different sites around Kentucky. The 2026–2027 Executive Board is led by President Kendall McDonald, an artist, botanist, and lichenologist who previously served as heritage botanist at the Office of Kentucky Nature Preserves; Vice-President Rachel Cook, a natural-resource scholar raised on a small farm in central Kentucky; Treasurer Sally Chambers; and Secretary Ted Brancheau. Directors are Heidi Braunreiter, Wes Cunningham, Jen Koslow, and David Taylor. Immediate Past President Jeff Nelson also chairs the Communications Committee, and Ciara Knisely serves as Managing Editor of The Lady Slipper newsletter.
Programs and Activities
KNPS has run an annual research grant program since 2012, initially for undergraduate and graduate students researching native plants and plant communities in Kentucky and now expanded to include native plant inventory and restoration work and, since 2023, pollinator garden development. The program has awarded more than $9,000 in grants since inception. The 2026 Pollinator Garden Grant recipients, announced by David Taylor, will use the funds to purchase native pollinator plants, seeds, or both, creating demonstration gardens that visitors can study. The 2026 Botany Blitz ran from April 11 to 19 on the iNaturalist platform, with four Kick-Off Hikes held across four counties on April 11 and 12, led by botanists including Tyson Gregory of the University of Kentucky Arboretum. Over 200 members and friends attended Wildflower Weekend 2026 at Natural Bridge SRP from April 17 to 19, celebrating the society’s 40th anniversary with 31 hikes and workshops, the second annual Student Research Poster Sessions, and two evening lectures. The fifth annual Kentucky Botanical Symposium was held virtually on January 14, 2026, drawing close to 200 attendees. The 2026 Fall Membership Meeting is scheduled for September 12 at Kenlake SRP.
Partnerships and Communication
In 2016, KNPS and the Office of Kentucky Nature Preserves jointly launched the Kentucky Plant Conservation Alliance (KYPCA), a public-private partnership bringing together state and federal agencies, land managers, academic researchers, botanical gardens, conservation horticulturists, non-profits, conservation groups, private consultants, community scientists, and volunteers under a common goal of preventing plant extinctions in Kentucky. KYPCA also maintains active ties with the Georgia Plant Conservation Alliance and similar regional networks. The society publishes The Lady Slipper, an online newsletter and blog that gathers news, plant profiles, book reviews, invasive species updates, field notes, and conservation project reports, distributed monthly to members and friends. The publication echoes the Lady’s Slipper motif of the society’s emblem and serves as a central medium of day-to-day communication among members. Those interested in joining or contacting the society are encouraged to reach out through the official website’s contact page.
发表回复