Amanda Weise. Photo courtesy of Amanda Weise.

By Liz Potasek

Last summer -- just before a piece of land in Blaine was slated to be developed -- Amanda Weise got a call: Could she help organize a crew of volunteers to rescue an endangered plant before work on a new housing development began in a few days?

The plant in question was a bristle-berry (Rubus stipulatus), a type of raspberry that is suited to living in the Anoka Sand Plain. Once more common in the region, the plant has been listed as "endangered" in Minnesota since 2013, after getting supplanted by agricultural fields and development.

Since the landowner had given them permission to collect the plants, Weise, who is a plant conservation associate at the Arboretum's Plant Conservation Program, quickly mobilized to make the rescue happen. With a team of collaborators -- a network of state and local agencies that worked together on the Anoka Sand Plain Rare Plant Rescue Program -- and a group of 20-25 volunteers, Weise spent one very hot day in July digging out the plants and moving them with wheelbarrows and buckets. Some of the plants were moved to a new protected site and transplanted immediately. Those plants were marked and received watering at regular intervals, and they'll be monitored continually to chart their success rate. 

A big portion of the rescued plants returned to the Arboretum's Horticultural Research Center, where they were tended to in research gardens. In early November, the plants that survived were returned to natural sites, where they will continue to be monitored. "We don't really know a lot about these plants, so it's not clear what the best method for rescuing them is," Weise says. "It's all knowledge building."

Through experience, plant conservationists at the Arboretum have learned that some plants are more successful when they are taken to the Arboretum before transplanting -- this allows scientists to closely monitor the plant's health, keep them well watered, and to choose a time of year when the transplanting process will be the least stressful for the plant.

Weise's job involves learning about rare plants that are native to Minnesota and finding the best way to support them. Plant rescues are one component, as well as seed collection and banking, propagation and research.  

How long have you worked at the Arboretum?

I moved to Minnesota in August of 2018 to start my job here. I had never been to Minnesota before, and it's been exciting to work in a new part of the United States. I am originally from Connecticut and worked most of my career in New England. Many of the plants are the same, but the places they grow and how common or uncommon they are, is different here.

What do your job duties involve?

My job role is best described as a conservation botanist. I work to develop conservation strategies for rare plants that are native to Minnesota and the Upper Midwest. This means getting to understand the "story" of each rare plant, what it's needs are, and how the Arboretum or our partners can improve its likelihood to persist as part of the wild landscape. For some cases, we may collect seed for long-term banking and other cases we may grow plants from seeds or cuttings to be planted back out in their natural habitats. 

I also work on rare plant rescues. This is a very fast paced part of my job where I work with partners and a corps of volunteers to salvage rare plants from development sites. These sites are permitted through the state's Department of Natural Resources, and we work in collaboration with them, as well as the land owner, to remove the plants before they are destroyed. We move these plants to approved, protected sites or they come to the Arboretum, where we hold them until we can plant them out at a protected site. It's hard work and we never have enough time, but everyone involved in the rescues is passionate and excited to get the work done – it makes it really rewarding.

Photo courtesy of Amanda Weise.

Why are you passionate about your work here at the Arboretum?

I enjoy that we are bridging the conservation gap for so many rare plant species. Meaning we are providing alternative conservation strategies to land protection and habitat management. We can offer what other organizations cannot: seed banking, germination testing, propagation and out-planting research and rescue. 

The Arb's facilities and the dedication of our staff and volunteers make it possible to do this work. And we are evolving as an Arboretum and garden to become a conservation resource for the native flora. This is an exciting time to work at the Arb. 

What is your earliest memory of gardening or nature?

I grew up in Connecticut on a few wooded acres. It felt enormous to me, and all the surrounding parcels had adjoining forested areas, so there was a large area to explore. I was given a small plant press and remember wandering the backwoods, pressing the orchids and other odd plants I came across. Not much has changed.

 What or who inspired your career path?

I've been so fortunate to have many mentors along my journey. Some people, some plants, and some places. I am inspired by landscapes and nature and feel a great sense of awe when I spend time in the field. One of my favorite places is the mountains of New Hampshire, especially Cannon Cliff. The slopes are steep, rugged and exciting. I also love Utah, New Mexico and Arizona for the colors and contrasts between sky and land. Minnesota's driftless area has been a recent inspiration. (Editor's Note: Here's a good description of Minnesota's driftless region.) There's a feeling of magic in the valleys that is hard to put words to.

One of my greatest mentors was Les Mehrhoff. He was an amazing naturalist with a huge smile, who passed away somewhat suddenly. He encouraged me to go to graduate school. I find myself trailing him in my research work. His herbarium vouchers from the early 1990s always lead me on adventures when I am botanizing in New England.

Another inspiration was Elizabeth Farnsworth. She was a mentor and coworker with a passion for research. She was an excellent botanist, ecologist and illustrator. She also passed away suddenly, and I wish I had more time with her, always. She had a way of engaging people and embodied self-acceptance which I was drawn to.

Do you have a home garden? 

I do have a garden at home. I bought a small house on a little city parcel in 2019 and have been working to convert the property to a place full of native plants. I've removed two large Siberian elms, two white mulberries, and all the turf and non-native garden plants. I've used the sod to build up the topography in some areas and installed a mini greenhouse. The garden themes include sand barren and dry prairie in the front yard; the backyard is becoming a rich mesic woodland. It's really fun, and the insects and birds started showing up this year. I've been growing some plants from seed I've collected, others have come from our program's native plant sale stock (available at the Minnesota Landscape Arboretum's Plant Sale in May), Morning Sky Greenery in Morris or Outback Nursery in Hastings.

I grow some veggies in raised beds and I really like growing cilantro, fennel, and dill. They are loved by the pollinators, and I let them seed-in each year.

It's hard to choose my favorite native plants. I planted silky aster (Symphyotrichum sericeum) and that plant has a great silver leaf color because of its long silky hairs and long-lasting purple flowers in the fall. It's native to dry prairies in Minnesota and easy to grow. I also really like netted chain fern (Woodwardia areolata). It's not native to Minnesota, but it grows in Illinois and in much of the eastern United States in wooded wetlands. It has a thick leaf with an interesting shape.

What is the most challenging and most rewarding part of your work?

The most challenging part of my work is that most people do not have direct experiences in nature in their regular lives. It makes conveying the importance of native plants, natural areas and biodiversity difficult. The world is fast-paced and "development" focused, and because of that we are losing nature both literally in terms of land conversion to impervious surface, but also in terms of our personal individual connection to it. 

While this is difficult, it is also the most rewarding part. I get to share my love for plants and nature with people. In my experience, it's a point of connection between us as humans and also a reconnection as humans to being part of nature, not separate from it. Those are the special moments for me.

 As an expert in your field, do you have any tricks, tips or advice that would help our readers?

Grab a compass, get out in nature and get off the trail. The woods and wetlands and prairies have so many interesting plants and animals to be appreciated.

I love using Apps now. I was resistant for a while and usually prefer books but have really enjoyed using the Minnesota Wildflowers website and App. It's a great way for anyone to learn about plants.

I also like using the iNaturalist website and App. I can make a record of plants I find on the go, and it's easy to use.

How does your work impact the general public in a meaningful way?

My work is more for our children and grandchildren -- or that's my hope. The Plant Conservation Program's work is future-focused, so we may not necessarily experience the benefits from our rare plant seed banking or research today. That said, our work is helping plants now. There are more than 450 plants in Minnesota that are considered rare, and of those, nearly 100 are designated as "Endangered" – the highest level of conservation concern. For those species, extirpation (local extinction) is a real threat. Those are the plants our program is working to understand and conserve.