Fens and Bogs Part Two: The Importance of Place and Plants

​Breakfast on the Marsh is a community forum sponsored by Little River Wetlands Project and usually held at Indiana Wesleyan University Fort Wayne. In May the speaker was DNR botanist Scott Namestnik. He spoke on the unique geology and geography of Indiana and the related unique plants and ecosystems.
 
The 2nd part of his presentation focused on the importance of place and plants. This included focusing on the system of evaluating ecosystems and plant species.  Water drainage or
access, elevation, degrees of acidity all impacted what plants would thrive at various environments. Scott’s biggest challenge was narrowing down which sites in northeast Indiana he would focus on and which plants he would highlight.  He was like a volunteer at an animal shelter, he loved them all.
 
He highlighted unique wetlands in northeast Indiana. He addressed the challenges of preserving ecosystems during a period of land development and the eroding of wetland protections. The presentation itself was a challenge. The air conditioning was not on. Windows were opened, the room was humid and traffic sounds were distracting. Still his focus was clear, and Scott kept the audience engaged.
 
The presentation was academic, it focused on classification systems and data collection. It was clearly historical. It was also advocacy calling on members of the audience to participate in the protection of shrinking ecosystems and endangered plant species. Scott Namestnik was inspiring and we were fortunate to hear the Tom Bombadil of the Indiana ecosystems.
 

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