STORY AND PHOTO BY KAREN BOSSICK

Stoke your appetite for spring during a free virtual presentation about the botanical wonders of southern Idaho, southeastern Oregon and northern Nevada.

Dr. Don Mansfield, the author of “Flora of Steens Mountain,” will be the guest on the webinar, which will begin at 6:30 p.m. Thursday, April 1.

The presentation is offered by the Wood River Chapter of the Idaho Native Plant Society. To tune in, email 1gypsy2016@gmail.com before 5 p.m. April 1.

Mansfield has been exploring botanically interesting locations in Idaho, Oregon and Nevada for the past 45 years. He will talk about what keeps him on the hunt for plants.

He began collecting plants as he researched plant adaptations while pursuing a doctoral degree at Idaho State University. The more he studied plant diversity in this region, the more he realized that much of the diversity was undescribed. Consequently, he has spent two decades working on a Flora of southwestern Idaho while describing many new species.

The new finds include members of the biscuitroot genus--lomatium. He is also examining the evolution of members of the parsley family in tandem with Dr. Jim Smith at Boise State university.

Mansfield has been at The College of Idaho since 1989 where he teaches organismal biology, environmental science, field botany, Idaho natural history and a course about plants and people entitled “Murder, Medicine and Magic.”

The Idaho Native Plant Society is a statewide non-profit organization dedicated to promoting interest in native plants and plant communities. It sponsors wildflower walks and campouts. To learn more, visit www.idahonativeplants.org.