Photo: Randal Pair

For field trip information, e-mail or call Elva Osterreich, echoofthedesert@gmail.com, (note the new email address) 575-443-4408, or Jen Gruger, jengruger@gmail.com, 505-710-2924. 

Student Grant Applications - NPSNM Otero Chapter

Download the Grant Application & Guidelines: Native Plant Society of New Mexico - Otero Grant

The Otero Chapter of the Native Plant Society of New Mexico is offering up to $5500 in grants for the fall 2017 semester. The grant(s) may be awarded to one person or split among several applicants. Grant applications will be considered from New Mexico State University & New Mexico Institute of Mining & Technology upper level undergraduates (juniors and seniors), as well as graduate students with career interests in botany, ecology, conservation biology or land management that includes a focus on plants native to the Chihuahuan Desert Ecoregion.  Additional points will be awarded for projects occurring within the Chihuahuan Desert in New Mexico. Funds are intended to assist with the implementation of the student’s grant proposal.

Mission Statement of the Native Plant Society of New Mexico (NPSNM):

The Native Plant Society of New Mexico is a non-profit organization that strives to educate the public about native plants by promoting knowledge of plant identification, ecology, and uses; fostering plant conservation and the preservation of natural habitats; supporting botanical research; and encouraging the appropriate use of native plants to conserve water, land and wildlife.

Requirements: The project must focus on plants native to the Chihuahuan Desert Ecoregion. It can include such research areas as effects of invasive or non-native plants on native plant communities; effects of climate change on native plants and/or ecosystems; role of native pollinators in maintaining native wildflowers; restoration ecology; and conservation biology. Additional points will be awarded for projects occurring within the Chihuahuan Desert in New Mexico. Grant recipients will be required to make a presentation to the Otero Chapter of the NPSNM on their research and provide a written report (i.e., copy of senior thesis, Master's thesis or PhD dissertation) at the conclusion of their research or degree program.

Grant proposals due: 5pm, Monday, November 20, 2017

E-mail application packet, as a PDF file, to: Dr. Helgi Osterreich (hkasak@netmdc.com)

Proposals are accepted from New Mexico State University and New Mexico Institute of Mining & Technology students only, should be a maximum of 5 pages, and applications should include elements listed in the application outline, which can be downloaded here.