Native Plant Society of New Mexico Native Plant Society of New Mexico

Announcing 2025 Las Cruces Chapter Grants to NMSU Students

 

The Las Cruces Chapter of the Native Plant Society of New Mexico is pleased to offer TWO NMSU Student Native Plant Grants:
• $1000 Carolyn Gressitt and John Freyermuth Grant for a graduate student involved in native plant research and/or field study
• $500 Grant for undergraduate teams or individuals pursuing botanical
education/conservation activities
Applications are due October 15, 2025
Please see detailed application instructions here.

 

Past Las Cruces Chapter Grants to NMSU Students

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2024 Grants

The Las Cruces Chapter of NPSNM was proud to award two grants to NMSU students involved in research and activities highly related to our mission. Mickie Barraza won the $500 Undergraduate Grant to enable her study of why certain populations of side oats grama (Bouteloua curtipendula) are more productive in restoration programs than others. She identified a gap in our knowledge and will be studying this as an undergraduate and, she hopes, as a future graduate student as well.

Sara Isabel Ruiz Flores won the $1000 John Freyermuth and Carolyn Gressitt Graduate Grant. She will be expanding our knowledge about a critical and surprisingly under-collected and under-studied Chihuahuan Desert genus, the sotols (Dasylirion species), through fieldwork, collections, and laboratory studies. The Las Cruces Chapter is pleased to support her important graduate work and looks forward to hearing her results when she presents her work to us next year.

Congratulations to both grant recipients, and many thanks to chapter members who donated the funds to support these worthy endeavors. It is our third year awarding grants and we have tripled both our original funds and numbers of applicants. Our momentum in supporting the next generation of researchers, educators, conservationists, and plant enthusiasts is growing!

2023 Grants

The Las Cruces Chapter of NPSNM was proud to award two $500 grants to NMSU students involved in research and activities highly related to our mission.

Mickie Barraza, on behalf of the NMSU Range Club, won the undergraduate grant so that the club can prepare for the Society for Range Management Conference Plant ID Competition by being properly equipped with hand lenses, books, clipboards, and for local field trips to augment their study. The Las Cruces Chapter enthusiastically supports these field studies and looks forward to working further with the club to help with mutually beneficial goals.

Sarah Ramirez, NMSU Biology MS Graduate Student, is investigating the impact of volatile organic compounds (VOCs) produced by native desert microbes on plant germination and growth. This research is important for understanding micro-scale interactions and addressing broader challenges related to habitat and biodiversity conservation. She will use the grant to allow her to take a specialized training program in VOC analysis in Guanajuato, Mexico. The Las Cruces Chapter is pleased to support her important graduate work.

2022 Grants

On Nov 9, 2022, the Las Cruces NPS chapter presented a $500 NMSU student grant to a student whose project/research relates significantly to the NPS mission. In 2022, there was both a grant winner, Alicia Marmolejo, and an honorable mention recipient, Noel Prandoni.

Alicia Marmolejo’s project investigates the invasive properties of a New Mexican native plant, camphorweed (Heterotheca subaxillaris), in Israel. The project stood out for its potential local and large-scale contributions. She is studying how our native camphorweed, introduced to Israel 30 years ago, genetically adapted to become an uncontrollable invasive plant species. The grant supports field work, lab analysis, and testing equipment that might not otherwise be supported. Alicia presented findings from her research at the November 8, 2023, Chapter meeting.

Noel Prandoni received Honorable Mention for her work on dryland restoration through seed introduction and rainwater harvesting practices. Noel will be working with the NMSU Herbarium and others to help select appropriate native species for use in intermittent waterways, specifically the Rincon watershed.

Congratulations to all our grant recipients, and many thanks to all our generous donors. We appreciate your continued donations to fund 2025 NMSU grants.