Research

See full abstracts from the recent TWNF Research Symposium.

Native Plant Propagation Program

In 1998 Pam Gallery, enthusiast and collector of flora of the central Blue Ridge, began the Native Plant Propagation Program under the auspices of The Wintergreen Nature Foundation. The purpose of this program is to study and document the propagation requirements of wildflowers in the central Blue Ridge. Today Jean Bertelson and many volunteers continue to collect and germinate seeds, research books, and study the many varieties of wildflowers found throughout the mountains and valleys of the central Blue Ridge. The staff and volunteers at the Trillium House are knowledgeable about the care of plants that thrive in your area. We are extraordinarily fortunate to have a successful ongoing native plant propagation program. Purchasing our native plants supports our research.

Purchases of native plants can be made at the Trillium House from April through October. No shipping is possible.

Native American Archaeological Project

In Spring 2003, TWNF and archaeologists from the Department of Sociology and Anthropology, James Madison University began a multi-year program to identify and record archaeological sites on Wintergreen property. The Virginia Blue Ridge has a long cultural history that is much in evidence at Wintergreen. Known archaeological sites date from the time of early Native American hunter-gatherers (ca. 10,000 years ago) to farmsteads and narrow gauge railroad grades of the early 20th century. Directed by Carole Nash of JMU and developed as a volunteer-based program, TWNF members are regularly invited to participate in archaeological field work and related programming. Announcements of field days and lab work will be posted on this site, so check back often for updates!

Orchid Research at Wintergreen
by Melissa McCormick

Strangely enough, all orchids digest fungi to obtain nutrients, at least at some stage in their lives. When people think of orchids, the first thing that generally comes to mind is usually one of the large showy tropical varieties that people grow in their greenhouses, although many people are at least familiar with lady slipper orchids. What most people do not realize is that 10% of all plant species are orchids and there are around 150 species of orchids native to North America (not even including Mexico and Florida). These orchids depend strongly the fungi they associate with. Many orchids will not even germinate unless there is an appropriate fungus present. Orchid seeds are so small that they are like dust and contain essentially no energy reserves. After germination all orchids must digest their root-dwelling fungi to obtain the energy needed to grow large enough that they can begin to photosynthesize. Many orchids continue to receive substantial nutrition from fungi throughout their lives, and some, like the coralroots (Corallorhiza and Hexalectis), have lost their ability to photosynthesize altogether and must depend entirely on fungi. Because fungi are so essential to their growth and survival, the majority of native North American orchids cannot survive being transplanted (one reason not to dig them!).

At Wintergreen during the summer of 2003, Stephanie Pimm and I working with the Smithsonian Institution worked on a project to identify and describe the diversity of fungi associated with several of the fringed orchids (genus Platanthera) found in the Blue Ridge Mountains. Thanks to the Nature Foundation and friends, we obtained leaf and root samples from several species at a number of different sites. From these samples we extracted the DNA of each plant and its associated fungus. Using DNA sequences is the only way to accurately identify these fungi, which are cryptic and do not produce easily identifiable mushrooms. We found that certain groups of closely related species of Platanthera rely on particular groups of fungi. Some of the species we sampled appear to always associate with one particular species of fungus. Because orchids so strongly depend on their fungi, this type of one-on-one relationship means than identifying and culturing the fungi will be essential to orchid conservation and restoration efforts. We have grown fungi from many of these species in the lab and these cultures may prove useful for propagating orchids from seed as well as possibly reintroducing the fungi and, in turn, the orchids to areas where they have become locally extinct. This project brings us one small step closer to preserving some of the most beautiful and fascinating plants in the Blue Ridge.

Education & Field Science Advisory Committee

• Ruth Beck - Biologist, College of William & Mary
• Dr. Mitchell Byrd - Ornithologist, College of William & Mary
• Dr. Jack Cranford - Mammalogist, Virginia Polytech Institute and State University
• Dr. Nick Evans Ð Geist, Virginia Department of Mines and Minerals
• Dr. Richard Hoffman - Curator of Recent Invertebrates, Virginia Museum of Natural History
• Dr. Joseph Mitchell - Herpetologist, author of Reptiles of Virginia
• Dr. Walter Morgan - Naturalist, Wintergreen Nature Foundation Volunteer
• Carole Nash - Instructor of Anthroplogy , James Madison University
• Ann Regn - Director of Environmental Education, Virginia Department of Environmental Quality
• Dr. Larry Steward - Assistant Professor, Horticulture Technologies, Ohio State University
• Dr. Dennis Whigham - Native Plant Ecologist, Smithsonian Environmental Research Station