Washington Park Arboretum Meeting & Field Trip

The July 2004 NPA meeting was held at the Washington Park Arboretum  to honor Wes Wehr, our esteemed colleague and friend, who passed away earlier in the year.  Wes was an avid paleobotanist and artist.  His paleobotanical legacy includes many papers on the Republic flora (50 Ma, Middle Eocene) of eastern Washington and other Okanogan Highland floras.   Wes helped establish the Stonerose Interpretive Center, located in the town of Republic, WA,  to facilitate the research and study of the Republic floras.  In addition, he published significant papers on the history of paleobotany research in the Pacific Northwest, including discussions of many leading paleobotanists whom he had worked with and/or corresponded.

For the arboretum visit, Dr. Estella Leopold graciously accepted our invitation to talk about her paleobotanical work in the Miocene.  Afterwards, Shauna Zuege, an arboretum docent, give us a guided tour with a focus on paleobotanically significant plant species, such as the genus Ginkgo and living representatives of plants found at the Republic fossil site.

Group Northwest Paleontological Association photo.

Dr. Estella Leopold speaking to NPA about her Miocene paleobotanical work..

Shauna Zuege, Arboretum docent, speaking to the NPA.

What a great day!!