Oko Wikemna Topa ake Sakpe

Monday, Jan 2 to Sunday, Jan 8, 2017: high 28, low -20

Tuesday afternoon this brand new herbarium-style cabinet was delivered. It is a gift from Mark G. He and Grace (in the photo below) are faculty at Black Hills State University and have been “botanizing” in and around Wingsprings and over west in the pasture we call Henley Springs for a year and a half. They also worked with other BHSU faculty and students on this endeavor (see Oko 13, 2015). Part of their agreement was that they would dry, mount, and identify one of every species of plant they collected and give it to Wingsprings/CAIRNS. This past October 22nd they brought the first boxes of approximately 360 specimens, which are now safely stored in the cabinet as shown in the photo above.

These specimens are collected from what we call the Wingsprings Natural Library, a 64-acre reserve where no domesticated animal has been for over 6 years. The native plants and animals are encouraged to re-inhabit this reserve. And in so doing, they are restocking the “shelves” of our Natural Library. There is lots to learn from this library, but we don’t know how to “read” it yet.

On the other hand, we also have a documentary library here, and you can see a small part of it in the background of the photo above. This library is stocked with books and other such documents that we do know how to read.

As i mentioned to Mark and Grace (below), Dad would have been so impressed with this new collection, and would have loved learning all about it. Sure wish he was here.