Abbott Botanical Assessments, LLC

The Botany Lab

  • World Migratory Bird Day: Urban Forest Edition

    World Migratory Bird Day: Urban Forest Edition

    What is World Migratory Bird Day?

    World Migratory Bird Day celebrates the birds that travel across the world’s ecosystems, including urban areas.

    When is World Migratory Bird Day?

    World Migratory Bird Day is celebrated in the Spring and Fall of each year, both on the second Saturdays of May and October.

    In the spring, birds fly to nesting sites. In the fall, they fly home to wintering areas. All species of birds vary in their migration patterns. They take different routes and it doesn’t all happen at the same time. These days were chosen to remind communities about the general season of bird migration.

    How are migratory birds relevant to urban forests?

    It’s not a coincidence that birds are migrating during the leafing out and dormant periods of trees. Trees provide housing, protection, food, observation points, location for mating rituals and much more.

    Many species of birds use tree materials to build their homes, just like people (but on a smaller scale). Here’s a short list of nest building materials that you may typically see in your neighborhood:

    • sticks
    • leaves
    • bark
    • tree ‘cotton’ (cottonwood seeds)
    • lichen

    Flocks of migrating birds use urban forests as way-stations to final nesting locations. During migration, many birds are injured or killed due to collisions and urban infrastructure (like large glass windows).

    However, many of these final nesting habitats are affected by rapid urbanization. Ideal areas to raise offspring are becoming rarer as biodiversity is reduced in residential and commercial areas. Removal of habitat for homes, commercial buildings and their parking lots and increasing amounts of plant monocultures (like golf courses and residential lawns) have reduced available opportunities for seasonal forage like insects and berries.

    Many of the same quality of life issues for trees affect birds. If trees are not well-cared for in a community through management, tree mortality increases. This reduces habitat quality for migratory birds too.

    How can I learn more about building bird habitats through tree care?

    The Cavity Conservation Initiative has a great manual that describes Best Management Practices for conserving snags, or dead trees for habitat: Tree Care for Wildlife BMPs. It was designed to be used in California, but the information is invaluable for anyone who is interested in forest management.

    Avian Flu & World Migratory Bird Day

    For the most recent updates for Avian Flu related to migrating birds, visit AllAboutBirds.org.

    How can I support migratory birds in my neighborhood?

    • Plant native species
    • Keep your domestic cats indoors
    • Rather than ‘spraying for bugs’, start utilizing Integrative Pest Management strategies to increase biodiversity. Methods vary by area, so reach out to your local Extension office for Best Management Practices (BMPs).
    • Turn off lights at night to help birds find their way
    • Replace the type of outdoor lights you use to reduce light pollution
    • Put stickers on large windows to reduce collisions.
    • Support the health of your trees by hiring a Certified Arborist
    • When removing a tree, consider keeping it as a snag on the advice of a Certified Arborist who has a Tree Risk Assessment Qualification (TRAQ)

    What organizations can I support to help protect birds?

    Cavity Conservation Initiative

    Bird City Network

    Dark Sky International

    National Audubon Society

    BirdCast

    Indoor Pet Initiative

  • Free ISA CEUs: Week of May 5, 2025

    Free ISA CEUs: Week of May 5, 2025

    The first full week of summer is finally here! Keep a look out for birds, Friday is World Migratory Bird Day. There are 3 free ISA CEU training opportunities available this week.

    Tuesday May 6, 2025

    TreeFund Webinar @ 12:00pm CST. 

    Enhancing collaboration amongst urban forest stakeholders – An assessment of natural hazard risk perceptions in relation to the services and disservices of city trees

    Register Here

    Wednesday May 7, 2025

    ITree Open Academy Spring 2025

    May 7th – Introduction to i-Tree. Understand the basic science of tree benefits and the USFS & cooperator research behind them. Explore the relationships between the i-Tree tools and the data they provide. Start to consider which i-Tree tools will be best for the project you have in mind.

    Wednesdays @ 1pm EST (May 7-June 11, 2025)

    Register Here

    Thursday May 8th, 2025

    UCFS Learning Series–The Future of Tree Inventories: AI, LiDAR, and Smart Urban Forest Management @ 11am MDT

    Tree inventories have come a long way from pen-and-paper surveys to cloud-based GIS systems—but the future is even smarter! Today, with cutting-edge technologies like AI, LiDAR, and machine learning, the way we assess, manage, and care for our urban forests is being completely transformed. These technologies enhance data accuracy, automate analysis, and provide real-time insights, empowering urban foresters to make more informed, efficient decisions. This exciting shift is not only about better managing our urban trees—it’s about shaping more resilient, sustainable communities.

    Register Here

    Remember, you can always ask your local ISA chapter if your event qualifies for CEUs.

    If your organization is hosting a free in-person or virtual ISA CEU opportunity, please reach out to us so we can get your event on this list.

    Subscribe to continue to receive free notifications for no-cost ISA CEU events.

  • Responsible Harvesting: A Botanist’s Perspective

    Responsible Harvesting: A Botanist’s Perspective

    Originally published in October 2019 and re-published on May 2, 2025.

    I’ve seen a number of posts on social media talking about wildcrafting and harvesting. I think it is an excellent opportunity to discuss this botanist’s perspective on ethical harvesting. My personal philosophy is simply this: don’t take more than you can use. However, this also means that you should be mindful of the ecosystem that you are harvesting from.

    Here are some key questions you should ask yourself: Does this population have more than 7-10 individuals? Is there another population of this plant nearby? Has this stand already been harvested from?

    When I explain this concept to children, I explain that you shouldn’t eat wild plants unless the following conditions have been met:

    1.) Has Morgan (or another trusted adult) said it is okay to eat this plant?

    2.) What are the ways you can tell this plant is safe to eat (ex. Serviceberry has leaves that look like cat paws, white flowers and/or fruit that looks like blueberries)?

    3.) Why do you want to eat/collect this plant?

    I ask these questions for a number of reasons. Primarily, it builds critical thinking skills while also building good habits about mindful collection and our role in our environment. When answering the third question, it brings to mind your motivations about why you are using this plant. If this is the only plant that you see and it has already been munched on by animals and you have snacks with you, why collect? Animals don’t have grocery stores or kitchens or appliances to store food, while we, as humans, have innumerable tools at our disposal to eat a relatively healthy diet.

    Take Home Points:

    1.) Be confident in your plant identification skills. If you aren’t 100% what this plant is, don’t eat it! Take a photo and post it on a plant ID page on social media (Make sure you include your location, photos of flowers, fruits, leaves and habit!).

    2.) Count out how many individual plants exist in this area. We are looking for at least 7.

    3.) Generally, we shouldn’t collect more than half of what a single plant is producing to make sure that there is enough for animals and the seed bank.

    4.) Consider recording GPS coordinates and collecting a specimen for your local herbarium and iNaturalist. This helps local plant enthusiasts understand the distribution of species in an area!

    Suggested Literature:

    Braiding Sweetgrass: Indigenous Wisdom, Scientific Knowledge, and the Teachings of Plants (Kimmerer, 2013)

    Guidelines for the Ethical and Sustainable Harvesting of Wild Plants (Forest Service, USDA)

    Are you interested in cultivating your botanizing skills, wanting to learn about local plants in your yard, or are wanting me to come assist you in a project?

    Book a free 15 minute consultation!

  • 5 C’s of Desert Field work

    5 C’s of Desert Field work

    Published in March 2021, re-published on May 2, 2025.

    Botanical field work in a harsh climate is an endurance sport. It is vitally important to prioritize the care of yourself, your team and your gear. You are a professional athlete existing in one of the world’s extreme environments. However, you aren’t just using your body, you’re also required to apply your education and skills with limited external support aside from your team. Use this guide to limit fatigue, increase preparedness and be mindful of you and your team needs.

    1. Cover

    Cover all of your limbs, especially if you are fair. Wear long sleeves, long pants, a wide brimmed hat, sunscreen on exposed skin and a bandana; your shoes also are included. If you are doing field work that is off the beaten path in rough terrain, do not wear lightweight trail runners. You will get cheatgrass (Bromus tectorum) in them and will cut your feet. I recommend wearing hiking boots that have a higher ankle and have leather uppers. Socks are vital to keep your feet happy and wool has great moisture-wicking properties. Using the right kind of field gear on your body will prevent the formation of injuries and heat-related illnesses.

    To learn more about boots, check out ‘All About Boots: A Botanist’s Perspective’

    2. Cool

    Consider the kind of fabric you are using for your gear. I prefer to wear a cotton or linen ‘overshirt’ to protect my skin and keep cool. However, you need to be careful with chafing, so take frequent breaks and remove your pack to dry out. When I first started out, I would get my field clothes from the thrift store or use hand-me-downs from relatives. Now, I prefer light-colored shirts that have UV protection. Desert nights are very, very cold and the mornings are cool. Bring layers for day and night use. There’s a trend in the outdoor industry to be “ultralight”. You’re probably car camping, so weight isn’t as much of an issue. Bring what you think you will need. You will pare down your field work belongings as the weeks go on.

    3. Coarse

    The desert is a harsh environment, especially if you aren’t used to it. Your hair, skin, eyes, hands and lips will feel it the most because they are continually exposed to the dry air. I recommend finding a hydrating lotion and/or lip balm. If you have long hair, to prevent matting and painful tangles, try oiling your hair with jojoba, coconut oil or conditioner and braiding your hair in a protective style appropriate for your hair texture. Consider getting sunglasses that completely wrap around to protect your eyes from the dust and sunburn. I would skip wearing contacts and get prescription glasses and sunglasses. Getting sand in your contacts can cause corneal abrasion.

    4. Care

    Your physical, emotional and mental health are important to the success of field season. Physical health can include stretching in the morning and evening to avoid injury, inspecting your feet for blisters, splinters or other issues. Remove your boots when you’re able to and wear sandals to let your feet breathe. This includes grooming: if water for bathing isn’t available, use baby wipes, bandanas, drybrush to get all the soil and sweat off of your body.

    Bring food & drinks that you want to eat. This isn’t the time to try a new diet. Your body needs nutrients and you need to eat. Food needs to be shelf stable to avoid food-borne pathogens. Please drink electrolytes to avoid electrolyte depletion. I’m a blue-flavor gatorade gal. Let your crew members and/or crew lead know immediately if you are injured or aren’t feeling well.

    Emotional health can include many things, but we’re going to focus on setting boundaries. You will be working closely with your co-workers for 8-16 weeks. It is likely that you will have disagreements: collection methodology, where to camp, where to gas up, what to listen to in the car, etc. If you feel safe to do so, speak up and communicate your needs. Your employer wants you to complete difficult tasks in a challenging environment. It is more expensive to hire and train a new crew member than to hear your concerns.

    See our Bill of Rights for Natural Resource Professionals.

    Arguably, mental health is the most important factor to keeping your morale up during field season. My go-to for a quick pick-me up on a hard day are sweets. I’m a big fan ginger candies and fancy instant coffee for cold mornings. To build rapport with your crew, bring treats to share (barring food allergies or dietary restrictions). If you need to recharge after a long day, bring activities that you enjoy. I bring books (physical or electronic/audiobooks), a journal/notebook, travel-sized art supplies and my current knitting project.

    5. Chaos

    Something will go wrong during field season, it is just a matter of time. It could be multiple flat tires two hours away from the nearest tire shop, an allergic reaction or injury, or an acute safety incident.

    I’ve found the best way to prepare for these situations is to have a personal first aid kit that holds your medications (OTC and prescribed), eye drops, bandaids, tweezers & needles (for removing splinters), alcohol wipes and anti-bacterial ointment. If you have asthma or severe allergies, inform your team members where your emergency medication is in your pack. Know where the nearest hospital, grocery store (water source), gas station and repair shop are. Be prepared to bail out if you or your team’s safety is comprimised–few jobs are worth not coming home to your loved ones and this isn’t one of them.

    Some days are going to be awful and you will want to quit. If you do, that’s okay. It’s not for everyone and there are even more natural resource jobs in office environments than ever before.

    If you liked this article and want to learn more about Desert Field Skills Training Workshops, book a free 15 minute consultation with us to learn more.

  • Abbottanical Native Wildflower Seeds

    Abbottanical Native Wildflower Seeds

    Originally published in September 2021 and re-published on May 2, 2025.

    After starting this business in 2019, I desperately wanted to provide a product that was missing from the market in the Intermountain West: a locally-sourced, 100% native wildflower seed mix.

    Many of the wildflower seed mixes that are commercially available in nurseries and grocery stores are labeled as native, but have non-native or even invasive species to cut the mix to bring down costs. Cynoglossum amabile, Chinese forget-me-not, is a wildflower that is native to central Asia and is regularly used in pollinator mixes. While it is beautiful, it does tend to escape from gardens and becomes a persistent weed in the community. Additionally, pollinators visit this flower, but a native Utah bee wouldn’t have a symbiotic relationship to a flower that originates on the other side of the world. Consider an alternative: a native forget-me-not that has evolved within ecological communities within Utah, like Hackelia micanthra, meadow forget-me-not, or Eritrichium nanum, arctic alpine forget-me-not.

    Unfortunately, it is difficult to source native seeds, especially in Utah where wild native plants have a reputation of being “weeds” or are considered “ugly” in comparison to showy cultivars that are widely available in large nurseries. That being said, I was able to come up with a seed mix that features showy native wildflowers that are a proven hit with pollinators and “poor” soil that is prevalent in Utah.

    I feel that these wildflowers represent the best parts of Utah: resilience, beauty and hope for a brighter future. I consider all of them my friends that cheer me up during my long weeks in the field under the hot summer sun. As this mix has a variety of annuals and perennials, you will find that some of these friends won’t make a dramatic appearance for a couple of years. I have a 3 tips to help the wait feel a bit shorter:

    #1. Be patient: long-lasting relationships that are healing our environment takes time.

    #2. Be on the lookout for introduced species that can be used at home for food or herbal remedies. Finding plants that settler ancestors brought that have crowded out their neighbors, limited traditional food & medicine pathways and reduced pollinators is one way to support indigenous sovereignty within our communities. I always recommend utilizing safety protocols to eliminate spread.

    #3. Be Mindful: It is the perfect time to practice relationships (plant identification & learning plant ecology) with your annual wildflowers and other plants that already exist within your community.

    These are the 10 wildflowers that made the cut for “Abbottanical Native Wildflower Seeds” Mix:

    Penstemon palmeri (Palmer’s penstemon) is a perennial light-pink snapdragon look-alike that is widespread in Utah between 3,000 and 8,000 ft. Peak flowering times occur in late-April through mid-June. It is also one of the few penstemon that have a scent.

    Photo courtesy of Stan Shebs via Wikimedia Commons.

    Distribution Map

    Linium lewisii (Blue Flax) is a showy blue perennial that is native to North America and can be found along roadsides and washes. This plant can be used as fiber and is a popular favorite for pollinators. Peak flowering time is from early-May to mid-July between 2,000 and 10,000 feet. It loves full-sun and birds love to snack on its seeds through fall and winter.

    Photo courtesy of Skoch3 via Wikimedia Commons.

    Distribution Map

    Cleome serrulata (Rocky Mountain Beeplant, waa’, tumi, a’pilalu & ado:we) is a prolific native wildflower in North America. An annual with vivid pink or creamy white blossoms, it has numerous ethnobotanical uses and attracts innumerable pollinators. It flowers between late-July and early-September at elevations between 2,000 and 8,000 feet.

    Photo courtesy of Clarence A. Rechenthin via Wikimedia Commons.

    Distribution Map

    Balsamorhiza sagittata (Arrowleaf Balsamroot) is a large yellow flower and a member of the sunflower family found in western North America. Perennial and full of ethnobotanical uses, it attracts native pollinators to your garden. Flowering between mid-May through June and thrives in elevations up to 8,000 feet.

    Photo courtesy of Extemporalist via Wikimedia Commons.

    Distribution Map

    Gaillardia aristata (Common Blanketflower), a perennial native wildflower that has multiple ethnobotanical uses. Usually found in seed mixes as a cultivar, but is locally-sourced seed in our mix that grows wild in fields and meadows within the Intermountain West. Flowers from June to July up to 8,000 feet.

    Photo courtesy of Walter Sigmund via Wikimedia Commons.

    Distribution Map

    Echinacea purpurea (Purple Coneflower), this is a popular perennial medicinal wildflower that is native to the central United States and is found within Colorado’s native range. As it isn’t strictly a Utah native plant, I debated adding it to the seed mix. However, its popularity and showiness as a native North American plant is tremendous. It is easily recognizable and heavily attracts native pollinators. I’m in the works on sourcing seeds from it’s closely-related cousin Rudbeckia occidentalis (western coneflower) that is a native Utah wildflower for next season’s seed mix.

    Photo courtesy of Eric Hunt via Wikimedia Commons.

    Distribution Map

    Lupinus argenteus (Silvery Lupine) is a stunning perennial wildflower that grows across North America, including Utah. Despite its beauty, it is the only plant in this mix that isn’t safe for consumption. It is safe to touch, but don’t let children, livestock or pets consume it. If you don’t want it in your garden, it is very easy to identify and remove before it becomes established. Flowering occurs during the summer (June through August) and thrives at elevations between 4,000 and 10,000 feet.

    Photo courtesy of Morgan S. Abbott, Abbott Botanical Assessments.

    Distribution Map

    Achillea millefollium (Yarrow) is a common wildflower that is extremely prevalent throughout North America and is starting to be incorporated into lawns and neighborhood gardens. Yarrow blooms from late-March into early-August, especially at lower elevations (0-2,000 feet). At higher elevations (4,000-10,000 ft), yarrow has a shorter blooming period, from mid-June to the end of August. This wildflower is considered native, but has been hybridizing with European cultivars for hundreds of years, blurring the line between native and naturalized.

    Photo courtesy of Morgan S. Abbott, Abbott Botanical Assessments.

    Distribution Map

    Sphaeralcea coccinea (Scarlet Globemallow), an ethnobotanical staple in the West, is a personal favorite of mine. It loves to grow in hot, dry places that have high rates of disturbance. Its red-orange blossoms can be found during May and June from 4,000 to 8,000 feet. A perfect wildflower for a south-facing side yard in Utah Valley.

    Photo courtesy of Morgan S. Abbott, Abbott Botanical Assessments

    Distribution Map

    Sphaeralcea parviflora (Smallflower Globemallow) was chosen for this mix because it is so prevalent in the Colorado Plateau and the Mojave Desert ecosystems. I wanted to include a plant that is quintessential to desert life and red rock. Also a dedication to people and places that are dear to me. The bloom time for this wildflower can be seen from late-April to early-July from 4,000 to 8,000 feet in elevation.

    Photo courtesy of Max Licher via SEINet Portal Network.

    Distribution Map

    Propagation of “Abbottanical Native Wildflower Seeds”

    These 5 steps are sourced from this website!

    #1: Planting Time: This means plant right after the first hard frost. The recommended date would be on Halloween (October 31, 2021) if you’re sowing around 4,800 feet.

    #2: Prepare your site. Look for an area that has at least 6 hours of sun per day. Remove weeds and other unwanted materials. Wildflowers need room to grow!

    #3: Sow. You can mix your seeds with sand for even distribution. Make sure to spread the seeds out so that they can thrive and not compete with each other for nutrients.

    #4: Step on the seeds. Gently walk on the area that you sowed seeds. They need sun and will not germinate if they aren’t stratified by cold weather.

    #5: Hurry up and wait. You don’t need to water seeds as they should receive enough precipitation in the winter. Blooms for annuals will appear in spring or early summer.

    Where can I buy your seeds?

    I am no longer carrying or selling this product. If you are interested in sourcing 100% native wildflower seeds please contact your local Utah Native Plant Society chapter, US Forest Service, Bureau of Land Management field office, University with a field botany course (Southern Utah University, Utah Valley University, Weber State, Brigham Young University, Utah State University, etc), or relevant community partners.