Wildflower Viewing
The national forest, national parks, national wildlife refuges,
grasslands, and millions of acres of public lands are truly America's
wildflower gardens. Celebrating Wildflowers is a collaborative commemoration
that promotes the importance of conservation and management of native
plants and plant habitats. The Forest Service, Bureau of Land Management,
Fish and Wildlife Service, and the National Park Service emphasize
the aesthetic, recreational, biological, medicinal, and economic
values of wildflowers. Native plants provide a spiritual link with
nature and our Nation's diverse cultural history.
Eighty percent of all medicinal drugs originate in wild plants
and twenty-five percent of all prescriptions written annually in
united States contain chemicals from plants. Madagascar periwinkle
has increased the survival rate of children with leukemia from twenty
percent to eighty percent. Taxol, a promising anti-cancer drug derives
from pacific yew. To this day, most plants remain untested from
their medical potential.
Some 3,000 species of plants have been used by humans for food, only ninety percent of the world's food comes from only twenty pant species.
The most important food plants are three species of grasses - rice, wheat, and corn.
There are many volunteer opportunities available in regards to
working with native flora, such as surveying lands, monitoring known
plant populations building fences, removing weedy alien plants,
visiting local schools, becoming a host at a public facility, and
serve as a guide or gardener. If you are interested in any volunteer
opportunities contact the US Forest Service at 202-205-1760.
Go directly to the Intermountain Region portion of the Celebrating Wildflowers web site.
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