To Learn!

Volunteer: Ortwin Bourquin
Location: Columbus Field Office, Montana
Volunteer Job Title: Taxonomist

Ortwin Bourquin stopped by the USDA field office in Columbus, Montana, with three plants he wanted help in identifying. The next week he came by again with a dozen more specimens. Each specimen was mounted as if part of a presentation. When asked why he was so interested in plants, Mr. Bourquin replied robustly in his unique South African accent, "To learn!"

"Orty" became an Earth Team volunteer with the USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service in 2003; his first year in the United States. His goal was to collect and identify all the plants in and near the 640 acre subdivision where he lives in Columbus Montana; not a small task for anyone. The land consists of native plant communities from wetlands to ponderosa pine forest, and is located between the Stillwater and Yellowstone Rivers.

Since becoming an Earth Team volunteer, Orty has collected mounted, labeled and stored nine hundred and thirty eight specimens. Each specimen has been grouped by Family, filed by genera, and labeled accordingly. A digital photo record (1452 photos) of plant life in Stillwater County with labels and descriptive narrative has also been prepared. Orty volunteered hundreds of hours towards this endeavor.

Orty has always been an extreme taxonomist, a collector and identifier of all living things. His local study included inventories of invertebrates, fish, reptiles, birds, mammals and plants. He also studies cultural artifacts from the area and aquatic life in the Yellowstone River. His work includes collections, photo sightings, and detailed records. He has worked all over the world and has had several species named after him. A fairy shrimp, a lizard, and two species of earthworms have species names of "bourquini" and "ortyi." He has numerous scientific publications, coauthored a book on African tortoises, turtles and terrapin, and has described a new genus of snake and a new species of lizard.

Initiating and completing a field herbarium demonstrates a purpose and passion for conservation. In recognition for his volunteer efforts, Orty received the 2007 Montana Earth Team award. Orty's project and legacy will aid in the identification of plants by USDA personnel and any other individual or group, official or private; for teaching purposes on all levels; and in support of scientific (taxonomic, distributional) studies.

Orty has enabled us all “to learn!"

For aid in the identification of plants by USDA personnel and any other individual or group, official or private; for teaching purposes on all levels; and in support of scientific (taxonomic, distributional) studies.

Ortwin Bourquin.

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Last Modified: 10/22/2008