Fall 2003

Barbara Plampin: Plant Detective

If an unusual orchid exists in the Indiana Dunes, Barbara Plampin can probably show you where it is. If the Indiana Dunes National Lakeshore or the Indiana Department of Natural Resources wants to locate a threatened species, they may well ask Barbara Plampin to find it. If a plant hasn't been seen in the Dunes for decades, Barbara Plampin will be out there trying to rediscover it.

Barbara Plampin is one of that rare breed of plant enthusiasts who make notable discoveries and contributions to the scientific literature by virtue of their enthusiasm, field-learned expertise, and sheer doggedness. She usually finds what she's looking for. And if she doesn't, she may well find some other botanic treasure even more interesting or unusual.

Barbara's fascination with botany began at age seven, when she lived on 160 wooded acres near Grand Rapids, Michigan. Encouraged by her mother, young Barbara ventured a little farther into the woods every year, learning to identify the native flora. Her interest remained dormant for a number of years as she pursued her education, started a family, and began a career teaching college English. But when Barbara was in her mid-forties, she experienced a botanical rebirth, thanks to an unreliable family car, which "kept breaking down in areas filled with interesting plants."

After retiring from the faculty of the Illinois Institute of Technology, Barbara and her husband Geoffrey moved to the Indiana Dunes in 1988 to build the home they live in today, in the lakeside community of Dune Acres. Here, plant study became a major focus of her life. Local Dunes botanists such as Lois Howes, Emma Pitcher, and Noel Pavlovic helped Barbara evolve as a botanist. They took her on plant exploration hikes and encouraged her to learn scientific technique. "Lois Howes even gave me spot examinations," she says.

Barbara also came in contact with many other prominent botanists, including the Morton Arboretum's legendary Floyd Swink, who would identify samples she collected. "Botanists are generally very nice to amateurs," she says. "They are patient and willing to explain things. And they are pleased when new discoveries are made."

As Barbara's expertise and reputation grew, she began sharing her knowledge with the public. She has been conducting nature walks for the Shirley Heinze Environmental Fund, on whose board she sits, for 18 years. She also leads outings for The Field Museum, The Nature Conservancy, and other groups. Barbara frequently delivers slide shows and lectures for public audiences in the Dunes region, and she has conducted courses on basic botany. She has also been a driving force behind the ongoing revision of the study Special Vegetation of the Indiana Dunes National Lakeshore — in fact, many of the major botanic texts of our region cite Barbara's contributions. Barbara now finds herself offering help to a new generation of aspiring amateurs, as well as visiting scientists, writers, and photographers who regularly consult with her before looking for specimens in the species-rich Dunes.

Still, Barbara finds her greatest joy in just going out and looking for unusual flora. No swamp is too muddy, no brambles too prickly, no dune too steep to stop her and her fellow plant detectives.

"Rare plant exploration can be dangerous," Barbara admits. "Once, on a rash solo visit to the Cowles Bog tamaracks, I mired up to the crotch in an attempt to reach some enticing basal rosettes matting the center of a murky pool. What to do? I prayed, and then, without thinking, sat down on the muck. This redistributed my weight, and so I scrambled out to safety."

Barbara cites her discovery with Emma Pitcher of the state-threatened prairie fame flower as perhaps her best find — the plant was thought to have disappeared from the Dunes. "Serendipitous finds," she notes, "are especially rewarding." She found the rare daisy-leafed grape fern just by sitting down to take a rest while working on an unrelated project.

Each year, the Indiana Department of Natural Resources sends Barbara a list of plants that haven't been observed lately and may be threatened by habitat loss or other problems. "Once Barbara gets our list, she starts looking for plants and often she finds them," says John Bacone, the agency's director of nature preserves. "She's not afraid to get hot, sweaty, or muddy, and she sends in excellent reports describing plant finds, their botanic associates, and the habitat in which they occurred. I wish there were a few more Barbaras!"

—Ron Trigg