Native Plant Society of Saskatchewan

The Native Plant Society of Saskatchewan (NPSS) is a provincial non-profit organization incorporated in 1995. In the early 1990s, as interest in native plants gained momentum, professionals, along with some native plant enthusiasts, recognized the need for an organization specializing in Saskatchewan's native plants. A working group was formed in 1994, which led to the development of the NPSS. The vision of the NPSS was expanded knowledge and appreciation of Saskatchewan's native plants. This vision was to be met by the society's mission to promote understanding and conservation of native plants and their ecosystems by facilitating research, communication and education.

The Native Plant Society started off small, but in just ten years the organization has grown rapidly. The NPSS now averages 200 members annually, offers a full slate of field tours and workshops, and its annual general meeting includes a major conference. Its core programs include: a website with a searchable database for native plant materials; a display booth; and Native Plant News, the society's quarterly newsletter, which is distributed across western Canada and the northern United States. Through the support of its partners the NPSS has completed many projects, such as six extension/educational publications, posters, youth and adult education programs, and research and restoration projects. The NPSS is an active organization and is represented in the Saskatchewan Prairie Conservation Action Plan, Saskatchewan Advisory Committee on Forage Crops, Saskatchewan Endangered Species Advisory Committee, Saskatchewan Agriculture Food and Rural Revitalization Stakeholders Group, and a Lakeland College program advisory committee

Garth Wruck