Native Northern Orchids

Malcolm and Rosemary MacFarlane have found and photographed all of Minnesota’s native orchids in their natural habitats, a decade-long obsession. In this presentation they share photos and stories of their quest.

As native plants enthusiasts, photographers, and acknowledged experts on some of Minnesota’s rarest species, they have served as DNR volunteers for over 20 years doing fieldwork on Minnesota’s federally listed species. Since 2011, they have contracted with the Minnesota Biological Survey to find and document rare species of Botrychium ferns, and have prepared and contributed hundreds of specimens to the collections of the University of Minnesota Herbarium at the Bell Museum.