Ferns focus of Feb. 27 KNPS program

The ferns of North Idaho will take center stage at the Feb. 27 Zoom program of the Kinnikinnick Native Plant Society.

Co-sponsored by Sandpoint Parks and Recreation, the program will begin at 10 a.m. Featured speaker is Derek Antonelli, Idaho Native Plant Society, Calypso Chapter. This program will be presented live on Zoom and recorded for later viewing on the Kinnikinnick Native Plant Society’s YouTube Channel. When viewed live, there will be opportunities for audience questions and answers. To register for this program, go online to http://bit.ly/3cPBmzc

In the program, Antonelli will cover the natural history of ferns and describe anatomical features that make the group special. This knowledge will make identifying ferns a whole lot easier. Northern Idaho, with its higher levels of precipitation, has the highest diversity of fern in the state. Derek will show photos of a number of these ferns and fern allies.

Antonelli, a retired U.S. Air Force officer, is the president of the Calypso Chapter of the Idaho Native Plant Society, serving the Coeur d'Alene area. He leads the North Idaho Rare Plant Working Group for INPS. Derek is a charter member of the Pend Oreille Chapter of the Idaho Master Naturalist Program serving the Sandpoint area. He is an amateur botanist who has been studying and collecting plants for 40 years.