Annual Meeting

2026 Native Plant Rendezvous

June 26-28 ~ Homestake Lodge near Butte

Join us June 26 through 28 to explore botany on the batholith!  Our base will be at Homestake Lodge just three miles off I-90 on a well-maintained gravel road. The Lodge is nestled beneath the Continental Divide and within the Boulder Batholith, an inspiring setting for plant lovers and geology enthusiasts alike. The plant mascot is Sulphur-flowered buckwheat, Eriogonum umbellatum.

-click to REGISTER BELOW-

Registration is limited to 175 people and will be online only.  After June 10, if there’s room, we’ll register people late, but it will cost more to register late and meals will NOT be available. No refunds after June 10.

THE VENUE

Built in 2007, the Lodge is where we’ll have check-in, possible late registration & sales, and is where the dorm rooms are. For meals & meetings, we’ll gather outside in the Pavilion. The Pavilion has removable siding, and even heaters that we can use if the weather’s bad. 

COMMUNICATIONS – Cell service is very limited in the area; Wi-Fi is available inside the main Lodge. 

GETTING THERE

Homestake Lodge is 3 miles off I-90, via Exit 233 at the top of Homestake Pass, & FS road 240

• On FS road 240, drive to the cattleguard.
• After the cattle guard, there’s a sign that says “Homestake Lodge – 3 miles.”
• Travel 3 miles down FS road 240.
• At the end of the 3 miles, you’ll drive under a big electrical transmission line. 
• There’s a driveway to the Right with a “Homestake Lodge” sign, the road into the Lodge. 

DON’T COUNT ON GPS TO DIRECT YOU TO HOMESTAKE LODGE —
SOME APPS HAVE THE LODGE IMPROPERLY LOCATED,
AND WILL SEND YOU IN UNDRIVEABLE DIRECTIONS!

AGENDA & PROGRAMS

Friday, June 26
1:00 – 6:00	Arrive & check-in, then sign up for field trips in the Lodge
1:30 – 4:00	Workshops – pre-registration required
4:00 – 6:00	Social at the Pavilion
6:00 – 7:30	Dinner at the Pavilion
6:30 – 7:30	MNPS board meeting
8:00	Speaker Mark Mariano: “Vegetation as Infrastructure: How Native Plants Sustain Wetland Wildlife.”
Saturday, June 27
7:00 – 8:00	Breakfast at the Pavilion
8:30 – 4:30	Field trips – bring a lunch
3:00 – 5:30	Wayne Phillips plant ID challenge
6:00 – 7:00	Dinner at the Pavilion
7:00 – 8:00	General membership meeting at the Pavilion
8:00	Field trip photo show, Variety & talent show
Sunday, June 28
7:00 – 8:30	Breakfast at the Pavilion
8:30 – 9:30	Committee meetings
9:00 – 11:00	Break camp, clean up, farewell… check out Butte-area highlights on your way home!

FRIDAY AFTERNOON – WORKSHOPS 1:30 pm -4 pm
Sign up for one when you register. Workshop space is quite limited, so register early. They’re all at the same time, so pick one.

Botanical drawing: Valerie Cox will lead this low-key workshop. Pencils, sharpeners and paper will be available, but feel free to bring your own supplies. We’ll mostly use HB and #2 lead.  Please bring a hand lens. No previous drawing experience is necessary. Limit: 15 participants. Fee $10

Citizen Botany survey: Join Kenda Herman and Grace Hoelscher to collect data during a Citizen Botany “Revisit” on Homestake Pass. This hands-on survey will demonstrate the methods used in the Citizen Botany program to document the existence of rare plants in specific locations, using paper or electronic (Survey 123) forms. Both experienced Citizen Botanists and newbies are welcome. This discussion-driven workshop aims to answer your questions and demonstrate mapping strategies to increase your survey confidence. Limit: 12 participants. FREE

Collecting herbarium reference specimens: Dr. Sylvia Kinosian, Curator of the MSU Herbarium, and Dr. Martin Wojciechowski, MSU Affiliate, will teach you how to make quality herbarium specimens. This includes how to collect plants with an eye for important identification traits, and how to press, mount and create labels for your specimens. They’ll also talk about accessing and managing herbarium data. Limit: 15 participants.  Fee $10

SILENT AUCTION & MERCHANDISE SALES will be held in the Main Lodge. Branded t-shirts, tote bags and stickers will be for sale. Please bring cash or checks.  We may have some credit card handling ability at the event, it is not certain, and does come with a cost. We prefer cash/checks!
Please DON’T bring any more items for the fundraiser — our space is limited and we already have a wide array of things to market. 

FRIDAY EVENING – KEYNOTE PROGRAM 8 pm

After dinner on Friday, Butte-based restoration ecologist Mark Mariano will give the program Vegetation as Infrastructure: How Native Plants Sustain Wetland Wildlife.

Mark is a specialist in native plant revegetation, restoration ecology, and monitoring riparian/aquatic ecology. He holds a master’s degree from Montana Tech with a focus in restoration ecology, and studied Waterfowl Ecology and Management at the University of Texas in El Paso. An affiliate faculty member at Montana Tech, Mark advises graduate students on waterfowl projects.

Mark works in Superfund sites and has started several projects to benefit wildlife habitat in the Upper Clark Valley. He’s the co-founder (and sole staff member) of the non-profit Montana Wetlands and Waterfowl an enthusiastic, optimistic outdoorsperson.

SATURDAY FIELD TRIPS

Sign up at the Lodge starting at 1 pm on Friday. Below is a preliminary list of field trips, subject to change. Bring water, a lunch, sturdy shoes, and field gear. Please preview this list to help you make an informed field trip choice on Friday.

SATURDAY FIELD TRIPS

TITLE/WHERE	LEADERS	DIFFICULTY	SUBJECT
Superfund wetlands	Jared Trilling & Mark Mariano	MODERATE	Visit a newly-excavated wetland, and one that was completed more than 10 years ago, to consider the importance of native revegetation, species selection and habitat components.
Mount Haggin WMA	Jeff Copeland	MODERATE	Walk through a rich native camas prairie beneath the Pintler Mountains
Silver Bow Creek restoration	Rich Prodgers	MODERATE-STRENUOUS	Explore in-depth the native riparian, wetland, grassland and shrub-steppe vegetation that’s been restored along Silver Bow Creek after mining waste was removed.
Citizen Botany foray	Kenda Herman & Grace Hoelscher	EASY	“Revisit” places where rare plants were documented to exist in decades past
Lewis & Clark Caverns State Park	Peter Husby	MODERATE	A leisurely hike through sagebrush-steppe habitat (not touring the caverns)
Thompson Park	Robyn Klein	EASY	A mid-elevation forest ramble focusing on edible and medicinal plants; half- or full-day
Highland Mountains foothills	Karen Porter & Krystal Weilage	EASY	Walk on the north flank of the Highland Mountains in a subalpine meadow at the peak bloom-time of native forbs and shrubs
Fish Creek	Mike Garverich	EASY	An auto tour through the forest with stops to botanize and take photographs
Red Mountain	Peter Lesica	MODERATE	Explore the alpine slopes of the Highland Mountains
Moose Creek/ Homestake Lodge	Matt Lavin	MODERATE	Take a ramble starting at the Lodge through nearby wetland, riparian and upland habitats
Humbug Spires	Allison Rognlie	MODERATE	A leisurely low-to-mid-elevation hike among the granite spires
*Boulder Batholith	Colleen Elliot	EASY	A geology trip examining the batholith rock, scouting for interesting minerals and ending at Ringing Rocks.
Flora of the Diamond area	Robert Pal	EASY	Explore an area of Butte that’s off-limits to the public, sporting both reintroduced plants & those tough enough to survive on their own.
Sheepshead/Maney Lake	Scott Mincemoyer	MODERATE	Mid-elevation forest, sagebrush, meadow, riparian and wetland communities in the area

SATURDAY EVENING – ENTERTAINMENT

LODGING

DORMS – Inside the Lodge, the women’s dorm room has 12 beds and the men’s has 5 beds.  You can sign up for these during registration on a first-come, first-served basis. There are bathrooms with showers in the Lodge basement, and there’s limited refrigerator access for dorm guests.  Beds come made up with mattress pads, fitted bottom sheets & pillows with cases, but no blankets or top sheets. GUESTS NEED TO BRING THEIR OWN SLEEPING BAGS AND TOWELS.

CAMPING – The camping area is an open meadow/forested area, accessible by road and featuring porta-potties & wash stations. There are no electric hookups or dump stations. This is Pack-It-In/Pack-It-Out camping. Campers will drive to the site on the primitive road, camp in marked spots, and return to the Lodge area via a walking trail.

Camping is restricted to the areas specifically designated by the Lodge. The Lodge has a general “No Generators” policy, but you can use a generator during the day for short periods, e.g., to cool a refrigerator.

It’s a 10-to-12-minute walk from the camping area back to the Lodge on a single-track, undulating trail. People might consider bringing a sturdy bicycle for the commute. While it’s possible to drive your vehicle back & forth, parking could get congested at the Lodge.  If you have mobility issues and concerns about using the trail, please contact the organizers to make alternate camping arrangements – we have options!

OTHER ACCOMODATIONS – Butte is just 15 miles away with motels, vacation rentals and commercial campgrounds. Summers are increasingly busy, so book early! Find lodging ideas at visitbutte.com/stay/

IMPORTANT HOUSE RULES

• Leave No Trace – MNPS and guests are responsible for picking up trash and leaving the premises as found.
• Vehicles must stay on the designated roads, driveways and parking lots. The road down to the Pavilion should be used only to load & unload equipment & supplies, or to drop off people who need handicap access.
• Smoking is allowed only outside of and 20-feet-away from buildings. The Pavilion, Lodge and cabins are non-smoking areas! Pick up your butts and put them in cigarette disposal cans. Smoking restrictions could be tightened during the event for fire safety reasons.
• Nothing can be taped or stapled to walls or ceilings – use fishing line, ribbon or thin wire instead.
• Homestake Lodge assumes no responsibility for lost or stolen items.
• Candles, open flames and sparklers are not permitted.
• The Pavilion area must be completely closed down by midnight.
• Pets are not allowed at the venue or otherwise on MNPS activities.
• No Weed Seeds! Please wash your vehicles & campers before arriving. The Lodge works hard to control noxious weeds on their property.

FOOD

Registration for meals closes June 10.  Lunches are on your own.

Friday afternoon mixer – Hosted by the Valley of Flowers Chapter, with snacks, beer, non-alcoholic beer, wine and other beverages. Bring your own mug!

Meals (except lunches) will be provided by The Ore Cart Catering of Butte. The buffets will feature a variety of meat and meat-free options, but please indicate if you prefer meat-free when you register so the caterer can plan for us. Gluten-free and dairy-free options available. Sign up for meals by June 10.

The caterer says, “Gluten-free options include the beans, chicken, taco meat, veggies, Alfredo, marinara, corn tortillas & chips, queso, slaw, eggs, meats, potatoes, yogurt & granola, fruit & salad. I do not use flour in my sauces, so no gluten. There will be GF options at every meal.”

Friday night dinner $20 ($12 for kids) – Taco Bar – Beans & rice, shredded chicken, taco meat, corn & flour tortillas, chips, homemade queso & fixings, cole slaw, desserts

Saturday morning breakfast $18 ($10 for kids) – Breakfast eggs & meats, potatoes, muffins, yogurt, fruit, juice, coffee  

Saturday night dinner $20 ($12 for kids) – Pasta Bar – Pasta, grilled chicken, meatballs, grilled vegetables (asparagus, mushrooms, zucchini, etc.), two meat-free sauces (marinara & Alfredo), grilled bread, tossed salad, desserts

Sunday morning breakfast $18 ($10 for kids) – Loaded oatmeal, granola, yogurt, scones, fruit, juice, coffee

— ALL LUNCHES ARE ON YOUR OWN —

WHAT TO BRING

• Mug for coffee, tea, beer
• Water bottle
• Cash or checks for merchandise & fundraiser purchases
• Food for lunches & snacks
• Headlamp for walking the trail to camp at night
• Camping gear/lawn chair
• Notebook, hand lens, field guides & plant keys
• Rain gear/sunscreen/insect repellent/bear spray
• Bicycle to commute from camping area to Lodge

WHAT NOT TO BRING

• Pets – they are not allowed at the venue or on MNPS activities.
• Donations – we kindly ask that you do NOT bring more items for our fundraiser, as space in the Lodge is quite limited, and we already have a wide array of items & merchandise.

ABOUT THE AREA

There’s much to see and do in the Butte area! Plan your visit at visitbutte.com. Butte has a rich, diverse history and many attractions.

• Stop by the Butte Visitor Information Center
• Hop on a trolley tour
• Take a trip to the top of the East Ridge and enjoy the view and Our Lady of the Rockies, a 90’ illuminated statue that overlooks Butte from atop the Continental Divide
• Explore underground mining at the World Museum of Mining
• Montana Tech offers these suggestions

Butte also offers motels, vacation rentals and commercial campgrounds. Summers are increasingly busy, so book early! Find lodging ideas at visitbutte.com/stay/

Here’s a link to the Forest Service map for the Butte Ranger District

SUNDAY MORNING/DRIVING-HOME STOPS

• Trolley Tours: On Sunday, June 28, there are tours at 10 am, and at 12:30 & 2:30 pm.
• Maud S Trail – 3.9-mile loop on the East Ridge above Butte; a stiff climb with great views; easily accessible off I-90. The Maud S.Canyon Loop starts at the parking lot off Saddle Rock Road and leads into Beaverhead-DeerLodge National Forest.
• Big Butte Open Space Recreation Area – At the far west end of Butte, just beyond the MT Tech campus. Many trails with differing degrees of steepness.
• Ringing Rocks Geologic Site (BLM). The rocks in this unique geologic area chime when tapped with a hammer; four miles from the eastern foot of Homestake Pass.  You’ll need a high-clearance vehicle.

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Contact:  Do you have questions that we didn’t answer?  Contact Beth Madden at bethmadden64@gmail.com.

We are so grateful for the many generous donations to our fundraising events:

Sign up!