Washington Rare Plant Care and Conservation

Washington Rare Plant Care and Conservation Contact information, map and directions, contact form, opening hours, services, ratings, photos, videos and announcements from Washington Rare Plant Care and Conservation, Nonprofit Organization, 3501 NE 41st Street, Seattle, WA.

Rare Care is dedicated to conserving Washington’s native rare plants through citizen science monitoring, seed banking, research, reintroductions, and education.

Interested in helping preserve rare plant seeds for generations to come? Volunteer as a seed cleaner at the Miller Seed ...
08/06/2025

Interested in helping preserve rare plant seeds for generations to come? Volunteer as a seed cleaner at the Miller Seed Vault! Applications are open at: https://depts.washington.edu/uwbg/support/volunteerNew.php under the title “Rare Care Seed Vault Assistant” at the bottom of the page.

We are looking for people who can come in once a week or every other week on workdays, Monday-Friday, for 1–2-hour shifts between 8:30am to 5pm for at least two months.

Seed cleaning involves cleaning, counting, evaluating, and packaging seeds. A strong attention to detail and dexterity in handling very small objects with hand tools is required. This is solitary work in a cool (57°F) room.

Seed cleaning is a great opportunity to learn more about rare plant seeds and help preserve them for the decades ahead!

More information on the Miller Seed Vault and volunteer opportunities can be found here: https://botanicgardens.uw.edu/science-conservation/rarecare/seedbank/

Rare Care is now also on Instagram! Follow us to learn more about what our staff and volunteers are doing to help conse...
06/26/2025

Rare Care is now also on Instagram! Follow us to learn more about what our staff and volunteers are doing to help conserve Washington's rare plant species.

Northern grass-of-Parnassus or marsh grass-of-Parnassus (Parnassia palustris), sensitive in Washington. Photo by: Ben Cody

Time for a showy stickseed (Hackelia venusta) update! Last week, our program manager and volunteer coordinator (Wendy an...
05/24/2025

Time for a showy stickseed (Hackelia venusta) update!

Last week, our program manager and volunteer coordinator (Wendy and Naomi), went out with the Wenatchee River Ranger District botanist of the Okanogan-Wenatchee National Forest to check on showy stickseed plugs Rare Care planted in 2022.

The three hiked up some pretty steep slopes to record how many individuals were still alive three years later. Survival rates were low, likely due to above average temperatures and below average rainfall, especially in 2023. The good news is the ones that are alive seem to be thriving!

Showy stickseed is a federally endangered species with only one known natural population on steep and unstable sandy slopes near Leavenworth, WA. A single landslide, wildfire, or other big event could wipe out the species. Rare Care is working with the US Fish and Wildlife Service and US Forest Service to establish more populations of showy stickseed to better protect it from extinction risks.

Rare Care's first rare plant monitoring assignment of 2025 came in! A volunteer went up to Klickitat Wildlife Area to mo...
05/17/2025

Rare Care's first rare plant monitoring assignment of 2025 came in! A volunteer went up to Klickitat Wildlife Area to monitor a population of Dalles Mountain buttercup (Ranunculus triternatus) in late March. Over 200 individuals were found nestled in openings within a Garry oak (Quercus garryana) woodland alongside native bunchgrasses, lupines, lomatiums, and more.

This plant is listed as endangered in Washington State due to its limited distribution (only found in Klickitat County and neighboring Wasco County in Oregon), threats to habitat existence and quality, and downward trends in population size.

Photos by Scott Batiuk

Are you thinking of spending more time outside in 2025? Would you like to contribute to the conservation of rare plants ...
12/05/2024

Are you thinking of spending more time outside in 2025? Would you like to contribute to the conservation of rare plants in Washington? Want to join a group of like-minded plant enthusiasts from all across the state? We are looking for you!

The 2025 Rare Plant Monitor Applications are now available, visit https://depts.washington.edu/uwbg/support/volunteerNew.php scroll down and click the box to apply.

We had an unbelievably successful planting day last Tuesday -- we got 230 tiny buckwheat plugs in the ground at Saddle M...
11/21/2024

We had an unbelievably successful planting day last Tuesday -- we got 230 tiny buckwheat plugs in the ground at Saddle Mountain before the weather hit. A HUGE THANK YOU to all our volunteers and partners! That evening the storm hit and the little plants were all covered with snow. It couldn't have been more perfect!

We had a great day out in the field last week planting the rare endemic Sidalcea oregana v. calva at Deer Park Springs i...
11/07/2024

We had a great day out in the field last week planting the rare endemic Sidalcea oregana v. calva at Deer Park Springs in Chelan County -- we had a terrific volunteer crew and fabulous weather! What more could you want? Thank you everyone!

Critically imperiled Umtanum desert buckwheat (Eriogonum codium) seedlings under the lights in the greenhouse waiting fo...
06/11/2024

Critically imperiled Umtanum desert buckwheat (Eriogonum codium) seedlings under the lights in the greenhouse waiting for transplant this fall. Grow little plants, grow!

Extreme Botany at Tronson meadows while collecting data for a restoration project -- yes, that is snow on May 22nd.
05/29/2024

Extreme Botany at Tronson meadows while collecting data for a restoration project -- yes, that is snow on May 22nd.

We had a terrific day monitoring the rare Astragalus sinuatus in Chelan County. The population is holding steady! Thank ...
05/06/2024

We had a terrific day monitoring the rare Astragalus sinuatus in Chelan County. The population is holding steady! Thank you to our volunteers, BLM and DNR partners!

Feel like spring is around the corner? Save the date for:WNPS Spring Native Plant SaleThe Central Puget Sound chapter of...
02/29/2024

Feel like spring is around the corner? Save the date for:

WNPS Spring Native Plant Sale

The Central Puget Sound chapter of the Washington Native Plant Society (WNPS) will be offering a local selection of pollinator friendly, beautiful native shrubs, perennials and groundcovers that are ideal for gardens in Western Washington. Our Spring Plant Sale benefits our education and public land stewardship/restoration programs.

Please check out our event web page for more details including a list of plants for sale (closer to the plant sale date): Central Puget Sound: Spring Native Plant Sale

Sunday, April 14th, 2024, 10:00 am to 4:00 pm
Aaron Education Center and Paccar Pavilion, Bellevue Botanical Garden, 12001 Main St, Bellevue, WA 98005. Overflow parking is available further down Main St. at Wilburton Hill Park.

Facebook: Spring 2024 Native Plant Sale

Web Page: https://www.wnps.org/cps-events/central-puget-sound-spring-native-plant-sale

Address

3501 NE 41st Street
Seattle, WA
98105

Telephone

+12066160780

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