‘Plant lady’ identifies plants at Tualatin River National Wildlife Refuge
Ginny Maffitt is often referred to as “the plant lady.”
A volunteer at Tualatin River National Wildlife Refuge, she puts her botany skills to use by identifying plants in the area. Her knowledge of botany is extensive, allowing her to quickly spot whether or not a plant is poisonous, native or unusual.
She lists the plants found on premise and collects and curates a complete herbarium (a collection of preserved plant specimens). The herbarium is now listed on the national register of herbariums.
One of her main goals is advocating for planting native plants. Native plants don’t require pesticides or chemicals and often require less water than non-native plants. They also provide habitat for birds, butterflies and other wildlife.
Maffitt was a teacher for many years before retiring and volunteering at the refuge. A violinist, she taught orchestra for 15 years in the Beaverton School District. She taught violin, viola, cello and bass. After playing violin for five hours a day for 15 years, Maffitt blew out her wrist and switched to teaching fourth and fifth grades. She still works as a substitute teacher in Sherwood.
She enjoys teaching students about Oregon and American history, pioneers and heritage. She also loves teaching about plants and wildlife.
“It’s fun to turn kids onto new things,” Maffitt says.
Her love of gardening, she says, is genetic.
“It’s genetic through my grandmother, who had one of these green thumbs, and then my mother,” says Maffitt. “By age 10, I had my own corner of the backyard, and I was raising native plants. Now, my gardens love to grow plants.”
In addition to volunteering at the refuge, Maffitt also volunteers for the Berry Botanic Garden, a place she refers to as “Portland’s best-kept secret garden.” She is also on the Friends of the Herbarium board at Portland State.
Though she’s taken college courses in botany, Maffitt says most of her experience is more hands-on.
“I’ve gardened with native plants, so I have a real hand-on experience that a lot of the botanists don’t have. Typically, they go through the university system and might focus in on one family and have never handled them,” Maffitt says.
One of her main plant interests is penstemons, a large genus of North American and East Asian plants. Maffitt is a member of the American Penstemon Society.
“The penstemons are my hobby, and I’m the vice president of the group,” she says. “I help plan the tours and I’ve grown over 100 species of penstemons, trying to see what will acclimate itself to our climate.”
At the refuge, Maffitt spends most of her time identifying plants, putting specimens in vouchers, labeling them and either drying or freezing the specimens for future study. She is often approached by other volunteers or staff members, wondering what this plant or that plant is. She often knows the answer and when she doesn’t, she enjoys finding out.
The Tualatin River National Wildlife Refuge is located at 19255 S.W. Pacific Highway in Sherwood. The Web site is www.fws.gov/tualatinriver.
(Kristen Forbes is a freelance writer. To view her blog, visit www.krissymick.blogspot.com.)