News Feature                                                            7/6/2007

David Wise Receives the FY 2006 Special Service Award for the Plant Materials Program

David Wise, Soil Conservationist at the Fond du Lac Tribal & Community College, Cloquet, Minnesota recently received the Plant Materials Program  Special Service Award for FY 2006.  David has been a strong promoter of the Plant Materials Program throughout his career and has annually provided plant materials assistance to the Bismark Plant Materials Center, the Fond du Lac (FDL) Tribal and Community College staff and students, tribal members, and others.  

Dave serves on the State Plant Materials Committee and provides an American Indian perspective on native plants.  He is an innovative conservationist and always looking for new ways to incorporate plant materials into Native American culture. 

Dave’s plant materials activities include:  

• Assisted the PMC by collecting and propagating culturally significant plants.  In 2006, Dave led Earth Team Volunteers in the collection of black ash, white cedar, yellow birch and hemlock.
• Assisted FDL Tribal and Community College staff and students in wild rice research and restoration projects.  Dave was instrumental in the production of a video documentary highlighting the traditional method of harvesting and processing wild rice.
• Worked with the University of Minnesota Cloquet Forestry Center to establish an agreement for a native plant nursery bed, research plots and a greenhouse at FDL TCC.
• Dave has worked with the Plant Materials Specialist and the staff of the Environmental Institute at the College to utilize a water detention area from the parking lot and turn it into a plant materials demonstration area.  Many native plant accessions from the Bismarck PMC, as well as local sources, have been established and are weeded and maintained by the students.  The area is used as an outdoor classroom.
• Dave constructed a traditional medicine wheel near the main entrance of the college, including a professional interpretive display.  Sweet grass and white sage were obtained from the PMC.  The medicine wheel has become a focal point for the college and is viewed by hundreds of students, staff, and visitors annually.
• Worked with the Bismarck PMC to establish trial plantings of sweet grass, sage, leadplant, and other culturally significant plants.  Dave is interviewing tribal elders to document the traditional uses of many other native plant species.

 

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