Schrad, age 71, isn’t your typical researcher. While he’s doing professional-level work for several organizations in the state, it’s all for free, on his own time.
Conservation
Restoring the Blowout Penstemon
It is extremely difficult to restore the rare blowout penstemon, but encouraging efforts are underway.
The Wildlife Conservation Fund
Tax-deductible donations to the Wildlife Conservation Fund play a vital role in conserving Nebraska’s wildlife.
The Wonderfully Named Fungi
Growing in forests, the appearance of jelly fungi ranges from ears sprouting from a tree trunk to globs of brain tissue smeared on a branch.
Wood-Sorrels
On a hot summer day, I often pop a wood-sorrel’s clover-like leaf into my mouth to experience a burst of citrusy tartness. The practice is a long tradition, as for millennia Native Americans have enjoyed them.
Nebraska’s Fascinating Ferns
Of Nebraska’s roughly 1,500 known native plant species, only 31 are ferns.