

Indiana Native Plant Society 
2020 Annual Report 

he year 2020 certainly challenged all of us, including INPS. The pandemic made 
it difficult to meet in person for our normal events and hikes and, though we 
missed the social gatherings that make INPS such an enjoyable organization, we 
persevered with masks, physical distancing, and Zoom. Indeed, for many of us 
feeling isolated and alone, our love of native plants was a source of solace and hope 
and, based on all the posts in the INPS Facebook Group, led to an explosion of 
hiking, native plant gardening and seed growing. A silver lining to a year filled with 
loss, perhaps, but let us hope that by the end of 2021 we can resume safely meeting 
in groups to learn about native plants and enjoy each other’s company! 
—Ellen Jacquart, INPS President 
A Year of Accomplishments 
& Continued to increase INPS membership, with over 
200 new members in 2020 and an overall 37% increase 
in membership since 2016. 
& Established a Diversity, Inclusivenes, and Equality 
Team to review our organization’s inclusiveness and 
find measurable actions we can take to reduce barriers 
so every person can safely enjoy nature. 
$& Cancelled our annual Native Plant Sale and Auction 
due to the pandemic. 
S New leadership brought energy and direction to the 
Landscaping with Natives team with emphasis on 
conservation partnership, a digital education series for 
gardeners, and guidance for HOAs and municipalities to 
become more native plant friendly. 
S& Gave out $4,000 in Biodiversity Grants to four 
projects focused on protecting, restoring, or researching 
native plants in Indiana, including to the Clark County 
Harmful Invasives Removal Project, Friends of Indiana 
Dunes, Johnson County SWCD, and the science 
department at Wabash Middle School. 
& Awarded four grants totalling $2,514 through Letha’s 
Youth Outdoors Fund to get children out in nature. 
Since most school trips were postponed due to the 
pandemic, the funds will be held until the trips can be 
taken. 
S& Promoted the implementation of the Terrestrial 
Invasive Plant Rule which made 44 highly invasive 
plants illegal to sell in Indiana as of April 18, 2020. 
Provided funds to print Guide to the Regulated Terrestrial 
Invasive Plant Species of Indiana, also available as a PDF. 
& Produced three quarterly issues of the INPS Journal 
(the 2020 Summer issue was replaced with the Annual 
Report) with new editors Paul Rothrock and Samantha 
Ransdell taking the helm on the Fall issue. 
$& Held our second Native Plant Photo Contest, 
awarding prizes to 1st, 2nd, and 3rd place winners in 
the Plant Portrait and Landscape Scene categories as 
well as several Honorable Mentions. For the first time, 
a separate category was judged for Students in the Plant 
Portrait category. 
& Held the third annual Florathon in which individuals 
and family units competed to find the most native plants 
in flower in a 24-hour period. The 12 participants 
generated 15 new INPS members, 58 donors, and a total 
of $3,229.75 for Letha’s Fund (more than in 20191). 
& Certified 93 native gardens in the Grow Indiana 
Natives program, for a total of 283 gardens. The 
program’s Buy Natives Directory now boasts 42 certified 
Invasive-Free plant sellers and 5 Invasive-Free designers. 
& Held the Annual Conference via Zoom. The two-hour 
meeting featured an overview of the INPS year, election 
of the Board nominees, announcement of the winners of 
the Florathon and the Photo Contest, native plant trivia 
questions, and a presentation by Ellen Jacquart on her 20 
favorite places to visit native plants. 
