Aven Nelson: Father of Wyoming Botany and the Yellowstone Expedition

Aven Nelson, a prominent American botanist known for his work on Rocky Mountain plants.

The Father of Wyoming Botany March 24, 1859 Today is the birthday of the American botanist, who specialized in the Rocky Mountains, Aven Nelson. In 1899, Aven led a 14-week botanical expedition through Yellowstone. Aven had hired a student named Leslie Goodding to be the chore boy for $10 per month. The group assembled at…

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30,000 Specimens and One Boiled Leg: Aven Nelson’s Yellowstone Legacy

Aven Nelson thumbnail image

This botanical history post was featured on The Daily Gardener podcast: Click here to see the complete show notes for this episode. July 26, 1899 On this day, dear garden friends,  a tale of botanical ambition and scalding mishap unfolded in the steaming wilderness of Yellowstone, where two young men learned that Mother Nature’s garden…

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