On April 1, 2025, the Orange County Chapter of the California Native Plant Society (OCCNPS) and the Joan R. Hampton Trust awarded a $98,566 grant from the Joan R. Hampton Trust to the UCI Herbarium to support scientific documentation of local plants.

Background

The Joan R. Hampton Trust bequeathed funds to OCCNPS for the purpose of supporting books and publications regarding plant identification of local plants. 

In light of significant field collections work done in recent years, and the backlog of plant vouchers in need of processing and recording, the work performed by the UCI Herbarium is deemed as essential to providing current and accurate data for local plant publications.

Director and Faculty Advisor Dr. Peter Bowler and Collections Manager Rebecca Crowe of the UCI Herbarium said:

“We are absolutely delighted to have been awarded this grant, as it will allow us to process, digitize and make available to all our extensive backlog of collections—as well as acquire some much-needed equipment. Without this funding, we would not be able to promptly incorporate these specimens into our Orange County collection. Now the plants will be imaged and virtually available to all within a couple of years as opposed to a couple of decades. We are very grateful to OCCNPS and the Hampton Trust for their support.”

California Native Plant Society

The California Native Plant Society (CNPS) was founded in 1965, and is a statewide nonprofit organization that is a leading voice in plant science and plant appreciation.

OCCNPS is one of 36 chapters that work to protect California’s native plants and their natural habitats, today and into the future, through science, education, stewardship, gardening, and advocacy. Founded in 1982, OCCNPS’ theme is this: Native plants are the foundation of local biodiversity and healthy habitats. 

OCCNPS President Elizabeth Wallace said,

“The Orange County Chapter of the California Native Plant Society is delighted to award the largest grant in its history to support the critical scientific work at the UCI Herbarium. We are very grateful to the Joan R. Hampton Trust, led by Richard Schilk, for working with us to document crucial information for future publications about local flora.”

Joan R. Hampton (1943-2020)

At age 34, Joan Hampton took an affirmative action driver-training course to learn how to drive heavy equipment. She said, “I was terrible at it. I failed the test the first time, but I got it the second time. I started going around and driving for free to get experience.”

Joan soon earned a paying job in the industry, driving a cement mixer truck in Sacramento. She did this for two years, then began buying and selling heavy equipment. A transplant from Detroit, Michigan, Joan also worked as an insurance safety inspector and substitute teacher. She said, “I think my one strength was my persistence.”

Joan was also an amateur botanist who delighted in plant identification and taxonomy. As a former board member of OCCNPS, Joan served as membership chair and field trip coordinator. She also volunteered with Orange County Parks, cataloguing her botanical finds and teaching the field maintenance staff the basics of botany and local plant identification. 

Joan received a bachelor’s degree from Cal State Sacramento in mathematics and humanities. It was while living in Sacramento that she discovered the wonder of native plants as she explored the wild lands of Northern California with friends. A lover of books from an early age, she amassed a personal library numbering in the thousands. Highly prized among the collection were her books on botany of Southern California. 

It’s no surprise then that she set aside a part of her estate in a trust to help fund plant identification guides along with the work and materials needed to create them.