Press Release

ANZA-BORREGO FOUNDATION AND INSTITUTE
P.O. BOX 2001, BORREGO SPRINGS, CA 92004
(760) 767-4063
FAX (760) 767-0465

PRESS RELEASE - - February 8, 2006
Contact: Deborah Knapp

**For Immediate Release**

The Anza-Borrego Institute Announces the Recipients of its 2005-06 Scholarship Grant Award Programs

Borrego Springs, CA.
The Anza-Borrego Institute, the education and research arm of the Anza- Borrego Foundation, has awarded its 2005 - 2006 scholarship grants for conservation research in the Colorado Desert and Peninsular Ranges region in southern California. Jim Dice, the Senior Resource Scientist for State Park’s Colorado Desert District, and Deborah Knapp, Manager of the Anza-Borrego Institute, made the announcement of the two recipients on February 1, 2006.
Sarah Degroot, a doctoral student at Claremont Graduate University, was awarded the Howie Wier Memorial grant of $2,000 to study the patterns of morphological and molecular variation in the very small but complex and confused genus Eriastrum, commonly known as the woolly star. There are presently 14 recognized species and 6 subspecies of this plant, including two federally listed as Endangered and Threatened. Even so, there have been only a few comparative studies. Using live plants, Ms. DeGroot will incorporate a variety of scientific data to better understand patterns of within- and among-species variation. Results of this study could provide a key to the species Eriastru that includes a revised classification of the population.
Dong-Hwan Choe, a doctoral student in the Department of Entomology at the University of California at Riverside, is the recipient of the $1,500 Anza-Borrego Institute Entomology Award. Mr. Choe will examine the special interaction between the bee assassin bug (Family Reduviidae), one of the most common predatory insects found around the Anza-Borrego Desert State Park, and desert plants and native species of ants. The objective of the study is to determine whether the bee assassin bug may exploit plant resins from native plants for their own defensive purpose. In addition to learning more about desert plant-insect interaction, this study may provide insight about plant-derived repellents for ants.
Harold A. “Howie” Wier (1952-2001) was a native San Diegan and a lifelong naturalist. He worked as a biological consultant and conservation biologist throughout southern California and was active in the California Native Plant Society, a past President of San Diego Audubon, and a long-time member of the Anza- Borrego Foundation. This grants program was established by Anza-Borrego Institute with the help of Mr. Weir’s family, friends, and colleagues as a tribute to his interests and passion for preserving and understanding the remaining wild places of southern California.
The Anza-Borrego Institute Entomology Awards Program assists graduate students with studies in insect ecology including life histories, predator-prey relationships, insect-plant interactions and/or conservation issues. This annual award is made possible by the generous donation of Anza-Borrego Foundation members Eugene and Lynn Monroe. The Monroes have actively studied the natural history of the desert region for nearly 20 years, concentrating mostly on butterflies and their relationships with plants and are authors of the recently published book Butterflies of Anza-Borrego and Their Favorite Flowering Plants (Granite Ridge Nature Institute 2004).
The Anza-Borrego Foundation & Institute is a non-profit organization supporting land acquisition, education, interpretation and scientific studies in the Anza-Borrego Desert State Park and surrounding region. For further information about the scholarship program or to make a donation to either fund, please contact Deborah Knapp, Manager, Anza-Borrego Institute, 760- 767-4063.
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