Nels J. Holmberg January 14, 1941 – February 9, 2024
A Life Well Lived
Photo by Rex Hill.
A Life Well Lived
Photo by Rex Hill.
“Nels was one of the most delightful, patient, gentle, and welcoming people I have ever met.
I spent a lot of time with him on field trips and botany surveys and I cherished every minute of that time. I will miss him terribly.” – Rick Gray
“Nels was one of the kindest individuals I've ever known, along with being a thoroughly competent field botanist.” – Steve Turner
“Both Martha and I are deeply saddened as were we so very privileged to know him. Anyone who knew him, loved him.” – Rex Hill
“Nels was the most humble person I've met in my life. Such a loss for the conservation community.” – Ron Colatskie
“He was a kind and gentle teacher.” - Kathy Bildner
“He was such a nice guy and a wealth of information. He will be missed.” – Mark Tolcou
"Nels was a lovely person, and a great addition to my lab. He served as a great example to the younger students: he was always eager to learn new science and natural history, especially if that science would clearly contribute to conservation" - Dr. Bob Marquis, Nels' Master's Degree advisor at UMSL
“Nels was a gentle and patient man. Though very busy, he never seemed rushed and always had time for everyone. In many ways, he left the world a better place. He will be sorely missed.” – George Van Brunt
“I’m so sorry to hear of Nels’ death! I loved trying to learn the mosses with Nels. What a special guy!” – Jeanne Clauson
"For over 40 years, I spent many hours outdoors with Nels, first as members of the Orienteering Club, and later as his interest in botany grew, on field trips and botanical surveys. His humble approach and gentle spirit made each one a precious memory for me. I will treasure those memories of him always – racing through the woods or sprawling on the forest floor examining a mossy log or ledge." - John Oliver
WGNSS and the wider community lost a great friend and extraordinary botanist with the passing of Nels Holmberg on February 9, 2024.
Nels was born on January 14, 1941 and grew up on a hardscrabble farm in western Oklahoma, near Erick in Beckham County, part of the 1930s dust bowl. Nels attended Oklahoma State University where he earned his Bachelors Degree in 1963 and his Masters Degree in Biochemistry in 1966 with his thesis titled “Uridine Diphosphogalactose 4-Epimerase from Bovine Mammary Tissue”. After marrying Sandra Wingate in 1966, Nels and Sandra had a 3 year “honeymoon” working in Oxford, England. When they returned, Nels started his career as a researcher in the Ophthalmology Department at the Washington University School of Medicine. In 1987, Nels and Sandra bought a farm in Franklin County, MO. Ever curious, Nels explored the property and asked himself "What is all this stuff growing here?" Nels’ curiosity and love of learning led him to join both the Missouri Native Plant Society and the Webster Groves Nature Study Society (1996). In 1998, Nels retired from Washington University so he could accompany the WGNSS botany group on Fr. Sullivan’s weekly walks and start his second career, this time as a citizen scientist. Nels began attending UMSL where his first course in plant biology was taught by Dr. James Trager. With the guidance of his Masters' advisor, Dr. Robert Marquis, Nels conducted an informal research project, part of which was published as “An investigation of the host specificity of caterpillars feeding on Missouri deciduous trees"; he earned a Master’s Degree in Conservation Ecology. Nels was featured on the back cover of the Missouri Conservationist (Volume 78, Issue 6, June 2017) where he was quoted as saying “I think understanding and preserving the living things on this earth is the highest calling of a biologist, and it gives me great happiness and satisfaction. Ideally, I would love to learn all the insects, fungi, lichens, etc., but life seems to be too short.” Indeed!
In the 1990’s, Nels served as a volunteer at Shaw Nature Reserve working on ecological restoration projects such as seed collecting and sowing, prescribed burn monitoring, and cedar and exotic invasive species control. Starting in the growing season of 2000, James Trager and Nels started a project on 147 acres of the Dana Brown Woods at Shaw NR. The project had two goals: 1) to observe changes in vegetation in the wake of prescribed burning and cedar and other invasive species control activities, and 2) to develop a list of vascular plant species on the site. Nels established 30 transects in 3 communities: dolomite glades, mesic white oak forest, and mixed oak forest. For 10 years during the growing season, Nels sampled each transect several times each year, recording every plant growing within the designated area. He spent more than 200 days in total collecting more than 50,000 data points. The data were analyzed by an ecologist/statistician and resulted in the publication of the following paper in 2020, Annual Understory Plant Recovery Dynamics in a Temperate Woodland Mosaic during a Decade of Ecological Restoration by J. Leighton Reid, Nels J. Holmberg, Matthew Albrecht, Sandra Arango-Caro, Olivia Hajek, Quinn Long, James Trager. The floristic survey resulted in a list of 565, mostly native, plant species that is now part of a biodiversity data base for SNR.
To read a more complete account of Nels' research at Shaw Nature Reserve by Dr. J. Leighton Reid, Virginia Tech School of Plant and Environmental Sciences, go to the following URL
https://mbgecologicalrestoration.wordpress.com/tag/nels-holmberg/
To read the January 14, 2020 paper that was published on this research, go to
https://www.researchgate.net/publication/338583273_Annual_Understory_Plant_Recovery_Dynamics_in_a_Temperate_Woodland_Mosaic_during_a_Decade_of_Ecological_Restoration/link/5e399c47458515072d80069a/download?_tp=eyJjb250ZXh0Ijp7ImZpcnN0UGFnZSI6InB1YmxpY2F0aW9uIiwicGFnZSI6InB1YmxpY2F0aW9uIn19
I spent a lot of time with him on field trips and botany surveys and I cherished every minute of that time. I will miss him terribly.” – Rick Gray
“Nels was one of the kindest individuals I've ever known, along with being a thoroughly competent field botanist.” – Steve Turner
“Both Martha and I are deeply saddened as were we so very privileged to know him. Anyone who knew him, loved him.” – Rex Hill
“Nels was the most humble person I've met in my life. Such a loss for the conservation community.” – Ron Colatskie
“He was a kind and gentle teacher.” - Kathy Bildner
“He was such a nice guy and a wealth of information. He will be missed.” – Mark Tolcou
"Nels was a lovely person, and a great addition to my lab. He served as a great example to the younger students: he was always eager to learn new science and natural history, especially if that science would clearly contribute to conservation" - Dr. Bob Marquis, Nels' Master's Degree advisor at UMSL
“Nels was a gentle and patient man. Though very busy, he never seemed rushed and always had time for everyone. In many ways, he left the world a better place. He will be sorely missed.” – George Van Brunt
“I’m so sorry to hear of Nels’ death! I loved trying to learn the mosses with Nels. What a special guy!” – Jeanne Clauson
"For over 40 years, I spent many hours outdoors with Nels, first as members of the Orienteering Club, and later as his interest in botany grew, on field trips and botanical surveys. His humble approach and gentle spirit made each one a precious memory for me. I will treasure those memories of him always – racing through the woods or sprawling on the forest floor examining a mossy log or ledge." - John Oliver
WGNSS and the wider community lost a great friend and extraordinary botanist with the passing of Nels Holmberg on February 9, 2024.
Nels was born on January 14, 1941 and grew up on a hardscrabble farm in western Oklahoma, near Erick in Beckham County, part of the 1930s dust bowl. Nels attended Oklahoma State University where he earned his Bachelors Degree in 1963 and his Masters Degree in Biochemistry in 1966 with his thesis titled “Uridine Diphosphogalactose 4-Epimerase from Bovine Mammary Tissue”. After marrying Sandra Wingate in 1966, Nels and Sandra had a 3 year “honeymoon” working in Oxford, England. When they returned, Nels started his career as a researcher in the Ophthalmology Department at the Washington University School of Medicine. In 1987, Nels and Sandra bought a farm in Franklin County, MO. Ever curious, Nels explored the property and asked himself "What is all this stuff growing here?" Nels’ curiosity and love of learning led him to join both the Missouri Native Plant Society and the Webster Groves Nature Study Society (1996). In 1998, Nels retired from Washington University so he could accompany the WGNSS botany group on Fr. Sullivan’s weekly walks and start his second career, this time as a citizen scientist. Nels began attending UMSL where his first course in plant biology was taught by Dr. James Trager. With the guidance of his Masters' advisor, Dr. Robert Marquis, Nels conducted an informal research project, part of which was published as “An investigation of the host specificity of caterpillars feeding on Missouri deciduous trees"; he earned a Master’s Degree in Conservation Ecology. Nels was featured on the back cover of the Missouri Conservationist (Volume 78, Issue 6, June 2017) where he was quoted as saying “I think understanding and preserving the living things on this earth is the highest calling of a biologist, and it gives me great happiness and satisfaction. Ideally, I would love to learn all the insects, fungi, lichens, etc., but life seems to be too short.” Indeed!
In the 1990’s, Nels served as a volunteer at Shaw Nature Reserve working on ecological restoration projects such as seed collecting and sowing, prescribed burn monitoring, and cedar and exotic invasive species control. Starting in the growing season of 2000, James Trager and Nels started a project on 147 acres of the Dana Brown Woods at Shaw NR. The project had two goals: 1) to observe changes in vegetation in the wake of prescribed burning and cedar and other invasive species control activities, and 2) to develop a list of vascular plant species on the site. Nels established 30 transects in 3 communities: dolomite glades, mesic white oak forest, and mixed oak forest. For 10 years during the growing season, Nels sampled each transect several times each year, recording every plant growing within the designated area. He spent more than 200 days in total collecting more than 50,000 data points. The data were analyzed by an ecologist/statistician and resulted in the publication of the following paper in 2020, Annual Understory Plant Recovery Dynamics in a Temperate Woodland Mosaic during a Decade of Ecological Restoration by J. Leighton Reid, Nels J. Holmberg, Matthew Albrecht, Sandra Arango-Caro, Olivia Hajek, Quinn Long, James Trager. The floristic survey resulted in a list of 565, mostly native, plant species that is now part of a biodiversity data base for SNR.
To read a more complete account of Nels' research at Shaw Nature Reserve by Dr. J. Leighton Reid, Virginia Tech School of Plant and Environmental Sciences, go to the following URL
https://mbgecologicalrestoration.wordpress.com/tag/nels-holmberg/
To read the January 14, 2020 paper that was published on this research, go to
https://www.researchgate.net/publication/338583273_Annual_Understory_Plant_Recovery_Dynamics_in_a_Temperate_Woodland_Mosaic_during_a_Decade_of_Ecological_Restoration/link/5e399c47458515072d80069a/download?_tp=eyJjb250ZXh0Ijp7ImZpcnN0UGFnZSI6InB1YmxpY2F0aW9uIiwicGFnZSI6InB1YmxpY2F0aW9uIn19
Nels large collection of specimens for the Missouri Botanical Garden began accidentally in 1998. He was near Union in Franklin County when he found a gentian that he wanted to photograph. In arranging the plant to photograph it, he accidentally broke it off. He decided that rather than waste the plant, he would take it to George Yatskievych at the Missouri Botanical Garden for identification. Dr. Yatskievych identified it as Gentiana x pallidocyanea, a hybrid that was found in only a few locations. Dr. Yatkievych subsequently accessioned the specimen to the Garden's herbarium. That was the beginning of Nels' plant collecting. During his career as a citizen scientist, Nels collected 6252 plant specimens from 140 counties in 11 states for the MOBOT herbarium including specimens from 101 of Missouri’s 114 counties.
Nels' first collection for the MOBOT Herbarium, August 1998. Photo from MOBOT imaging project.
Over the years, Nels frequently accompanied the WGNSS botany group on our weekly walks and contributed reports on our outings to Nature Notes. He participated in plant surveys in various places including private properties as well as state owned entities. Nels got interested in land snails and initiated, organized, and participated in snail surveys with the late Ron Oesch, a Missouri mollusk expert. He also collected woodboring beetles from his farm for Ted MacRae. Nels was an expert in bryophyte (mosses, liverworts, and hornworts) identification and published numerous scientific papers with the late Carl Darigo and Dr. John Atwood. John Atwood, curator of bryophytes at the Missouri Botanical Garden herbarium, commented "From my experience in conducting fieldwork with him, I can relate that Nels has a keen eye for the subtle differences that distinguish bryophyte taxa."
Nels loved being outside in nature. When asked what he was thinking when Peggy LeFarth took the following photo, he replied "Life can't get any better than being in this location at this time."- Nels Holmberg
Nels loved being outside in nature. When asked what he was thinking when Peggy LeFarth took the following photo, he replied "Life can't get any better than being in this location at this time."- Nels Holmberg
Hickory Canyons Natural Area, November 9, 2010
Nels served as the Missouri Native Plant Society coordinator for the Master Naturalist Certificate Program at Meramec Community College and as such, he participated in the design and implementation of that program. Nels set up at least 32 courses, and taught or co-taught at least 15 of them. His classes always involved some preparatory classroom work followed by a field trip.
Nels and some of his students at Meramec Community College. Photo by Steve Turner, May 19, 2012.
Nels' favorite part of any class, the field trip. LaBarque Creek watershed. Photo by Steve Turner, September 27, 2007.
L to R. Bob Coffing, Don Robinson, Nels Holmberg at the future Don Robinson State Park. October 6, 2007, photo by Jack Harris.
One of Nels most important contributions to conservation was his role in establishing the Don Robinson State Park. Sometime in the early 2000s, the Missouri Department of Natural Resources hired Nels to explore and catalog the plant life on Don Robinson’s 843 acre (1.3 square mile) land in Jefferson County’s Labarque Creek watershed. Don Robinson was very interested in the work that Nels was doing there, and Nels repeatedly informed him of the wonderful biodiversity his property supported. With this information and encouragement from others including Doug Ladd and Peter Raven, Don Robinson willed his property to become the Don Robinson State Park. Several times during this period, Nels led the WGNSS Botany group on Monday morning walks to explore the property. It was, and still is, a magical place, and I will never forget those walks. Every time I visit the park, I remember Nels’ role in preserving this beautiful place.
One of Nels most important contributions to conservation was his role in establishing the Don Robinson State Park. Sometime in the early 2000s, the Missouri Department of Natural Resources hired Nels to explore and catalog the plant life on Don Robinson’s 843 acre (1.3 square mile) land in Jefferson County’s Labarque Creek watershed. Don Robinson was very interested in the work that Nels was doing there, and Nels repeatedly informed him of the wonderful biodiversity his property supported. With this information and encouragement from others including Doug Ladd and Peter Raven, Don Robinson willed his property to become the Don Robinson State Park. Several times during this period, Nels led the WGNSS Botany group on Monday morning walks to explore the property. It was, and still is, a magical place, and I will never forget those walks. Every time I visit the park, I remember Nels’ role in preserving this beautiful place.
L to R. Bob Coffing, Don Robinson, Nels Holmberg, Pat and Jack Harris at the future Don Robinson State Park. Photographer unknown.
For his many contributions, Nels was presented with the Missouri Native Plant Society's Arthur Christ Research Award in 2006 and the Webster Groves Nature Study Society's Lifetime Achievement Award in 2013, both richly deserved.
This obituary contributed by friends of Nels.
REFERENCES
1. Reid, J. Leighton “A ten-year woodland restoration trajectory.” https://mbgecologicalrestoration.wordpress.com/tag/ne ls-holmberg/
2. Reid, J. Leighton; Nels J. Holmberg; Matthew A Albrecht; Sandra Arango-Caro; Olivia Hajek; Quinn Long. “Annual Understory Plant Recovery Dynamics in a Temperate Woodland Mosaic during a Decade of Ecological Restoration.” Natural Areas Journal 2020, 40(1), 23-34. https://www.researchgate.net/publication/338583273_ Annual_Understory_Plant_Recovery_Dynamics_in_a_T emperate_Woodland_Mosaic_during_a_Decade_of_Eco logical_Restoration
To read another obituary, go to the following URL.
https://www.oltmannfuneralhome.com/obituaries/Nels-Jon-Holmberg?obId=30704622
This obituary contributed by friends of Nels.
REFERENCES
1. Reid, J. Leighton “A ten-year woodland restoration trajectory.” https://mbgecologicalrestoration.wordpress.com/tag/ne ls-holmberg/
2. Reid, J. Leighton; Nels J. Holmberg; Matthew A Albrecht; Sandra Arango-Caro; Olivia Hajek; Quinn Long. “Annual Understory Plant Recovery Dynamics in a Temperate Woodland Mosaic during a Decade of Ecological Restoration.” Natural Areas Journal 2020, 40(1), 23-34. https://www.researchgate.net/publication/338583273_ Annual_Understory_Plant_Recovery_Dynamics_in_a_T emperate_Woodland_Mosaic_during_a_Decade_of_Eco logical_Restoration
To read another obituary, go to the following URL.
https://www.oltmannfuneralhome.com/obituaries/Nels-Jon-Holmberg?obId=30704622