Photo: Submitted
SILVER CITY, NM — Western New Mexico University Biology Professor Bill Norris, Ph.D. has unveiled findings from a major, multi-year study documenting the flora of Silver City, marking a significant contribution to urban ecological research in the Western United States.
Since 2022, Norris has led a team of 15 collaborators, including botanists and photographers, to catalog plant life within city limits. When completed, the project will become the first published urban flora study of a Western U.S. municipality, placing Silver City among only a handful of similar studies nationwide.
While the current effort began four years ago, it builds on more than 150 years of botanical records. Past researchers collected approximately 9,000 plant specimens in the region, a number Norris’ team has rapidly expanded.
“We have doubled the collection of specimens in our herbarium since 2021,” Norris said, noting that more than 500 plant species have already been identified within Silver City.
Fieldwork is conducted during the growing season alongside full teaching schedules. The team follows strict conservation protocols, collecting physical samples only when populations are healthy and relying on high-resolution photography for rare plants.
One of the study’s key findings shows that 70 to 75 percent of Silver City’s flora remains native, a notably high percentage compared to many urban areas. Norris said the data establishes an important baseline for future ecological research.
The team has documented plants across public spaces and private land, including areas such as Boston Hill, San Vicente Creek, and Mill Road. With one year of fieldwork remaining, researchers are now searching for approximately 100 native species referenced in historical records but not yet rediscovered.
Once complete, the study will be published, offering a comprehensive look at the botanical landscape of a Western U.S. town and demonstrating that impactful research can thrive at teaching-focused institutions.