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Ahart, Lowell

 Person

Biography

Lowell William Ahart, rancher and botanist, was born in Marysville, California on November 10, 1938 and lives and works on a ranch northeast of Honcut, Butte County, California. He attended Chico State College in 1956, studying agriculture at first and switching to biology in 1957. After taking Plant Taxonomy in 1960 with Dr. Marge Anthony, Ahart began collecting plant specimens, 500 of which he donated to the Chico State Herbarium in 1972. He continued to collect plants after graduating and working as a rancher. He developed a collection of over 15,000 specimens and became well known for his well preserved specimens and botanical knowledge of the area. He became close friends with Chico biology professor Dr. Vernon Oswald with whom he co-wrote the Manual of Vascular Plants of Butte County, California. For his botanical work he was awarded the Distinguished Service Award from the Chico State herbarium in 1997.

Found in 1 Collection or Record:

Lowell Ahart papers

 Collection
Identifier: UJHA.103
Scope and Contents

This collection consists of the personal papers of northern California botanist and rancher Lowell William Ahart. The collection consists primarily of Ahart's personal and professional correspondence with botanists. Topics covered include plant collecting, Ahart's specimens, and plant conservation. The collection also contains a small amount of notes and biographical material.

Dates: 1972-1992