Michael A. Homoya

Michael Homoya earned B.A. and M.S. degrees in botany at Southern Illinois University – Carbondale under the instruction of the renowned Dr. Robert Mohlenbrock. Following this he taught science on the Pine Ridge Indian Reservation in South Dakota and biology at Southwestern Community College in North Carolina. For 37 years he served as Botanist/Plant Ecologist for the Indiana Department of Natural Resources, Division of Nature Preserves before retiring in 2019. In that position he was involved in the discovery, assessment and monitoring of high quality natural lands and rare plant species in the state. Homoya is a Fellow and former president of the Indiana Academy of Science and is also past president of the Indiana Native Plant Society. He was an adjunct faculty member in biology at Indiana University–Indianapolis and at Marian University. He has authored or co-authored over 75 scientific papers and popular articles about Indiana and the Midwest natural features. His most frequently cited paper is Natural Regions of Indiana, of which he is the principal author. Books he has written include Orchids of Indiana; Wildflowers and Ferns of Indiana Forests: A Field Guide; Wake Up, Woods; and Wildflowers of the Midwest (co-authored with Scott Namestnik). He also wrote chapters for The Natural Heritage of Indiana edited by Dr. Marian Jackson. Consistent with his mission to educate non-botanists about North America’s botanical wealth, he has published several regional wildflower guides, ranging from Common Wildflowers of the Great Plains to Common Wildflowers of the Southeast. In 2015 the Indiana Academy of Science presented him with the Distinguished Scholar of the Year Award. Other honors include the Distinguished Career Public Service Award from Conservation Law Center and the Barbara J. Restle Lifetime Conservation Award from Sycamore Land Trust. In 2019 Indiana Governor Eric Holcomb awarded him the Sagamore of the Wabash for his contributions to protect Indiana’s significant natural areas and its flora and fauna.