Do you suffer from plant allergies? Sneeze when you’re outside in the spring? Get tired of clearing yellow dust off your lawn furniture? Well, a small organization in Missoula, MT can help make some of that easier: The Montana Pollen Station. We provide weekly pollen reports to Western Montana residents and allergists. (We can’t help cleaning the yellow dust, but we can give you an idea of when to expect it!)
For twenty years, the Missoula Pollen Station has provided western Montana with seasonal pollen reports. These reports identify wind-pollinated plant species and their abundance between March and October of every year. (We’re interested in wind-pollination as those plants tend to have higher allergic responses in people--and they can travel far distances.) The information is then distributed weekly to regional allergists, news agencies, civilians, and the National Allergy Bureau.
The Pollen Station started at the Center for Environmental Health Sciences at the University of Montana. Tony Ward purchased the pollen collector (a Burkard Pollen and Spore Sampler) with NIH grant funds. I started working for him in 2004. We began reporting our pollen counts once a week to the National Allergy Bureau in 2006 & I took over in 2009 after working under Kelly Crispen.
And I never stopped! Adopting the affectionate nickname of Pollen Lady, I have continued to manage the station and count pollen ever since. In 2023 I moved the pollen station from the University of Montana to the roof of the Gerald W. Marks Exploration Center. I was warmly welcomed by the Missoula County Department of Ecology and Extension (MCDEE), and I am very grateful that they carved out a place for our lab. It’s been an absolute blast working alongside other plant-enthusiasts! They have been incredibly supportive of our work and growth.
The MT Pollen Station is still the only certified pollen station in the state of Montana--and we’ve counted A LOT of pollen in the last twenty years. The station generally sees about 24 different plant types each season, including grass, weeds, and trees, with our spring months the busiest. I have favorite pollen grains, and we’ve adopted the Pine tree grain as our unofficial mascot of the station. (Pine tree pollen is that yellow dust on your lawn furniture! They might be annoying to some, but underneath the microscope they’re rather cute and in the shape of Mickey Mouse.)
Our season will come to a close at the end of October. After that, the number of plants pollinating plummets and the likelihood of snow severely reduces our countable numbers. In the off-season, while I wait for spring, I will begin organizing the two decade’s worth of data we’ve accumulated. I’d like to research how climate change in our region has affected our vegetation and the effect of other environmental occurrences like wildfires. Long-term plans for the station include certifying additional counters, attending the National Allergy Bureau conference and training in February, and pursuing more outreach next year—working with kids and adults, offering education on pollen, plants, and microscopy!
As a volunteer-based station, I want to express my gratitude for the generosity we’ve received over the last 20 years. We rely on people sharing our information, guiding others to our resources, pitching in when we need repairs (thanks Dad!), contributing funds, and supporting this small organization. We love our home with MCDEE and look forward to twenty more years of pollen counting and reporting!
Have any questions about pollen or the station? Want to know how the pollen collector works? Don’t hesitate to reach out to us!
Email: Missoulapollenlady@gmail.com
Website: mtpollenstation.org
Instagram: missoulapollenlady
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/MissoulaPollen
