Teton Conservation District is proud to announce Frances Clark as the recipient of the 2025 Teton Conservation Vision Award. Frances’s deep knowledge, tireless volunteerism, and passion for sharing the natural world continue to shape conservation efforts across Teton County. This award recognizes those in our community whose work advances our vision of a forward-looking community practicing natural resources stewardship.
Frances doesn’t just believe in a better future for our landscapes – she’s helping to create it.
Frances wears many conservation hats – botanist, educator, communicator, and mentor – and at the heart of all her work is a genuine love of plants and animals, as well as a desire to inspire that same connection in others. She strives to instill an appreciation for wild things, particularly flowers, not just for their utility, but for their intrinsic value.
She is the author of multiple local field guides to the flora of the Tetons and a longtime volunteer with the Meg and Bert Raynes Wildlife Fund and Jackson Hole Wildlife Foundation. She also serves as a consistent voice for native species in the public planning process.
“Frances selflessly volunteers her time, focused attention and expertise for the benefit of both friends and strangers” says Morgan Graham, GIS and Wildlife Habitat Specialist at Teton Conservation District. “Her contributions to botanical and natural resource education ensure that native plants and wildlife –unable to speak for themselves – receive due consideration in daily decisions as well as large-scale development planning.”
Frances speaks to a group during a Teton Plants outing—events she plans to foster learning, outdoor enjoyment, and informal connections among participants.
Frances’s influence is perhaps most widely felt through her work with Teton Plants, where she organizes seasonal programs and authors the Teton Plants Blog. Since 2013, she’s published over 40 entries, each offering a wealth of information that combines technical expertise with inviting, easy-to-understand writing. Her blog has become a go-to resource for plant lovers and learners across the valley. She shares all of this freely, embodying the spirit of public service.
Participants gather around Frances during a Teton Plants outing.
Frances has also been a generous partner to Teton Conservation District, frequently stepping up to deliver keynotes at workshops and trainings on topics ranging from water conservation to practical steps for incorporating native plants into residential landscaping.
Beyond her technical expertise, Frances is warm, funny, generous, and fiercely empathetic. She and her husband, Bernie, are constantly seeking ways to support others, embodying the community spirit we all hope to cultivate. We are proud to celebrate her work, and even prouder to call her a partner in stewardship.
Thank you, Frances, for helping our community see, understand, and care for the natural world – one plant, one place, and one person at a time.
