My plant focus has gotta be the Wild Lupine (Lupinus perennis), a native perennial to the area. It’s in the legume family, with its familiar pea-shaped flowers and its banner and wings! This plant has a deep tap root, allowing it to stay rooted in its preferred sandy, dry soil. They play an important role for many insects, but most notably, it is the sole larval host for the endangered Karner Blue butterfly. These flowers have declined substantially since the early 20th century, with a 90% decline since the 1900s, having a huge ecological impact on the bugs that also rely on this flower. Research is still being done on how to preserve these plants, but their seeds are particularly hard to germinate, requiring a change in bug pressure, like from wildfires, to give them the best chance. I hope these plants bounce back, not just for the butterflies but because they are gorgeous flowers that make the sand dunes that much more magical!