More than any other natural feature, the unique vegetation of the Pinelands gives the region its distinctive character. Low, dense forests of pine and oak, ribbons of cedar and hardwood swamp bordering drainage courses, pitch pine lowlands, bogs, and marshes combine to produce an expansive mosaic which is unsurpassed in the Northeast. This richly patterned landscape is the product of interacting environmental factors, primarily soils, water, fire, and human disturbances.

The majority of Pinelands plant species have ranges that extend geographically north, west and south of the region. However, a distinctive feature of the Pinelands flora is the large number of species which reach either their northern or southern geographical limits here. The rich diversity of plants in the Pinelands number approximately 850 species including 580 which are considered native to the region.

Robin Jess has been a freelance botanical illustrator since 1976 after graduating from the University of Delaware with a major in Fine Arts and a minor in Botany. She later received a MFA from Pratt Institute.

Robin's main client has been the New York Botanical Garden where she illustrates textbooks and research publications. Her work has also appeared in several Audubon Field Guides and Taylor's Guides to cultivated plants. In 1990, Robin was awarded a Distinguished Artist Fellowship by the New Jersey Council on the Arts, the highest award given to an individual artist. She received a second fellowship in 1993.

For more information about Robin's art, you may visit her web site located at: (www.robinajessbotanicalart.com )

 
Pitch Pine (Pinus rigida)

 
Pink Lady's Slipper (Cypripedium acaule)

 
British Soldier & False Reindeer Lichen (Cladonia cristatella
& Cladonia subtenuis)