Writing and Illustrations

During his time as an HSU professor, Rudi authored and illustrated a guidebook to Northern California's coastal Redwood plants called Pocket Flora of the Redwood Forest. The Redwood forest environment is unique to only a small strip of land from southern Oregon through Northern California and is known for having some of the oldest and tallest trees in the world. Pocket Flora of the Redwood Forest, or PFRF, is a thorough and efficient guide to the plants found throughout Humboldt County. 

Becking also had plans for two more guides: Sand Dune Flora and Flora of the Redwood Forest (a larger and more complete record of Redwood forest species than PFRF). He carefully saved editing copies as well as correspondence with colleagues and publishers for all three of his manuscripts. Though only Pocket Flora of the Redwood Forest was published, all of the material relating to these unfinished guides is of interest to botany and natural sciences students as well as general nature enthusiasts.

 Because Becking had long career studying plants, this collection includes plant sketches and illustrations from the early 1950's through the early 2000's. As Becking had a fascination with more than just the botanical aspect of the natural world, it also includes sketches of birds, insects, and even salmon throughout this time.