Telewski has led the scientific research done at MSU for the investigation.

It’s been almost two years since then 4-month-old Kate last was seen with her father, Sean Phillips, before he returned home hours later with her clothes inside-out in his pocket, her car seat in the trunk and a different pair of shoes on than when he left.

The original shoes, discovered through a search warrant, have been the key to the case’s progression, as the dirt on the soles has helped narrow the places Sean Phillips could have taken his daughter before she went missing.

“It was kind of disappointing to come up empty,” Telewski said of his time spent scouring forested and grassland areas with Ludington police Detective J.B. Wells to find plant matter associated with the case.

He said a search party hopefully will increase the likelihood of getting more answers than if they continued searching on their own.

“If we can begin to narrow these areas, then hopefully the Ludington police will be successful in finishing the job,” Telewski said. “It’s only a matter of time now.”

Wells said of finding where Sean Phillips walked June 29, 2011 — the day Kate went missing.

“We never know when that day is going to happen, but obviously this is exciting. I’m just very confident to eventually find out where he was … You want to know all this time and effort and work has paid off, and justice will be served.”

Wells previously said Kate is now believed to be dead. Her father, Sean Phillips, is serving a 10- to 15-year sentence for the unlawful imprisonment of his daughter, although he is in the process of an appeal.

Wells said 10 pieces of plant material have been identified from Sean Phillips’ shoes and he hopes more will be found before the June 28-29 search.

Telewski said a more recent discovery in the plant matter on the shoe — an algae known as diatom — has led investigators to believe Sean Phillips might have walked in an area that either had standing water previously or at the time.

Wells said on the days of the search, anywhere between 50 to 150 volunteers will line up equipped with a plant guide specifically developed for the case by The Field Museum in Chicago and make their way through specific areas believed to have all the plant matter from Sean Phillip’s shoes.

Volunteers will be asked to document the different species of plants in hopes of finding the location of Kate’s remains or where Sean Phillips walked.

Telewski said applications are being accepted and although those with background in plant identification are preferred, even those with a simple interest in nature are encouraged to apply.

He said people should not be nervous of finding Kate’s remains, as this is unlikely and not the immediate goal of the search.

“The more people involved the better,” plant biology graduate student Matt Chansler said, adding the chance to work with experts in the field and learn the applications of his plant knowledge are encouraging factors as he considers applying. “It’s a really good chance for forensic investigators or people in plant biology to solve this mystery and really contribute to the community.”