Huron Valley Chapter

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Special Announcements

2026 Field Trips

2026 Lecture Programs

2026 Grand Foray information

2026 Mini Foray Information

Ways to Join the Huron Valley Chapter

HVC Mission

HVC Officers and Contacts

Special Announcements

Coming soon…

2026 Field Trips

“Through the Seasons”: Fall at Pickeral Lake

Saturday October 17, 2026 from 10:00AM to 12:30PM

Trip Leader: Neal Billetdeaux

This will be the final installment of the 2026 Through-the-Seasons series. We will start off with a discussion of the mechanisms behind fall colors and how plants prepare for dormancy. During this walk we will learn to identify various woody and late season herbaceous plant species, exploring dry-mesic southern forest, marsh edges (with boardwalks), and a managed oak opening/restored oak savanna. We’ll likely see numerous aquatic plants along with species from a dry mesic southern forest including dwarf chinkapin oak (Quercus prinoides) and New-jersey tea (Ceanothus americanus). With luck, we will find the exciting New York scalewort (Frullania eboracensis), a species of liverwort in the family Frullaniace. We’ll walk roughly three miles over moderately challenging terrain on-trail and off during this outing. Parking is located off of Hankard Road at: 42°24'33.94"N 83°59'06.99"W

2026 Lecture Programs

Fourth Tuesdays at 7:00 pm (unless otherwise noted) at

Matthaei Botanical Gardens Auditorium

27 October 2026: Conservation of Imperiled Insects in Michigan - Logan Rowe

Many of Michigan’s rarest inset species rely on native plant species for foraging resources during their larval or adult stage. I will provide an overview of rare insect species found in Michigan and highlight their close associations with native plants. I will discuss interesting insect life histories and provide examples of ongoing conservation efforts and partnerships that aim to improve populations of rare insects at both local and landscape scales. Together we will explore multiple taxa, including bumble bees, butterflies, moths, beetles, and more.

Logan Rowe is a Conservation Scientist with Michigan Natural Features Inventory and works primarily with rare and declining insects in Michigan. He received his BS from Western Michigan University (2012), his MS from Michigan State University (2017), and has spent the past 8 years committed to the conservation of imperiled insects and their associated habitats.

24 November 2026: Dead Moose on Isle Royale: Off Trail with the Citizen Scientists of the Wolf-Moose Project - Jeff Holden

Every summer, Jeffrey M. Holden leads groups of citizen scientists on week-long expeditions to search for dead moose. Those intrepid enough to join him backpacking off trail in Isle Royale’s rugged beauty face challenges from treacherous weather conditions, to wildlife, primitive backcountry camping, traveling through swamps and wetlands, and backpacks that grow heavier with bones every time a new dead moose is found. Scientists use the bones, photos, and data they collect to reconstruct the moose population through the years, correlating it against other data on wolves, weather, and ticks. This will provide a fascinating look into the day-to-day realities of backpacking in the wilderness, while featuring the scientific discoveries of the Wolf-Moose Project itself and highlighting the role and rewards for volunteers in this extraordinary endeavor.

Jeffrey M. Holden is the author of Dead Moose on Isle Royale. He has been associated with the Wolf-Moose Project since 2002, when he
first volunteered to look for dead moose on Isle Royale. He quickly became a group leader, and he has led at least one group every year
since 2005. He is the president of the Wolf-Moose Foundation, a nonprofit whose mission is to advance research and education that
promotes the conservation of predators and their prey, especially the wolves and moose of Isle Royale. Jeffrey has degrees from Michigan
State University and the University of Michigan.

The 2026 Grand Foray

The 2026 Grand Foray: Save the Dates!

The 2026 Grand Foray will be held at Interlochen Center for the Arts (Interlochen, MI) June 1-4. The Great Lakes Chapter is currently recruiting field trip leaders and trips. We are searching for field trip leaders! Please contact MBS1941@michiganbotanicalsociety.org if you are interested in leading a trip, or you know a potential field trip leader. Several excellent sites for field trips have been identified. More details to come!

The 2026 Mini Foray

The 2026 Mini Foray will be organized by the Huron Valley Chapter. Time and Place TBA.

The 2026 Petit (Mini) Foray

The Huron Valley Chapter will be hosting the 2026 Fall State Board Meeting and Mini-Foray at the Eddy Discovery Center, Waterloo State Recreation Area in Chelsea, Michigan. See the Forays Page for details.


Join the Huron Valley Chapter!

Member Benefits

The HVC Newsletter (Spring/Summer/Fall): We’ll keep you up to date on HVC Lectures, Field Trips, Field Trip Reports, and other happenings.

The HVC Listserv: Event announcements, reminders, and group discussion.

Admission to Lecture Programs: The lectures are held the last Tuesday of the month (January-April & Sept.-November) at the Auditorium of the University of Michigan’s Matthaei Botanical Gardens, 118 N. Dixboro Rd., Ann Arbor, MI 48015. See above for current lecture schedule.

Admission to Field Trips: See above for current schedule. Some field trips have limited attendance.

The Arisaema: This Statewide Newsletter, issued by the MBS State Board will keep you apprised of the activities of all five chapters, officer elections at the state level, and updates on both the Grand and Petit Forays.

Subscription to the Great Lakes Botanist: A Journal of North American Botany (2 issues per year). The GLB is a peer reviewed journal that publishes papers on all aspects of the natural history of plants of North America north of Mexico, including systematics, floristics, ecology, conservation, botanical history, economic botany, ethnobotany, and ecosystem restoration. Plant groups include vascular plants, bryophytes, fungi, and algae. The journal maintains the Great Lakes region as one area of special focus. This region is defined as the entirety of the states and provinces bordering any of the Great Lakes: that is, Michigan, Wisconsin, Minnesota, Illinois, Indiana, Ohio, Ontario, Pennsylvania, and New York. The GLB welcomes students wishing to publish their research!

An Opportunity to Help the Cause: We are looking for talented people willing to volunteer at both the Chapter and State Board levels. If you would like to make a contribution, please send a note to us at michiganbotanicalsociety at gmail.com. Currently, the MBS State Board seeks folks who are interested in working with any of the following: Archives, Treasury, Education & Outreach, Environmental Advocacy, and Webspace Design. Contact us at michiganbotanicalsociety at gmail.com

How to Join?


The Mission of the Huron Valley Chapter of the MBS includes:

  • The preservation of native floras and their intrinsic native ecosystems.

  • the education of the public as regards the importance of the preservation of native floras and their intrinsic native ecosystems.

  • the sponsorship of research and publications on the floras and native ecosystems of the Great Lakes Region.

  • the sponsorship of legislation, in the State of Michigan, to establish sanctuaries for the preservation of native floras and their intrinsic native ecosystems.  

  • stewardship of local sanctuaries managed for the preservation of native floras and their intrinsic native ecosystems.

  • cooperation between organizations whose aims are the establishment and stewardship of lands managed for, among other goals, the preservation of native floras and their intrinsic native ecosystems.  

HVC Board members and Contacts (2025-2026)

Officers

President: Neal Billetdeaux: mbs-hvc@michiganbotanicalsociety.org

Vice President (Programs): Brad Ruhfel: mbs-vp@michiganbotanicalsociety.org

Secretary: Julie McLaughlin: hvc-secretary@michiganbotanicalsociety.org

Treasurer: Deborah LaForge: hvc-treasurer@michiganbotanicalsociety.org

Directors at Large:

  • David Malmquist (HVC Newsletter): hvc-dl2@michiganbotanicalsociety.org

  • Ken Shaw (Facilities Coordinator): hvc-dl1@michiganbotanicalsociety.org

  • Jeff Vornhagen (Chair, MBS Conservation Advocacy Committee): hvcdl3@michiganbotanicalsociety.org

Field Trip Coordinator: Christian Tibaudo: cmttibaudo@gmail.com

Nominations Chair: Neal Billetdeaux

Nominations Committee: all members!

Refreshments Chair: Allison Krueger: kruegera@washtenaw.org

Immediate Past President: Anton Reznicek