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
Coming soon…
2026 Lecture Programs
Fourth Tuesdays at 7:00 pm (unless otherwise noted) at
Matthaei Botanical Gardens Auditorium
27 January 2026: A Half-Century of Recovery Efforts for the Endangered Virginia Round-leaf Birch, Betula uber - Dr. Terry L. Sharik
This presentation provides an overview of efforts aimed at the recovery of the endangered Virginia round-leaf birch (Betula uber) over the past half century. It addresses six major areas specified in the recovery plan, the first for a plant under the Endangered Species Act of 1973. These include: (1) maintenance and expansion of the natural population; (2) establishment of (self-sustaining) additional populations in the wild; (3) continued searches for other natural populations; (4) determination of systematic relationships with other birch species; (5) retention of existing germplasm through cultivation; and (6) implementation of educational programs.
Dr. Terry L. Sharik received his PhD at the University of Michigan in 1970 under the tutelage of the late Burton (Burt) V. Barnes and helped develop the “Biology of Woody Plants” course as a teaching fellow under Burt and Warren H. (Herb) Wagner in 1965, a course that still excites students today. The laboratory and greenhouse components of his PhD dissertation on the ecological genetics of dark-barked birches in the Appalachian Mountains was conducted at the Matthaei Botanical Gardens. Dr. Sharik has held faculty positions at Oberlin College, Virginia Tech, Utah State University, Michigan Technological University, and the University of Michigan Biological Station. He retired from Michigan Tech in 2018 as Dean of the School of Forest Resources and Environmental Science and moved to Dexter where he volunteers his time on local conservation projects and on the recovery of the Virginia round-leaf birch (Betula uber).
24 February 2026: Natural Features: Building the Resilience of our People and Our Place - Sean Reynolds
The City of Ann Arbor's A2ZERO Plan outlines an ambitious plan to equitably achieve community-wide carbon neutrality by 2030. One of seven strategies included in this plan is to "enhance the resilience of our people and our place" - and monitoring, conserving, and growing our natural features is a key part of achieving this strategy. Join us at this presentation to hear how the City's Office of Sustainability and Innovations is working to build resilience through programs such as the 10,000 Trees Initiative, which focuses on planting and maintaining trees on private property; the Pollinator-Aware Yard Care program, which provides resources to private property owners to enhance biodiversity and protect pollinator species through yard care practices; and a city-wide air quality monitoring program.
Sean Reynolds is a Senior Analyst with the City of Ann Arbor's Office of Sustainability and Innovations whose work focuses on natural features and resilience. He has a Masters Degree in Forestry from Auburn University and has been working with the City since 2020.
24 March 2026: Stephen A. Smith. Trees of the NE United States.
More info coming soon…
28 April 2026: Fire at Goose Creek Fen - Chuck Pearson
Fire is an important component of the restoration program at Goose Creek Grasslands, a Michigan Nature Association sanctuary, but not for some of the frequently cited reasons. I will show what fire does, what it doesn’t do, and how we integrate it into restoration. We will finish with a look at the plants and animals we are doing this for.
Chuck Pearson has been working on habitat restoration at various preserves in Southeast Michigan since 1999. He is currently the Sanctuary Steward at Goose Creek Grasslands.
22 September 2026: Huron-Clinton Metroparks - Julie McLaughlin
More info coming soon…
27 October 2026: Pollinators - Logan Rowe
More info coming soon…
24 November 2026: Wolf-Moose intersections on Isle Royale - Jeff Holden
More info coming soon…
The 2026 Grand Foray
Coming soon…
The 2026 Petit (Mini) Foray
The Huron Valley Chapter will be hosting the 2026 Fall State Board Meeting and Mini-Foray. Dates and Location TBA.
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?
Join here! < This link will open in a new window.
You can also fill in a membership form and mail it in: Click here to access the membership form.
Or, you may attend a lecture and talk to our membership coordinator, in person!
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)
President: Neal Billetdeaux
Vice President (Programs): Robert Ayotte - michiganbotanicalsociety at gmail.com
Secretary: Julie McLaughlin
Treasurer: Deborah LaForge
Directors at Large:
David Malmquist (HVC Newsletter)
Brad Ruhfel (Webspace Manager)
Ken Shaw (Facilities Coordinator)
Field Trip Coordinator: Christian Tibaudo
Nominations Chair: Neal Billetdeaux
Nominations Committee: all members!
Refreshments Chair: Allison Krueger
Immediate Past President: Anton Reznicek