Michigan Botanical Society 2025 Grand Foray in Gladstone

Registration

As with previous forays, registration will be done online through CheddarUp. More information about the foray agenda and field trips can be found below. To register, click on the following link: https://mbs-2025-foray.cheddarup.com.

Please make your field trip choices on your Arisaema pages and have it handy when registering.

If you have any questions about the registration process, please contact:

Jelanie Bush, Phone 231 519-6023

jelaniebush@gmail.com

Costs

Registration, Field Trips and Meals for Tuesday and Wednesday is $190.00

Registration, Field Trips and NO Meals is $35.00

Single Day Only (enter ½ price from above choices)

Gluten Free Box Lunch is $7.00 per day extra

Vegan/Vegetarian Box Lunch $7 per day extra

Lodging

Lodging is on your own. If you would like to stay at the Terrace Bay Hotel where the programs and meals will be held, you can use the following link and discount code.

Use the discount code MBS25 to receive the discounted room rate. Terrace Bay has an indoor pool and hot tub.

The Terrace Bay link is: https://terracebayhotel.com/

Room check-in for Terrace Bay will be at the desk in the lobby near the Biggby Coffee, across from the south parking lot. Check out time is 11:00 am.

There are other hotels and camping options in the area if you choose to stay someplace else. The Visit Escanaba web site may be helpful if you are looking for other lodging choices. The link is https://visitescanaba.com/

Meals and Programs

Registration, meals, and evening programs will be held in the Ballroom of the Terrace Bay Hotel. The Ballroom is located on the first/main floor next to the Restaurant. Look for signs in the hallway. Breakfast and dinner will be buffet style meals while lunch will be a boxed lunch which can be picked up at breakfast. To help limit the use of plastic, please bring your own water bottle for water during the day.

Terrace Bay is located at just off US2 at 7146 P. Road, Gladstone, Michigan. Coming from the east on US2, turn left or east onto P Road and then turn right to the hotel. Coming from the west on US2, turn right or east onto P Road and then turn right to the hotel. GPS coordinates are 45.807016, -87.059025 or 45°48’25.3”N 87°03’32.5”W.

Suggested Books

A Field Guide to the Natural Communities of Michigan. Cohen et al. 2015. Available online at: https://mnfi.anr.msu.edu/communities/key

Field Manual of Michigan Flora. Voss and Reznicek 2012. Available online at: https://www.michiganflora.net/

Field Guide to Wisconsin Grasses. Judziewicz et al. 2014.

Michigan Ferns & Lycophytes: A Guide to Species of the Great Lakes Region. Palmer 2018.

Michigan Shrubs & Vines: A Guide to Species of the Great Lakes Region. Barnes et al. 2016.

Michigan Trees, Revised and Updated: A Guide to the Trees of the Great Lakes Region. Barnes and Wagner 2004.

Sedges of the Northern Forest - A Photographic Guide. Jenkins 2019.

Michigan Flora: Upper Peninsula. Steve W Chadde 2019

What to Bring

Close-toed hiking boots (waterproof ideal). Check the field trip descriptions for footwear recommendations

Minimum 10x loupe/hand lens

Bug spray/tick protection

Sun protection (sunscreen, hat, sunglasses)

Long sleeved shirts and long pants

Rain gear

Rite in the Rain notebook and pencils

Reusable water bottle

What to Expect

When you arrive, check into your lodging, and stop by the registration table for a booklet and name tag. The registration table, located inside the Ballroom, will be open Monday July 7 from 3:00 to 7:00 pm.

In the morning, we will gather for breakfast and gather for field trips. Pick up your boxed lunch before heading out. If you decide to not attend a field trip you signed up for, please make sure you remove your name from the list.

Full day trips will break for lunch. After field trips return, there is some time to wash up, rest and relax. We will have presentations after dinner all three nights.

There are no field trips on Thursday, but we are planning an informal visit to Pointe aux Chenes on the way home.

The foray is a casual, fun event.

MBS 2025 Grand Foray Field Trips

Tuesday July 8

Shakey Lakes: Oak – Pine Barrens; Escanaba State Forest Management Unit,

Location: Menominee County, 10 miles west of Stephenson

Travel distance: Approx. 50-miles or one hour drive

Duration: Full Day

Trip Leaders: The field trip to Shakey Lakes will be led by Jesse Lincoln, with Tyler Bassett Ph.D. accompanying.

Description: Shakey Lakes contains the largest area of oak and pine barrens in northern Michigan. Five distinctly different savanna ecosystems are found at the site along with five state threatened or special concern species. Plants observed in this community include Hill oak (Quercus ellipsoidalis), snowberry (Symphoricarpos albus), sand cherry (Prunus pumila), black-eyed Susan (Rudbeckia hirta), prairie willow (Salix humilis), little bluestem (Schizachyrium scoparium), prairie brome (Bromus kalmii), New Jersey tea (Ceonothus herbaceus), panic grass (Dicanthelium xanthophysum), June grass (Koeleria micrantha), and northern blazing-star (Liatris scariosa).

Historians believe that native peoples purposely set fires on a regular basis to improve game habitat and blueberry crops. These fires, along with lightning strikes, apparently maintained a savanna-type landscape. Following nearly 100 years of fire suppression, savanna restoration activities, including the use of prescribed burns, have begun at Shakey Lakes.

The Michigan Natural Features Inventory (MNFI) has conducted extensive inventories within this barren system; developing a detailed inventory list and guidelines for the Michigan Department of Natural Resources (personal comm. MIDNR). The management unit is approximately 1,520 acres.

This site is ranked as Easy Access; occurring mostly on flat ground, with limited walking distance. It is suggested that tick repellent be used for this trip; Permethrin spray and tuck or tape pant bottoms is recommended.

Biographies

Jesse is a Conservation Scientist - Ecologist with the MNFI. His professional interests are driven by a passion for identifying and stewarding Michigan’s natural communities and then communicating their value to a range of audiences. Jesse specializes in fire-dependent ecosystems, focusing on processes that support their recovery and stability.

Tyler is a Conservation Associate - Botanist with the MNFI. He studies the ecology, classification, and management of ecosystems, with a focus on the rare plant species they support. In particular, he has a passion for understanding and restoring the fragmented and fire-suppressed prairie-savanna landscapes of the upper Midwest.

MIDNR Biologist Joe Sage will also be on the trip to explain the current management operations at the Oak – Pine barrens ecosystem.

Location: Menominee County, 5 miles west of Carney on G18

Travel distance: Approx. 40-miles or 45 minute drive

Duration: Full Day

Trip Leaders: Scott Warner, Ph.D.,

Description: Dedicated as Natural Area by Natural Resources Commission Resolution in 2009, Carney Fen is a ground water fed system that supports a high diversity of vascular and non-vascular plant species. Historically this system harbored one of the largest and most diverse populations of orchids in the state, with 29 species cataloged. Uncontrolled vegetation encroachment, invasive species such as European thistle (Cirsium palustre), and factors likely associated with climate change, has resulted in significant decrease in populations of many species of orchids.

Carney Fen was inventoried by the MNFI in 2021 (MNFI Report Number 2022–16, 2022), with a total 103 plants cataloged. The total Floristic Quality Index (FQI) calculated was 52.8 with Total Mean C of 5.2. Sites with a FQI over 35 are considered regionally significant for the conservation of biodiversity.

Some of the species in the complex include tamarack (Larix laricina), white cedar (Thuja occidentalis), black spruce (Picea mariana), leatherleaf (Chameadaphne calyculata), bog birch (Betula pumila), alder-leaved buckthorn (Rhamnus alnifolia), Labrador-tea (Rhododendron groenlandicum), bog-rosemary (Andromeda glaucophylla), mountain fly honeysuckle (Lonicera villosa), sweet gale (Myrica gale), dwarf mistletoe (Arceuthobium pusillum), wire-grass sedge (Carex lasiocarpa), tussock sedge (Carex stricta), Dewey’s sedge (Carex diandra), interior sedge (Carex interior), creeping sedge (Carex chordorrhiza), dioecious sedge (Carex sterilis), alpine cotton-grass (Trichophorum alpinum), tufted bulrush (Trichophorum cespitosum), small bur-reed (Sparganium nutans), green-keeled cotton-grass (Eriophorum viridicarinatum), pitcher-plant (Sarracenia purpurea), round-leaved sundew (Drosera rotundifolia), swamp valerian (Valeriana uliginosa), dwarf raspberry (Rubus pubescens), and buckbean (Menyanthes trifoliata). Orchids observed in recent years include, yellow lady-slipper (Cypripedium parviflorum), dragon’s mouth (Arethusa bulbosa), grass-pink (Calopogon tuberosus), pink lady-slipper (Cypripedium acaule), showy lady-slipper (Cypripedium reginae), Loesel’s twayblade (Liparis loeselii), rose pogonia (Pogonia ophioglossoides) and early coral-root (Corallorhiza trifida).

This site is ranked as Moderate access; with hummock and hollow topography occurring off a narrow, relatively flat trail. Rubber boots are suggested for this approximate one-mile walk. Bug repellent may be needed.

Biography: Scott Warner, Ph.D., will be the trip leader, accompanied by Connor Wojtowicz. Scott is a Conservation Associate - Botanist with the MNFI, specializing in Michigan vascular plants. Scott also teaches Plant Systematics at MSU.

Skeels and Chicago Lakes: Submergent Marsh; Hiawatha National Forest

Location: Delta County

Trip Leaders: This trip will led by Jo Latimore Ph.D. and Glenn Vande Water, with Garrett Crow Ph.D. accompanying.

Travel distance: Approx. 36-miles or 40 minute drive

Duration: Full Day

Description: These lakes harbor a diversity of submergent and emergent aquatic plants typical of hard water systems. Species occurring in Skeels Lake include, Richardson’s pondweed (Potamogeton richardsonii), grass-leaved pondweed (Potamogeton gramineus), yellow water crowfoot (Ranunculus flabellaris), sago pondweed (Stuckenia pectinata), water-marigold (Bidens beckii), water celery (Vallisneria americana), narrow-leaved bur-reed (Sparganium angustifolium), and coon’s-tail (Ceratophyllum demersum). In Chicago Lake, common to abundant species include, water-shield (Brasenia schreberi), big-leaved pondweed (Potamogeton amplifolius), pipewort (Eriocaulon aquaticum), eastern purple bladderwort (Utricularia purpurea), northern yellow eyed-grass (Xyris montana), humped bladderwort (Utricularia gibba), and capitate spike-rush (Eleocharis flavescens).

This trip requires the ability to get in and out of, and paddle, a canoe. Sunscreen may be needed.

Biographies:

Jo Latimore is an aquatic ecologist at Michigan State University and Director of the MSU Extension Center for Lakes and Streams. Jo’s expertise centers on the submerged and floating plants of Midwestern inland lakes. Dr. Latimore has taught numerous university and extension classes on aquatic ecosystems and directs the Michigan Clean Water Corps which coordinates volunteer monitoring of lake and stream monitoring for aquatic invasive species.

Glenn Vande Water is a retired biological/ecological consultant, spending much of his career conducting field assessments for threatened and endangered species occurring in proposed industrial project sites throughout the Great Lakes, Midwest, Southwest and Northeast Regions. Glenn lives in Delta County, spending time in search of new county vascular plant records and confirming extant historically documented species.

Garrett Crow taught botany at the University of New Hampshire for 33 years, serving as Department Chair for six years, and Director of the Herbarium. Garrett is an acknowledged specialist in aquatic plants of the temperate and tropical regions, with particular interest in biodiversity and phytogeography. Garrett received the Michigan Botanical Society Lifetime Achievement Award at the 2024 Spring Foray. Dr. Crow and Dr. C. Barre Hellquist recently coauthored the second edition of Aquatic and Wetland Plants of Northeastern North America in 2023.

Garden Peninsula: Kregg Bay/Portage Bay: Limestone Cobble Shore/Limestone Bedrock Lakeshore/Limestone Bedrock Glade; Lake Superior State Forest

Location: Delta County

Travel distance: Approx. 60-miles or one hour drive

Duration: Full Day

Trip Leaders: This trip will be co-led by Rachel Hackett Ph. D. and Will Mackinnon.

Description: Relatively diverse graminoid and forb sites along the bay shoreline and inland open to semi open glades, including populations of State listed species.

The Limestone Cobble and Limestone Bedrock community types occur immediately along the Lake Michigan shoreline, while the Limestone Bedrock Glade occurs sporadically interior to the shoreline. Lake water levels and sediment deposition, in large part, dictate the frequency and density of associated plant species in the shoreline community types, while disturbance that sets back woody plant encroachment is the principal factor influencing vascular plant diversity and frequency in the glade community.

This site is ranked as Easy access with flat to slightly undulating topography. Rubber boots recommended. Bug repellent may be needed.

Biographies:

Rachel Hackett Ph. D. is a Conservation Associate - Botanist at the MNFI. Her specialties include prairie fen plant diversity, wetland plants, biodiversity data management, and aquatic invasive species. Rachel worked for seven years as a science educator in Michigan, Costa Rica, and the Pacific Northwest.

Will Mackinnon. is a botanist with the MNFI. Rachel and Will have conducted inventories in the Garden Peninsula bedrock communities.

West Side Recreation Area: Rich Conifer Swamp and Dry Mesic Northern Forest

Location: Escanaba City limits (Delta County)

Travel Distance Approx. 3-miles

Duration: Half Day AM

Trip Leader: This trip will be led by Don Drife.

Description: This mixed dune and swale complex supports modest to rich species diversity, some areas having undergone heavy influx of glossy buckthorn. Vascular plants occurring at this site include, Northern white cedar (Thuja occidentalis), yellow birch (Betula alleghaniensis), black and green ash (Fraxinus nigra and F. pennsylvanica, respectively), Northern red oak (Quercus rubra), balsam fir (Abies balsamea), trembling and bigtooth aspen (Populus tremuloides and P. grandidentata, respectively), black spruce (Picea mariana), wild black current (Ribes americanum), mountain maple (Acer spicatum), marsh marigold (Caltha palustris), two-seeded, graceful, greater bladder, bristle-stalk, three-seed, boreal bog, gray bog, Crawford’s oval, and bronze-headed sedges (Carex disperma, C. gracillima, C. intumescens, C. leptalea, C. trisperma, C. magellanica, C. canescens, C. crawfordii, C. foenea respectively), blue bead lily (Clintonia borealis), goldthread (Coptis groenlandica), woodland horsetail (Equisetum sylvaticum), creeping snowberry (Gaultheria hispidula), dwarf raspberry (Rubus pubescens), sensitive fern (Onoclea sensibilis), water-horehound (Lycopus uniflorus), water horehound (Scutellaria lateriflora), hairy willow-herb (Epilobium ciliatum), smartweed (Persicaria punctata), cinnamon and royal fern (Osmunda cinnamomea and O. regalis, respectively), evergreen and crested wood fern (Dryopteris intermedia and D. cristata, respectively), marsh and northern beech-fern (Thelypteris palustris and T. phegopteris, respectively), lady fern (Athyrium filix-femina), Pennsylvania and tree clubmoss (Dendrolycopodium hickeyi and D. dendroideum, respectively), bog cotton-grass (Eriophorum vaginatum), wool grass (Scirpus cyperinus).

This site is ranked as Easy access; flat to slightly undulating topography.

Biography: Don Drife has been studying natural history for over 50 years; having a particular interest in ferns and lycophytes. A longtime member of the Michigan Botanical Society; Don currently serves as president of the Southeastern Michigan Chapter. He blogs at MichiganNatureGuy.com and serves as the botanist for the Royal Oak Nature Society.

Join the Conversation (Phone Photography Workshop) Seeing, Understanding, and Interpreting the World through Smart Phone Photography.

Location: Delta Chamber of Commerce, 1001 N. Lincoln Rd., Escanaba

Travel Distance: Approx. 4-miles)

Duration: Half Day AM

Trip Leader: Randy Butters

Description: When you pick up a camera, you begin to see, understand, and interpret the world in new ways. Your photographs contribute to a conversation about the world, a conversation that is ongoing, worldwide, and that anyone can take part in. Use your cell phone to identify, learn, document, and enjoy. This session will cover the basics of taking good photos, learning how to use your phone to capture images of the plants and animals you see in the field, using user-based data reporting apps to identify and report on what you are seeing, and create memorable, quality images that you can cherish.

Low impact trip

Biography: This workshop will be led by Randy Butters. Randy is a self-taught photographer with over fifty years of experience. His ventures into photography have ranged from landscapes, night sky, nature and wildlife, macro and close-up. Over the years, his interests in photography have intertwined with his work for environmental and ecological organizations, all the while expanding his knowledge of the natural world. Randy is a trained Master Naturalist and Conservation Steward. He and his wife, Sarah, are Sanctuary Stewards for the Michigan Nature Association, previously recognized for their outstanding volunteer work, and the Land Conservancy of West Michigan (LCWM) has previously awarded them the Mary Jane Dockery Award. Randy and Sarah also co-founded the Newaygo Invasive Plants Project, and helped to establish one of the first cooperative invasive species management areas in the state.

Botanical Gifts from the Kitchen

Location: Delta Chamber of Commerce, 1001 N. Lincoln Rd., Escanaba

Travel distance: Approx. 4-miles

Duration: Half Day PM, no impact trip

Trip Leader: Elizabeth Pitzer

Description: This low-impact workshop will take a detailed look at the culinary side of the botanical world. Elizabeth will begin with a discussion of common garden herbs, their uses and how they are cultivated. There will also be discussion about drying herbs from your garden. From there, the group will make herbal teas, infused vinegar and two spice blends. These items will be suitable for use in your own kitchen or to give as gifts to friends and family. Recipes for the use of the products and containers will be provided as well as a collection of dried herbs from Elizabeth’s Garden for use in the mixtures we will make.

Biography: This workshop will be led by Elizabeth Pitzer. Elizabeth is a retired Biology, Anatomy and Home Economics teacher. She taught at Newaygo High School for 25 years. Her hobbies include beekeeping, gardening and processing the foods and products from the hives and garden. Elizabeth and her husband Mark live on property in Newaygo that has a Coastal Plain Marsh and is bordered by the Manistee National Forest. They have been members of the MBS for over a dozen years.

Tuesday July 8

Portage Marsh: Sand Beach; Escanaba River State Forest

Location: Delta County

Travel Distance: Approx. 4-miles

Duration: Half Day PM, low impact trip

Trip Leader: Paul Schilke Ph.D.

Description: This site supports a diverse flora, particularly species that colonize sandy beaches following the recent lowering of Lake Michigan water levels. A Northern Shrub Thicket is bisected by a trail to access the beach. Plants occurring in the sand beach zone include seaside spurge (Euphorbia polygonifolia), sea-rocket (Cakile edentula), baltic rush (Juncus balticus), marsh skullcap (Scutellaria galericulata), silverweed (Potentilla anserina), Canada wild rye (Elymus canadensis), common water horehound (Lycopus americanus), wild mint (Mentha canadensis), Lady’s-thumb (Persicaria maculosa), and grand beach grass (Ammophila breviligulata).

This site is ranked as Easy access with flat topography. Biography:

This trip will be led by Paul Schilke Ph.D. Paul teaches in the College of Natural Resources at UW-Stevens Point. He spent several years working as a botanist with the MNFI conducting natural resource inventories throughout the Great Lakes region.

Wednesday July 9

Carney Fen Natural Area: Northern Fen, Rich and Poor Conifer Swamp

Location: Menominee County, 5 mi West of Carney on G18);

Travel distance: Approx. 40-miles or 45 minute drive

Duration: Full Day

Trip Leader: Paul Schilke, Ph.D

Description: Dedicated as Natural Area by Natural Resources Commission Resolution in 2009, Carney Fen is a ground water fed system that supports a high diversity of vascular and non-vascular plant species. Historically this system harbored one of the largest and most diverse populations of orchids in the state, with 29 species cataloged. Uncontrolled vegetation encroachment, invasive species such as European thistle (Cirsium palustre), and factors likely associated with climate change, has resulted in significant decrease in populations of many species of orchids.

Some of the species in the complex include tamarack (Larix laricina), white cedar (Thuja occidentalis), black spruce (Picea mariana), leatherleaf (Chameadaphne calyculata), bog birch (Betula pumila), alder-leaved buckthorn (Rhamnus alnifolia), Labrador-tea (Rhododendron groenlandicum), bog-rosemary (Andromeda glaucophylla), mountain fly honeysuckle (Lonicera villosa), sweet gale (Myrica gale), dwarf mistletoe (Arceuthobium pusillum), wire-grass sedge (Carex lasiocarpa), tussock sedge (Carex stricta), Dewey’s sedge (Carex diandra), interior sedge (Carex interior), creeping sedge (Carex chordorrhiza), dioecious sedge (Carex sterilis), alpine cotton-grass (Trichophorum alpinum), tufted bulrush (Trichophorum cespitosum), small bur-reed (Sparganium nutans), green-keeled cotton-grass (Eriophorum viridicarinatum), pitcher-plant (Sarracenia purpurea), round-leaved sundew (Drosera rotundifolia), swamp valerian (Valeriana uliginosa), dwarf raspberry (Rubus pubescens), and buckbean (Menyanthes trifoliata). Orchids observed in recent years include, yellow lady-slipper (Cypripedium parviflorum), dragon’s mouth (Arethusa bulbosa), grass-pink (Calopogon tuberosus), pink lady-slipper (Cypripedium acaule), showy lady-slipper (Cypripedium reginae), Loesel’s twayblade (Liparis loeselii), rose pogonia (Pogonia ophioglossoides) and early coral-root (Corallorhiza trifida).

Biography: Paul Schilke, Ph.D will be the trip leader. Paul teaches in the College of Natural Resources at UW-Stevens Point. He spent several years working as a botanist with the MNFI conducting natural resource inventories throughout the Great Lakes region.

Bear Point: Floodplain Forest; Escanaba State Forest Management Unit

Location: Menominee County, 14 mi SW of Stephenson

Travel distance: Approx. 55-miles or one hour drive

Duration: Full Day

Trip Leader: Tony Reznicek Ph.D

Description: This northern Floodplain Forest system abuts the Menominee River and supporting a diverse woody and herbaceous layer, with some species similar to systems occurring further south in Michigan. The floodplain is subject to seasonal overbank flooding, alluvial deposition, and erosion.

Species historically observed in the northern floodplain forest along the Menominee River include hackberry (Celtis occidentalis), red maple (Acer rubrum), silver maple (Acer saccharinum), buttonbush (Cephalanthus occidentalis), bent-seeded hop sedge (Carex tuckermanii), nodding sedge (Carex crinita), Gray’s sedge (Carex grayi), common hop sedge (Carex lupulina), loose-headed oval sedge (Carex projecta), Emory’s sedge (Carex emoryi), small-spike false nettle (Boehmeria cylindrica), fringed brome (Bromus ciliatus), white panicle aster, and northern bugleweed (Lycopus uniflorus).

This site is ranked as Easy access; with flat topography and mucky soils. Rubber or field boots are best for this less than one-mile walk. Bug repellent may be needed.

Biography: Tony Reznicek Ph.D., retired curator of vascular plants at the University of Michigan Herbarium will lead this trip. Tony has researched extensively and published numerous papers on plant systematics and the natural history of the Great Lakes and other regions worldwide. Tony has been a long time active member of Michigan Botanical Society, serving as President of the Society and current Editor of The Great Lakes Botanist. Tony is a renowned field botanist; peers naming two species; Carex reznicekii and Eleocharis reznicekii, after him. He has a strong interest in rare and disjunct species.

Escanaba River: Alvar; Duration: Full Day

Location: Private landholdings (Delta County)

Travel distance: Approx. 12-miles or 15 minute drive

Trip Leader: Brad Slaughter

Description; The shoreline of the Escanaba has numerous exposed alvar zones that support species unique to them including State listed chives (Allium schoenoprasum) and Cooper’s vetch (Astragalus neglectus). The diversity and frequency of species typical of alvar vary due in part to water fluctuations within the river resulting from existing dams.

This site is ranked as Easy to Moderate access; generally flat to gently sloping topography with the exception of one limestone shelf adjacent the river. Walking distance is less than one mile.

Biography: This trip will be led by Brad Slaughter. Brad is Senior Botanist with Orbis Environmental Consulting. He has 20 years of experience managing and conducting ecological and floristic inventories, rare plant surveys, and vegetation monitoring. Brad is a coauthor of A Field Guide to the Natural Communities of Michigan and the 3rd Edition of the Floristic Quality Assessment of Michigan.

North Lake: Submergent/Emergent Marsh; Escanaba River State Forest Muskeg

Location: Menominee County

Travel distance: Approx. 40-miles or 45 minute drive

Duration: Full Day

Trip Leaders: Jo Latimore, Glenn Vander Water, Garrett Crow

Description: North Lake supports a relatively high diversity of submergent and emergent aquatics, quite different from Skeels and Chicago Lakes, including a significant wild rice bed. Submergent and emergent species common to the lake and fringe include northern wild-rice (Zizania palustris), common bladderwort and twin-stemmed bladderwort (Utricularia macrorhiza and Utricularia gemniscapa, respectively), big-leaved pondweed (Potamogeton amplifolius), green-fruited bur-reed (Sparganium emersum), floating-leaved pondweed (Potamogeton natans), pickerel-weed (Pontederia cordata), common reed (Phragmites australis var. americana), arrow-leaved arrowhead (Sagittaria cuneata), and whorled loosestrife (Decodon verticillatus).

It requires participants to get in and out of, and paddle, a canoe. Sunscreen may be needed.

If time permits the group will access a portion of the Muskeg that encompasses North Lake (Menominee County) 45 24 14N 87 27 42W. Species common to this late stage muskeg include, leatherleaf (Chameadaphne calyculata), bog-laurel (Kalmia polifolia), Labrador tea (Rhododendron groenlandicum), black spruce (Picea mariana), and small cranberry (Vaccinium oxycoccos).

The site is ranked as Easy; the topography is generally flat on the trail, with hummock and hollow off trail.

Biographies: See the biographies under Skeels and Chicago Lakes: Submergent Marsh; Hiawatha National Forest

Riverside Cemetery: Oak Openings; City of Menominee

Location: Menominee County, 2-miles West of Menominee

Travel distance: Approx. 55-miles or a one hour drive

Duration: Full Day

Trip Leader: This trip will be led by Bill Brodovich.

Description: The Riverside Cemetery is a historic archaeological site adjacent to the Menominee River. The site was listed on the National Registrar of Historic Places in 1978. It supports burial grounds of First Nation peoples with artifacts from Old Copper and Red Ocher cultures dating from 1090 BC to 70 AD.

The site supports numerous vascular plant species that are largely limited to savanna habitat, including some that are State listed. Species occurring at the site include Bicknell’s rock-rose (Crocanthemum bicknellii), bird’s-foot violet (Viola pedata), butterfly milkweed (Asclepias tuberosa), round-headed bush-clover (Lespedeza capitata), Houghton’s flat sedge (Cyperus houghtonii), and white oak (Quercus alba). If time permits known prairie systems north of town will be investigated as well.

This site is ranked as Easy access, with flat topography.

Biography: This trip will be led by Bill Brodovich. Bill is a well-recognized field botanist in Michigan, responsible for discovering numerous State records. As a consultant, Bill specialized in conducting rare plant surveys, mapping wetlands, performing tree surveys, monitoring mitigation wetlands, and writing technical environmental reports.

Days River: Great Lakes Marsh and Boreal Forest; Escanaba River State Forest

Location: Delta County

Travel distance: Approx. 13-miles or 15 to 20 minute drive

Duration: Half Day AM

Trip Leaders: Ryne Rutherford Ph.D with Susan Fawcett Ph.D

Description: This site lies at the outlet of Days River into Lake Michigan. The outing will investigate that array of emergent and submergent vascular plants found in the Great Lakes Marsh system. Days River Nature Trail bisects a small stand of old growth conifers and hardwoods (not common in this area). The site lies just inland of the marsh system and harbors some very large diameter hardwoods and conifers.

This trip is ranked as Moderate access, requiring the ability to enter and exit, and paddle a kayak. Sunscreen may be needed.

Biographies: This trip will be led by Ryne Rutherford Ph.D with Susan Fawcett Ph.D accompanying. Ryne is an interdisciplinary community ecologist and owner of Biophilia, LLC, an ecological consulting firm. He has extensive experience conducting surveys and monitoring for a broad range of plant, animal, and fungi taxa (reptiles, birds, amphibians, vascular plants and lichens in particular). His PhD work at Michigan Technological University investigated multiple taxa in rock outcrop communities in the context of past glaciation and refugia for potential source populations in a changing climate.

Susan’s primary research is focused on the phylogenomics, taxonomy, and historical biogeography of the fern family Thelypteridaceae. She received her doctoral degree from the Barrington/Sundue Lab at the University of Vermont. She is currently a Research Botanist at the University and Jepson Herbaria at UC Berkeley, and a teaching faculty member at the University of Michigan Biological Station.

Birds and Botany: Northern Hardwood/Boreal Forest/Dry Northern Forest; Hiawatha National Forest

Location: Delta County

Travel distance: Approx. 18-miles or 25 minute drive

Duration: Half Day AM

Trip Leaders: This trip will be co-led by Ornithologist Joe Kaplan and Robert Ayotte.

Description: This field trip will have two stops. The first (45 53 59N, 86 50 58W) is along Forest Road (FR) 2235 bisecting a Northern Hardwood Swamp that is undergoing succession following the death of the predominant black ash (Fraxinus nigra) overstory. Plant succession in dead black ash systems vary depending, in part, by the annual hydrologic regime. This site supports a dense diverse understory of species common when the ash overstory was alive. Bird species vary considerably in changing ecosystems, particularly given the changing structural diversity in the plant communities and this site provides good examples of this.

The second stop (45 54 01N 86 55 35W) is just East of Rapid River within a Dry Northern Forest system dominated by second growth jack pine (Pinus banksiana), varying in density and height. This area has undergone fire in the last two decades. Specific areas within this community type have recently supported varying numbers of the Federally Endangered Kirtland’s warbler (Dendroica kirtlandii). The Dry Northern Forest system supports an array of vascular plants typical of dry sandy areas, such as Pennsylvania sedge (Carex pensylvanica), rough-leaved rice grass (Oryzopsis asperifolia), hairy goldenrod (Solidago hispida), black cherry (Prunus serotina) and numerous Cladonia (Cladonia spp.) lichen.

This site is ranked as Easy access; flat to slightly undulating topography. Rubber boots recommended. May need bug repellent.

Biographies: Joe is director of Common Coast Research & Conservation, a non-profit that specializes in migratory bird conservation. Joe has been involved with monitoring the population dynamics of common loons in Michigan for over 30-years. Joe has traveled throughout the world in search of birds, including numerous trips to Antarctica.

Robert Ayotte currently serves as President of the Michigan Botanical Society. He previously worked as a seasonal botanist and field technician with the Michigan Natural Features Inventory. He has an academic background in natural history interpretation, with an emphasis on forest ecology. His field experience in Michigan’s Upper Peninsula includes a season at Camp Filbert Roth Forestry Camp and another as a forest technician for a Spruce Budworm Impact Study.

A Weaver’s Journal of Endangered Wildflowers

Location: Fiber Arts Studio Tour: Studio of Carol Kasmer Irving, 5645 Portage Point 11.4 Lane, Escanaba

Travel Distance: Approx. 9.5-miles

Duration: Half Day PM, no impact trip

Trip Leader: Carol Kasmer

Description: First and foremost, I am a weaver and I speak in yarn and color. Speaking in this language of fiber can be a challenging endeavor, but the fiber speaks to me too. My current series of woven panels, so named, is “A Weaver’s Journal of Endangered Wildflowers.”

Like a botanist or naturalist who is out in the field collecting specimens, taking photos, and making quick sketches in their journal, I am mimicking those actions. This series is like a journey, connecting me to my roots of botanical studies and love of plants and wildflowers. I have accepted the challenge: turning woven yarn into soil, forest litter, plants and leaves.

Concerned for the future of all threatened species, Michigan’s Wildflowers are near and dear to me. Michigan has many unique habitats and is home to many endangered and special species of plants. This woven series of Michigan’s Endangered Wildflowers will bring attention to their threatened and sometimes endangered status.

This series is a reflection of my interests, travels and research in the botanical world of Michigan. With this field guide of woven panels, I hope to bring attention to Michigan’s many Wildflowers and those that we are in danger of losing.

This no impact trip will be to Carol’s studio to view her work and process.

Biography: Carol Kasmer Irving – Fiber Artist

Detroit-born, Carol Kasmer Irving moved to the Upper Peninsula of Michigan at 24. Before her move, she earned a degree in Botany, lived in New Mexico and then Oregon, and always loved Fiber Arts and Weaving. Carol is an Escanaba artist known for her weavings of endangered wildflowers. Using research tools to guide her, she dedicated 2 years to designing and weaving this special series. In her weavings, she was able to turn woven yarn into soil, forest litter, plants and leaves. This woven series of Endangered Wildflowers brings attention to their threatened and sometimes endangered status. This series is a reflection of her interests, travels and research in the botanical world of Michigan. Her works have won awards in juried art shows and have been collected throughout the US.

Portage Marsh: Sand Beach; Escanaba River State Forest State

Location: Delta County Coordinates: 45 42 22N, 87 04 10W.

Travel Distance: Approx. 4-miles

Duration: Half Day PM, low impact trip

Trip Leader: Craig Elston.

Description: This site supports a diverse flora, particularly species that colonize sandy beaches following the recent lowering of Lake Michigan water levels. A Northern Shrub Thicket is bisected by a trail to access the beach. Plants occurring in the sand beach zone include, seaside spurge (Euphorbia polygonifolia), sea-rocket (Cakile edentula), baltic rush (Juncus balticus), marsh skullcap (Scutellaria galericulata), silverweed (Potentilla anserina), Canada wild rye (Elymus canadensis), common water horehound (Lycopus americanus), wild mint (Mentha canadensis), Lady’s-thumb (Persicaria maculosa), and grand beach grass (Ammophila breviligulata).

Biography: This trip will be led by White Pine Chapter President Craig Elston. Craig has been giving interpretive walks as the Naturalist for the City of Hudsonville for over 25 years. He travels the state finding and photographing our native flora. Craig is also the part time Greenhouse Manager for Hope College’s Biology Department.

This site is ranked as Easy access with flat topography.

Traveling Home Option Stop

Location: Point aux Chenes Bay; Mackinac County, 45°55’20.0”N 84°52’40.1”W, 45.922223, -84.877816 (Approx. 2-miles East of Brevort Lake Road).

Travel Time: Approximately 2 hours from Escanaba.Great site to experience the low dune and swale complex and associated plants.

Low to moderately low impact. Park off the pavement along US2.

Evening Speakers

Monday, July 7

Tony Reznicek: Curator Emeritus, University of Michigan Herbarium

Integrating Michigan Floristics over 2½ centuries, 1810 to 2060: Past, present, and a little of the future.

Far into the past, we extrapolate the vegetation and flora from fossils. More recently, i.e., ca. 1800, we make inferences about the vegetation from surveyors notes, with very indirect extrapolation about what was likely growing in that vegetation. The first herbarium specimens collected in Michigan date from 1810, but only one sheet has survived to the present. From 1810 to 1836, before Michigan became a state, there are a little over 200 collections surviving -- still very few, and mostly with sparse data. But the First Survey, Douglass Houghton’s unique conception of how to develop the new state of Michigan on a scientific foundation, collected nearly 1200 specimens from 1837 to 1840, many with habitat information. This was still before extensive modifications to the landscape by people of European origin. These specimens, and notes by the collectors, allow us to discern that natural habitats in southern Michigan particularly were rather different than now, generally much more open, with more diverse groundwater fed wetlands. We can derive the original native distributions of many rare plants, especially prairie plants. After the vast modifications of the landscape up to the present have taken their toll, we may now also be seeing more subtle impacts of changing climate in recent shifts in plant distributions.

Biography: Tony Reznicek Ph.D., retired curator of vascular plants at the University of Michigan Herbarium has researched extensively and published numerous papers on plant systematics and the natural history of the Great Lakes and other regions worldwide. Tony has been a long time active member of Michigan Botanical Society, serving as President of the Society and Editor of The Great Lakes Botanist.

Tuesday, July 8

Phyllis Higman: Retired Botanist - Michigan Natural Features Inventory
What’s Up with Invasive Plants?

Invasive plants have become a threat to many ecosystems in Michigan. But, what constitutes an invasive plant, why are they of concern, how did they get here, and what is the current status of species in Michigan? The history of many invasive plant species in Michigan is well known, but we still have much to learn about recent newcomers to the State, and those that pose problems in adjoining States and might soon be discovered here. There is a concerted effort at both the Federal and State level to assess the extent of occurrence of invasive plant species and determine levels of action necessary to check to their spread.

At a global scale, threats to natural ecosystems by invasive species has led to numerous concepts for action. Examples include, Edward Wilson’s concept of “Half Earth”, in which 50% of the Earth be set aside for protection; the Nature Conservancy’s “30x30 plan”, which calls for effective protection of 30% of the world’s terrestrial, inland water, and coastal and marine areas, and Doug Tallamy’s “Homegrown National Parks”, which encourages action on personal properties. All express the importance of maintaining natural ecosystems for a healthy earth.

It is not only important that State and Federal agencies remain vigilant in the battle against invasive plants but that private organizations such as the Michigan Botanical Society and citizens alike, do their utmost to educate the public and legislators about the threat of invasive species.

Biography: From an early age Phyllis Higman has been inspired by the natural world, leading her to get a BS in Biological Sciences and Teacher Certification from the University of Michigan, and a Masters degree at Central Michigan University. Phyllis worked as a Botanist for the Michigan Natural Features Inventory for 30-years, specializing in conducting rare plant surveys and educating the public on the threats posed to natural plant communities by the influx of invasive plant species.

Wednesday, July 9

Emily Clegg: Director of Land and Water Management - The Nature Conservancy - Michigan
The Nature Conservancy Great Lakes Region Projects

The on-going crises of biodiversity loss and climate change, demand that we leverage The Nature Conservancy (TNC) lands and waters in an effort to achieve high quality and lasting conservation. This means building partnerships, utilizing expertise, sharing knowledge, and community relationships, to drive conservation actions well beyond the borders of our ownership. TNC has done this for decades, however the urgency is being felt now more than ever. We are taking on different kinds of conservation projects including community led conservation in our Keweenaw Heartlands Project; working with the DNR and the local community to put long lasting sustainable management in a place with unique ecological, cultural, and scenic beauty.

Biography: As Director of Land and Water Management Emily oversees the management of lands and waters owned by TNC in Michigan. She has managed conservation easements, data collection, GIS, the forestry program, and the expansion of the Family Forest Carbon Program in the Northwoods of Michigan, Wisconsin, and Minnesota. Emily also assists in land protection projects and acquisitions.

Emily has a BS in Environmental Science from Northern Michigan University and a MA in Natural Resource Science from Washington State University.