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Michigan Botanical Society

Southeaster Chapter Programs and Field Trips 2025

This is a list of programs planned and being planned for 2025. If you have feedback or suggestions for programs, topics or field trips please send and email to secmichiganbotanicalsociety@gmail.com

Zoom Talk, Thursday, January 9, 2025, 7:00 PM, Winter Wildflowers by Don Drife

My botanical mentor, Howard Miller, always said, “You really don’t know a plant unless you can identify it throughout its growth cycle.” Identify flowering plants in the winter from their stalks, seeds, and dried leaves, teaches you to observe the plants. This talk will provide you with the basic techniques used in their study.

Field Trip, Sunday, January 12 at 2:00 PM, Rouge Park

Winter Wildflower Walk in Rouge Park prairie at the Prairie Pathway (north Trailhead) and Butterfly Garden located along Outer Drive between Joy Road and Tireman Avenue. The Prairie looks different in the winter, but each species still has unique characteristics. Join Don Drife as we look at these wildflowers in the winter. (42.35516218474473, -83.25933764476903)

Tour, Saturday, February 15 at 1:00 PM, University of Michigan Herbarium.

University of Michigan Herbarium, Research Museums Center, 3600 Varsity Drive, Ann Arbor, MI 48108. Join Curator Emeritus, Tony Reznicek, for a tour of the research haystack. The herbarium is an impressive collection of 1.8 million specimens including 1.1 million pressed vascular plants, 280,000 fungi, and 163,000 bryophytes.

Speaker, Sunday, March 9 at 2:00 PM

Field Trip, Saturday, March 15 at 10:00 AM, Lower Huron Metro Park

Speaker, Sunday, April 13, at 2:00 PM

Field Trip, Sunday, April 27, 2025, 2:00 PM, Belle Isle State Park

Location: Shelter # 15 on Belle Isle, Detroit

Link to Belle Isle map (42.3396663524212, -82.97026969771909)

http://greatlakesexplorer.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/03/Map-1024x790.jpg

Field Trip, Saturday, May 4 at 1:00 PM Berberian Woods Nature Preserve, Southfield

Field Trip, Saturday May 17 at 1:00 PM Sutherland Nature Sanctuary near Metamora

Join Ian Ableson the Conservation and Stewardship Director of Six Rivers Land Conservancy for a tour of the Sutherland Nature Sanctuary

Field Trip, Sunday, June 22, 2025, 2:00 PM, Belle Isle State Park

Location: Shelter # 15 on Belle Isle, Detroit

Link to Belle Isle map (42.3396663524212, -82.97026969771909)

http://greatlakesexplorer.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/03/Map-1024x790.jpg

Field Trip, Saturday, June 28 & 29, 2025, Frost Pocket Preserve, Otsego Co, (Very Tentative)

MBS Foray, July 7–10, 2025, Escanaba

Field Trip, Sunday, August 10, 2025, Graham Lakes, Bald Mountain State Recreation Area Bob Muller

Field Trip, Sunday, September 14, 2025, 2:00 PM, Belle Isle State Park

Location: Shelter # 15 on Belle Isle, Detroit

Link to Belle Isle map (42.3396663524212, -82.97026969771909)

http://greatlakesexplorer.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/03/Map-1024x790.jpg

MBS Mini Foray, Saturday, September 20, 2025.

Sunday November 10, 2024 @ 2:00pm

Location: Environmental Interpretive Center(EIC)

U of M Dearborn Campus

Fairlane Drive, Dearborn, MI 48128

Map Link https://www.dropbox.com/s/5ikj7s72oceacif/CampusandTrails.pdf?dl=0

Topic: Unique Michigan Flora

Speaker: Don Drife, President, MBS - Southeastern Chapter

The shores of the Great Lakes are a fascinating area to explore. Some species in Michigan are limited to the shoreline. There are five groups of shoreline plants. 1)They can be endemic, meaning that their entire range is along the Great Lakes. 2) They can be western, meaning that they also occur in mountains in the west. 3) They are coastal, meaning that outside of the Great Lakes region they are found on the ocean shore, or sometimes the shores of other very large freshwater lakes. 4) Some are northern species coming south to the Great Lakes. And 5) species that are more widely distributed outside of our region. Come and learn about these fascinating plants that are a unique part of Michigan’s flora. We will discuss the overall distribution of the plant, their identification, the history behind the discovery of the plant and some of the people they are named for. Join the Southeastern Chapter president Don Drife as we look at a group of interesting plants.

Date: Sunday October 13, 2024

Location: Shelter # 15 on Belle Isle, Detroit

Time: 2:00pm

Ruth Hart will share some information about the restoration work being done by the DNR on the island. Don Drife will help us with tree identification. We will identify wildflowers in the area.

Link to Belle Isle map

http://greatlakesexplorer.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/03/Map-1024x790.jpg

Hope to see you there!

The Southeastern Chapter of the Michigan Botanical Society will be taking a look at ferns in two Michigan Nature Association sanctuaries:

Timberland Swamp and Lakeville Swamp.

Don Drife will give an overview of fern identification. This should be a good chance to learn or review some of Michigan’s ferns. Don recommends getting Daniel Palmer’s Michigan Ferns and Lycophytes: A Guide to Species of the Great Lakes Region. It is available from the University of Michigan Press at https://press.umich.edu/Books/M/Michigan-Ferns-and-Lycophytes

Use code SPRING24 to get 50% off one book. With the discount Palmer’s fern guide costs about $20.00 including shipping.

Our two trips will be:

Saturday, July 6, 2024, 1:00 PM Timberland Swamp

The parking for Timberland Swamp is found at the end of "Ware Street" which runs south where Big Lake Road and Andersonville Road intersect. The address which can get you there is: 5950-5960 Ware Rd, Springfield Township, MI 48350. Waterproof boots are recommended as parts of the trail can get flooded or muddy this time of year.

Thursday, July 25, 2024, 1:00 PM Lakeville Swamp

The meeting location is at this parking lot: 42.81872° N, 83.14967° W. Google Maps should take you to this location if you search for “Lakeville Swamp.” Waterproof boots are recommended as parts of the trail can get flooded or muddy this time of year.