Course Schedule—2007
28 January 2007 is the date of an Advanced Techniques seminar covering the Hawthorns of New England. The genus Crataegus has a legendary reputation for difficulty. These taxonomic difficulties are largely created by three issues. The first is the vast number of species that have described, often without careful systematic study. This has resulted in a large and complicated synonymy, with many names applying to the same plant. The second issue relates to rarely collected species. Though New England has a large number of hawthorns that are documented to occur in the region, most of these are extremely rare and in some cases no longer extant. Therefore, the identification keys are long and cumbersome, but the reality is about ten species are encountered over and over on the landscape. The final issue pertains to the characters used to describe Crataegus species. Many previous researchers in this group have done a poor job of qualifying and quantifying what the character states are, resulting in confusion and an inability to key species (many examples will be provided during the class). Given that New England boasts several regional and some globally rare taxa, it is important that field botanists working in this region begin to understand hawthorns and that conservation practices include them in their landscape analyses and management plans. This workshop will allow participants to gain and understanding of the morphological characters used to identify hawthorns and learn which species to focus their personal study on. Lecture, guided keying of pressed plants, and color images will be used during the workshop. The class will be held at the Delta Institute of Natural History (Bowdoin, ME) from 12:00 to 4:00 pm. If you are interested in an introduction to this long-used skill, please contact the Education Department at the New England Wild Flower Society (508-877-7630) or visit http://www.newfs.org/courses.html.
25 February and 18 March are the dates of an Advanced Techniques seminar covering the Panic Grasses of New England (Genus Dichanthelium). Available evidence shows rather convincingly that the genus Dichanthelium (along with some other panic grasses) needs to seggregated from the large genus Panicum. Dichanthelium represents the largest and most difficult group of panic grasses (23 taxa in New England). Complicating identification is the presence of several species complexes made up of several races of grasses that differ in subtle ways from each other. This class will provide students with the necessary vocabulary to understand the morphology in Dichanthelium and gain a better understanding of the species that occur in our region. Up-to-date taxonomy will also be a focus, helping participants become familiar with the names and synonymy used in the Flora of North America contribution for this group. Lecture, guided keying of pressed plants, and color images will be used during the workshop. The 25 February class will be held at Garden in the Woods (Framingham, MA). The 18 March class will be held at the Delta Institute of Natural History (Bowdoin, ME). Both classes will be offered from 12:00 to 4:00 pm. If you are interested in an introduction to this long-used skill, please contact the Education Department at the New England Wild Flower Society (508-877-7630) or visit http://www.newfs.org/courses.html.
25 March 2007 is the date of an Introduction to Plant Systematics course. Module 3 will begin to examine tracheophyte families referred to as the tricolpates (i.e., the majority of dicot plants). During this meeting, disccusion will include primitive tricolpates (e.g., Ranunculaceae, Papaveraceae, Amaranthaceae) and eurosids (e.g., Rosaceae, Betulaceae, Brassicaceae). Lecture will use text and images that describe both critical characters for family level identification and representative genera in New England. The course will focus on modern taxonomy and family arrangements, as set forth in Judd et al. (Plant Systematics: A Phylogenetic Approach) and later publications. Class will meet at 1:00 to 4:00 pm. If you would like more information or would like to learn how to register, please contact the Education Department at the New England Wild Flower Society (508-877-7630) or visit http://www.newfs.org/courses.html.
23 June 2007 is the date of a Foraging in the Field outing in Brunswick, ME. Collecting wild edibles is becoming an increasingly popular activity. The idea of self-sufficiency, a connection to the local landscape, and existence of abundant health benefits are just some of the attractions to foraging. Many wild plants are known to contain higher levels of nutrients than their cultivated counterparts. For example, the leaves of Taraxacum officinale (common dandelion) contain 70 times more vitamin A than oranges and twice that of spinach. Another example, the fleshy hip surrounding the true fruits of Rosa (roses) contains as much as 50 times the vitamin C of lemons. For these reasons and more, learning to identify, gather, and process wild edible plants can be very rewarding. This walk will visit a stretch of river that harbors both native and naturalized plants. Though the outing will focus on food plants, medicinal and other uses will also be discussed. Some common misconceptions, including those that are in print in various foraging books, will also be noted. The class will meet from 11:00 to 3:00 pm. If you would like more information or would like to learn how to register, please contact the Education Department at the New England Wild Flower Society (508-877-7630) or visit http://www.newfs.org/courses.html. For a map to the meeting location, click here.
6–8 July 2007 are the dates of a St. John River Flora Trip. This three-day field trip will visit northern Maine to examine some of the exemplary plant communities that define the "North Maine Woods" experience. The main focus of the excursion will be the St. John River, arguably New England's most pristine large river. Various geological forces have exerted their influence on the river course, creating a unique assemblage of plant communities that harbor some of the rarest plants in the region. Participants will explore the ice-scoured shorelines and beaches, getting the opportunity to roam over rock outcrops, fen-like river seeps, and open meadows. Species such as Salix myricoides (bayberry willow), Hedysarum alpinum (alpine sweet-vetch), Juncus vasey (Vasey's rush), Eleocharis quinqueflora (few-flowered spikesedge), and Carex sterilis (dioecious sedge) are just some of the regionally rare plants that will be encountered while on the river. In addition to the river, this trip will also visit one or more northern white cedar swamps in the greater Presque Isle area, plant communities that are known for their rare elements, including orchids, sedges, and violets. On this botanical outing, participants will examine and discuss all forms of tracheophytes (i.e., vascular plants excluding mosses) that are observed, so prior experience in botany and taxonomy is recommended. Two nights of lodging at the Old Iron Inn Bed and Breakfast are included in the tuition, a feature that is alone worth the trip to northern Maine for antiques and fresh baked goods. If you are interested in an introduction to this long-used skill, please contact the Education Department at the New England Wild Flower Society (508-877-7630) or visit http://www.newfs.org/courses.html. For directions to the meeting location, click here.
28 October 2007 and 20 January 2008 are the dates of a Advanced Techniques seminars covering the Goosefoots and Glandular-Goosefoots of New England. The genera Chenopodium and Dysphania (formerly considered to represent one genus─Chenopodium) represent technically challenging genera of the Amaranthaceae. Because of the many specialized terms and relatively small reproductive features, many have avoided tackling this interesting group of plants. Though most are familiar, at least by sight, of many weedy species, there are many natives that occur in diverse plant communities, including coastal beach systems, cliffs and talus slopes, and woodlands overlying high pH bedrock. In fact, Chenopodium contains several globally and regionally rare species in New England. This half-day workshop will focus on necessary vocabulary to use contemporary identification keys. Lecture, presentations using color digital images, and guided keying of pressed specimens from throughout New England will allow students to gain familiarity with the diversity of this genus. Collections available to the students will include species of conservation concern. The workshop on 28 October 2007 will be offered at Garden in the Woods (Framingham, MA). The workshop on 20 January 2008 will be offered at the Delta Institute (Bowdoin, ME). Both will run from 12:00‒4:00 pm. If you are interested in enrolling for either of these classes, please contact the Education Department at the New England Wild Flower Society (508-877-7630) or visit http://www.newfs.org/courses.html.