FEBRUARY PROGRAM RECAP by Rebecca Marquardt, Programs Committee Member Botanical Quest: Documenting Michigan’s Rare Native Flora Through Photography Presented by Craig Elston 2/15/2021 Craig Elston has been an inquisitive naturalist his whole life, as is often the case with those who leave a legacy in natural history. Craig’s gift to the world is botanical […] Continue reading "February 2021 Program Recap"
Ranger Steve’s Nature Niche Hey Bud By Ranger Steve Mueller 2/21/21 Winter tree and shrub buds have distinctive character. They are recognizable by features like being fat, short, tall, scaly, fuzzy or with varied color. Twigs bear terminal and lateral buds. Often winter buds are larger or swollen indicating they are flower buds instead of […] Continue reading "Ranger Steve’s Nature Niche: Hey Bud"
NATIVES TO KNOW Eastern Red Cedar – Juniperus virginiana Compiled by Joyce Tuharsky The Eastern Red Cedar is not a true cedar. It is a juniper, and the most widely distributed native conifer east of the U.S. Rockies. It also occurs in Oregon. Other common names for this tree include: Virginia juniper, Eastern juniper […] Continue reading "Natives to Know: Eastern Red Cedar"
Essential Oils and Plant Defenses People use essential oils in aroma therapy, for relaxation, muscle soreness, and possibly other things. ‘Essence’ is the key word and it is not essential in the sense that it has value like found in some chemicals for body functions like iron, iodine, and potassium. Website articles touch on essential […] Continue reading "Ranger Steve’s Nature Niche – Essential Oils and Plant Defenses"
More Bitter Than Sweet: The Invasive Vine That is Taking Over Kent County’s Healthy Forests and “Villages” by Rebecca Marquardt, WORC Program Co-Chair This past fall it was hard not to see the lemony-yellow leaved vine climbing up so many of the Oak and Hickory trees for which much of Kent County is known. Celastrus orbiculatus, otherwise known […] Continue reading "More Bitter Than Sweet: The Invasive Vine That is Taking Over Kent County’s Healthy Forests and “Villages”"