Minnesota Native Plant Society

Minnesota Wildflowers - the Quest to Create an Online Field Guide for all of Minnesota's Flora
2015-12-03 19:00 - 21:00 UTC | Dakota Lodge, 1200 Stassen Lane, West St. Paul, MN, 55118, United States
By Katy Chayka and Peter Dzuik.
Plant of the Month: Symphyotrichum novae-angliae, New England aster

Eloise Butler Wildflower Garden and Florelegium project
2015-11-05 19:00 - 21:00 UTC | Dakota Lodge, 1200 Stassen Lane, West St. Paul, MN, 55118, United States
Presented by Susan Wilkin and Marilyn Garber
Annual seed exchange follows the presentation.

A Century of Loss in Minnesota's Lake Plant Communities
2015-10-01 19:00 - 21:00 UTC | Dakota Lodge, 1200 Stassen Lane, West St. Paul, MN, 55118, United States
Presented by Donna Perleberg

Dragonflies 101
2015-06-20 13:00 - 15:00 (America/Chicago) | Springbrook Nature Center, 100 85th Ave., N.W., Fridley, MN, 55432, United States
Digital dragonflies in an analog world? Join us for a different kind of field trip with a focus on dragonflies. We will spend about a half hour in the classroom reviewing dragonflies and then spend about an hour out in the wetland looking for dragonflies, taking their photos when we can get them to pose and netting those that do not want to pose. We will have a projector available so the image will be shown on a very large screen instead of a computer monitor. There is no charge to participate, but pre‐registration is required.
Leader: John Arthur, MNNPS Board Member and Dragonfly Expert

Carpenter Nature Center
2015-06-14 10:00 - 12:00 (America/Chicago) | Carpenter St. Croix Valley Nature Center, 12805 St. Croix Trail S, Hastings, MN, 55033, United States
Come join other MNNPS members for an exploration of the moist cliff areas at Carpenter Nature Center. This is challenging topography, not easily accessed, and not entirely catalogued. Many species of ferns and liverworts are to be found on the cliff faces, including walking fern, fragile fern and bulblet fern. Lily‐leaved twayblade should be in bloom along the trail.
Leader: Jyneen Thatcher, Naturalist and MNNPS Board Member
At CNC, park in the main lot and meet at the entrance to the visitor’s center.
Due to the challenging and potentially hazardous terrain, this field trip is limited to 12 participants. Please wear sensible shoes and be prepared to scoot or clamber to stay safe.

Savage Fen SNA and Seminary Fen
2015-06-06 09:00 - 16:00 (America/Chicago)
See two gems of the Lower Minnesota River Valley consisting of sloping, calcareous, organic soil wetlands with springs and small, groundwater‐fed, marl streams. Fifteen members of the sedge family, including 10 species of Carex, as well as the exquisite white lady’s‐slipper orchid, are anticipated highlights. Such floristic diversity in the heart of a large metropolitan area is rare. Problems with invasive species (buckthorn, Phragmites, hybrid cattail) will be discussed. We’ll also tour a small restoration area where a road fill was removed in 1986 and planted by Prairie Restoration, Inc. in an attempt to restore a calcareous fen community.
Where: Savage Fen SNA (Savage) and Seminary Fen (Chaska/Chanhassen)
Leader: Steve Eggers, Senior Ecologist for the St. Paul District Corps of Engineers
To start the day, participants should meet at the parking area for Savage Fen along 128th St. (this road is a dead end). Since this is an all‐day field trip, please pack your own lunch, bring plenty of water and bug spray.

Minnehaha Falls
2015-05-23 09:30 - 12:00 (America/Chicago) | Minnehaha Regional Park, 4801 S Minnehaha Drive, Minneapolis, MN, 55417, United States
Come join other MNNPS members for a morning hike along the banks of Minnehaha Creek where you will get to view over 50+ different species of native plants found in this popular Twin Cities Landmark. Participants will be led by Mike into several different plant communities of the surrounding Minnehaha Falls area including maple‐basswood forest, mesic oak forest, and black ash seepage swamp.
Leader: Mike Lynch, MNNPS President and Naturalist
Participants should meet at the bridge over Minnehaha Creek above the falls by 9:15AM to check in with Mike prior to the start of the field trip at 9:30 AM. Plan on spending approximately 2.5 hours at the park.

Eloise Butler Wildflower Garden
2015-05-02 10:00 - 12:00 (America/Chicago) | Eloise Butler Wildflower Garden, 1 Theodore Wirth Pkwy, Minneapolis, MN, 55422, United States
Enjoy a hike through the Eloise Butler Wildflower Garden, the oldest wildflower garden in the country, for a look at early spring wildflowers. This historic garden is home to over 500 species of plants, all within fourteen acres. We will visit the woodland and wetland areas and have the opportunity to see many spring wildflowers like Dutchman’s Breeches, Bloodroot, Trilliums, Virginia Bluebells, Bellwort, Hepatica, Trout Lilies and more.
Due to the narrow trails within the garden, this field trip will be limited to 15 MN NPS members.
Leader: Shirley Mah Kooyman, Professional Botanist and MNNPS Vice President

We will meet at 10 a.m. at the Wirth Beach House parking lot (where it is FREE to park) and hike to the back entrance of Eloise Butler Wildflower Garden.
Please DO NOT meet at the upper front entrance. If you do that you won’t find us. Also there is a fee for parking at the upper front entrance area.

Coldwater Springs
2015-04-18 09:00 - 11:00 (America/Chicago) | Coldwater Spring, 5601 Minnehaha Dr. S, Minneapolis, MN, United States
Discover spring ephemerals and other spring wildflowers at Coldwater Spring! The Minnesota Native Plant Society will join the National Park Service in searching for and mapping these elusive and beautiful flowers while learning about how they fit into the ecosystem. The maps we make will help the guide future restoration plans at the park.
Coldwater spring is owned by the National Parks Service and jointly managed by the Mississippi River Fund with the help of numerous volunteers. Trails vary from paved asphalt to dirt trails with some steep places, several steps and may be muddy in places after recent rains. Participants should wear sturdy footwear and weather appropriate clothing.
Leaders: Mike Lynch and Park Ranger Neil Smarjesse

2015 Annual Symposium
2015-03-21 08:30 - 17:00 UTC | Bell Museum, 10 Church Street SE, Minneapolis, MN, 55455, United States
“Botanical Ramifications of Environmental Change”
Co-sponsored by the Bell Museum of Natural History
SYMPOSIUM SPEAKERS
Long term ecological history at the prairie-forest border from lake cores: Is the past a guide to the future?
Charles E. Umbanhowar Jr., Department of Biology and Environmental Studies, St. Olaf College
Genetic Foundations of plant adaptation
Ruth G. Shaw, Department of Ecology, Evolution and Behavior, University of Minnesota
A Century of shifts in flowering phenology in the Red River valley
Dr. Steven Traverse, Associate professor, Department of Biological Sciences, North Dakota State University
Using Predictive Models to Explore assisted migration scenarios – pitfalls and opportunities
Pati Vitt, Stone Curator of the Dixon Seed Bank, Plant Biology and Conservation, Chicago Botanical Garden
Spatial signals of climate change in the abundance and distribution of understory species in Wisconsin over 50 years
Jeremy Ash, University of Wisconsin – Madison
Download the brochure and registration form!
