Minnesota Native Plant Society

Plants on the Edge: Monitoring rare disjunct and range-edge species on Lake Superior islands
2022-02-03 19:00 - 20:30 (America/Chicago)
Presented by: Dr. Sarah Johnson, Associate Professor of Natural Resources, Northland College
Plant of the Month: Bistorta alpina, the alpine bistort – Presented by Scott Milburn
This will be a Zoom meeting. MNNPS members, check your email for instructions.
Sarah Johnson, Associate Professor of Natural Resources at Northland College, will present on her collaborative work with the National Park Service to monitor rare coastal plants around the Apostle Islands National Lakeshore and Isle Royale National Park. Rocky coastlines of these Lake Superior archipelagos provide habitat for many range-edge species, including several Arctic/alpine disjunct species. Sarah will share photos and key insights from this work, including the status and trends in populations of some of the rarest species in the western Lake Superior region.
Presenter Bio: Sarah Johnson teaches field botany, wetlands, and natural history courses at Northland College. Sarah is the co-chair of the Plants and Natural Communities Working Group for the Wisconsin Initiative on Climate Change Impacts. She earned a Ph.D. in Botany at UW-Madison.

Importance of Habitat Structure in Prairies
2022-03-03 19:00 - 20:30
Presented by: Chris Helzer, Nature Conservancy’s Director of Science in Nebraska.
The recorded Zoom meeting is available on the Videos page.
Chris Helzer, Nature Conservancy’s Director of Science and Prairie Ecologist, will talk about the importance of habitat structure in prairies. Every animal has its own individual preferences for habitat structure, including short/sparse vegetation, tall/dense, or a patchy mix of those. Some animals need access to multiple types of habitats. Providing for the needs of animals (including invertebrates) means providing the widest possible range of habitat types. Chris will discuss various approaches to creating those habitats at both large and small scales.
Presenter Bio: Chris Helzer is the Nature Conservancy’s Director of Science in Nebraska. Chris’s main role is to evaluate and capture lessons from the Conservancy’s land management and restoration work and share those lessons with other land managers. Chris works to raise awareness about the value of prairies and prairie conservation through photography, writing, and presentations. Chris is the author of two books published by the University of Iowa Press, “The Ecology and Management of Prairies in the Central United States” and “Hidden Prairie: Photographing Life in One Square Meter.”
2017 burn in patch-burn grazed restoration at Suck Pasture. The Nature Conservancy’s Platte River Prairies, Nebraska.

Healing Our Prairies Through Cooperation
2022-04-07 19:00 - 20:30
Presented by: Dr. Marissa Ahlering, Sara Vacek, and Daren Carlson.
The recorded Zoom meeting is available on the Videos page.
It’s hard to know where you’re going if you don’t know where you’ve been. Monitoring plays a key role in understanding what’s happening on your site and how that piece of land is affected by the surrounding landscape. Once you know that, then you can make better informed decisions about what to do next and what management practices to implement in the future. The Grassland Monitoring Team (GMT) has been doing just that since 2008 using monitoring information to recommend best management and further learn from the results. The longevity of GMT also provides opportunities to take a look at the all the data from a new perspective to further improve our prairies. Our presentation will guide you through these 14 years of adaptive management to improve tallgrass prairies via research results, lessons learned, and future directions successfully done through cooperation from many professionals in MN, SD, and ND.
Presenter Bio (Marissa Ahlering):
Dr. Marissa Ahlering received her Ph.D. from the University of Missouri studying avian ecology in the mixed grass prairies of North Dakota and Saskatchewan. After completing this work, she spent three years working with a non-profit organization in Kenya, the University of Missouri, and the Smithsonian Institution studying the coexistence of the Maasai people and elephants. In 2010 she returned to the northern Great Plains and is currently the Lead Scientist for The Nature Conservancy (TNC) in Minnesota, North Dakota, and South Dakota. Her work with TNC focuses on conservation and management of natural ecosystems and the benefits they provide to people and includes issues such as grassland reconstruction, adaptive management, and sustainable grazing. She also leads TNC’s climate adaptation work for the three states.
Presenter Bio (Sara Vacek):
Sara Vacek works for the US Fish and Wildlife Service as the refuge biologist at Morris Wetland Management District. She coordinates the biology program at the district, including inventory and monitoring, research, and planning. Sara received a B.A. in Biology and Environmental Studies from Lawrence University in Appleton, WI and an M.S. in Wildlife and Fisheries Sciences from South Dakota State University in Brookings. When she isn’t at work in the prairies and wetlands of Morris WMD, Sara enjoys spending time with her family, exploring public lands, gardening, and cooking.
Presenter Bio (Daren Carlson):
Daren Carlson is the Monitoring Coordinator for the MN State Wildlife Action Plan (MNWAP) within the Nongame Wildlife Program at the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources. Daren has a B.S. in Ecology, Evolution & Biology and an M.S in Conservation Biology from the University of MN. He spends his time blending work with fun while watching and surveying birds, plants, and all things wild as well as immersing himself in the natural areas across Minnesota, and beyond.

On Lichens: Lessons in Symbiosis
2022-05-05 19:00 - 20:30
Presented by: Joe Walewski, Wolf Ridge Naturalist and Interim Program Director.
The recorded Zoom meeting is available on the Videos page.
Exploring lichens – the ultimate model of symbiosis and community – opened a world that forever changed Joe’s life. Every year he learns something new, makes new connections, and pursues new questions. Joe continues to use lichens as a lens through which he explores the world of being a naturalist and follows his passions. What’s your passion?
As naturalists, we all have a responsibility for the wellbeing of those we study, be they birds or butterworts, ferns or frogs, lichens or landscapes. Joe will take you on a journey through his life with lichens. The lessons he’s learned apply to you and your responsibilities for our collective future. While people all around the world grow ever more disconnected from our natural and cultural communities, it doesn’t have to be that way.
We can learn the lessons of symbiosis.
Presenter Bio (Joe Walewski):
Joe Walewski, Wolf Ridge Naturalist and Interim Program Director, has served the graduate program at Wolf Ridge since the late 1990s. He’s learned education and natural history from an excellent community of naturalists and educators – young and old, near and far. Each year he teaches and learns with 16 educator naturalists looking to learn and practice environmental education and natural history.

Spring Butterfly Trek - Crex Meadows to the Namekagon Barrens
2022-05-14 09:00 - 16:00
Where: Northwestern Wisconsin, near Grantsburg
When: Saturday May 14, 2022 (9:00 AM to 4:00PM)
Leader: Dean Hansen, local butterfly enthusiast
For a dozen years now, Stillwater butterfly enthusiast Dean Hansen has led a day-long trip to look for spring butterflies in the jack pine/oak barrens in northwest Wisconsin’s Burnett County.
The trip will begin at the Visitors’ Center for the Crex Meadows Wildlife Area just north of Grantsburg, WI, and will end up on the Namekagon Barrens in far northeast Burnett County. This area in Wisconsin is very sandy, lightly populated, has square miles of county land to explore, and has a fine component of spring butterflies to see. The dry plant communities here feature lots of lupines, blueberries, bearberries, jack pines, and New Jersey tea. All of these (and other) native plant species are the specific host plants for the larvae of various species of butterflies. A beautiful bog with cotton grass and wild cranberries will also be explored to look for its unique butterfly fauna.
What butterfly species might be seen? Four species of “blues,” four species of elfins, five species of dusky winged skippers, and the Olympia Marble are very likely, and a host of others butterflies are strong possibilities. Several of these species are in flight only in early May to early June, and if one doesn’t see them then, one won’t see them for the rest of the year. Hopefully, some of the overwintering butterfly species will still be in flight. The best viewing year was 2012, when 18 butterfliers saw a total of 31 butterfly species. 2017 was, well, a dismal failure; spits of snow at 9 AM kept butterfly numbers seen to zero. That’s butterflying in May up here on the tundra. But we still had fun!
We will start at the Crex Meadows Visitors’ Center at 9 AM and end up somewhere on Gomuluk Fire Lane on the Namekagon Barrens about 4 PM. Most of the viewing is within 100’ or less of the road, so don’t let any mobility issues keep you from joining us.
You MUST have had two Covid-19 vaccinations to participate. There will be a limit of ten participants for each day (May 14th & 21st).
The trip is open to MNNPS members only and preregistration is required. Email Ken Arndt at ken.arndt@mnrinc.us to register; specify which day you prefer.

Spring Butterfly Trek - Crex Meadows to the Namekagon Barrens
2022-05-21 09:00 - 16:00
Where: Northwestern Wisconsin, near Grantsburg
When: Saturday May 21, 2022 (9:00 AM to 4:00PM)
Leader: Dean Hansen, local butterfly enthusiast
For a dozen years now, Stillwater butterfly enthusiast Dean Hansen has led a day-long trip to look for spring butterflies in the jack pine/oak barrens in northwest Wisconsin’s Burnett County.
The trip will begin at the Visitors’ Center for the Crex Meadows Wildlife Area just north of Grantsburg, WI, and will end up on the Namekagon Barrens in far northeast Burnett County. This area in Wisconsin is very sandy, lightly populated, has square miles of county land to explore, and has a fine component of spring butterflies to see. The dry plant communities here feature lots of lupines, blueberries, bearberries, jack pines, and New Jersey tea. All of these (and other) native plant species are the specific host plants for the larvae of various species of butterflies. A beautiful bog with cotton grass and wild cranberries will also be explored to look for its unique butterfly fauna.
What butterfly species might be seen? Four species of “blues,” four species of elfins, five species of dusky winged skippers, and the Olympia Marble are very likely, and a host of others butterflies are strong possibilities. Several of these species are in flight only in early May to early June, and if one doesn’t see them then, one won’t see them for the rest of the year. Hopefully, some of the overwintering butterfly species will still be in flight. The best viewing year was 2012, when 18 butterfliers saw a total of 31 butterfly species. 2017 was, well, a dismal failure; spits of snow at 9 AM kept butterfly numbers seen to zero. That’s butterflying in May up here on the tundra. But we still had fun!
We will start at the Crex Meadows Visitors’ Center at 9 AM and end up somewhere on Gomuluk Fire Lane on the Namekagon Barrens about 4 PM. Most of the viewing is within 100’ or less of the road, so don’t let any mobility issues keep you from joining us.
You MUST have had two Covid-19 vaccinations to participate. There will be a limit of ten participants for each day (May 14th & 21st).
The trip is open to MNNPS members only and preregistration is required. Email Ken Arndt at ken.arndt@mnrinc.us to register; specify which day you prefer.

Jumping Worms in Minnesota
2022-06-02 19:00 - 20:30
Presented by: Dr. Lee Frelich, Director of the Center for Forest Ecology, University of Minnesota.
The recorded Zoom presentation is available on the Videos page.
Jumping worms are a group of invasive earthworms (Amynthas spp.) known for their leaping, snake-like movement. They live and feed in the upper leaf litter layer of soil, often dramatically damaging its quality and nutrient content. For this reason, jumping worms can trigger erosion, threaten plant growth and decrease soil community biodiversity.
Jumping worms have made their way across North America through composting, the fishing bait trade and by movement of potted plants and mulch. Minnesota is still in the early stages of invasion. Lee will update us on the continued invasion of this species and tell us about the project he is currently working on to develop Best Management Practices for jumping worm infestations.
Presenter Biography:
Lee Frelich is Director of the University of Minnesota Center for Forest Ecology. He has authored 200 publications with 275 coauthors from 25 countries. He is listed among the top 1% of all scientists in the world (Ecology and Environment category) by the Web of Science. His research has been featured in the news media 500 times, including The New York Times, Newsweek and Washington Post. Current research interests include large-scale fire and wind, earthworm invasion, and climate change in temperate and boreal forests.

The University of Minnesota Landscape Arboretum Tour
2022-06-18 10:00 - 13:00 | Minnesota Landscape Arboretum, 3675 Arboretum Dr., Chaska, MN, 55318, United States
A tour of the Horticultral Research Center and walk through the Arboretum grounds.
Where: U of M Landscape Arboretum – Chaska, Minnesota
When: Saturday June 18th, 2022 (10:00 AM to 1:00 PM)
Leaders: David Remucal, Curator of Endangered Plants & Adjunct Professor (Department of Horticultural Science), University of Minnesota and MNNPS Board Member
Come join David Remucal for a tour of the Horticultural Research Center (HRC) at the University of Minnesota Landscape Arboretum followed by a walk through parts of the Arboretum. The first part of the field trip will be a tour of the HRC where David will be giving participants a look at the Rare Plant Rescue Program work that he is involved with. After touring the HRC, everyone will then go to the Arboretum for a walk with David to observe some of the many unique plants (probably native plants 😉) found throughout the grounds. After that you are free to enjoy the rest of the Arboretum on your own and at your own pace. The HRC is located 1 mile west of the Arboretum on Hwy. 5 and it should only take a few minutes to travel between sites.
Participants will be meeting at 10AM at the HRC where the field trip will begin and will then drive to the Arboretum following the HRC tour. It has been arranged by David to have the entrance fee for the Arboretum waived for those attending this field trip.
As always, this field trip is for members of the MN Native Plant Society only and will be limited to 20 registrants. In the event of potential bad weather, participants will be notified of any changes to the day.
Contact Ken.Arndt@mnrinc.us to register for this trip.

A Tour of Cedar Creek Ecosystem Science Reserve
2022-07-09 10:00 - 14:00 | Cedar Creek Ecosystem Science Reserve, 2660 Fawn Lake Dr NE, East Bethel, MN, 55005, United States
Where: Cedar Creek Ecosystem Science Reserve – Bethel, MN
2660 Fawn Lake Dr NE, East Bethel, MN 55005
When: Saturday July 9, 2022 (10:00 AM to 3:00 PM)
Leaders: Katrina Freund, Postdoctoral Associate (Department of Horticultural Science), University of Minnesota and Barb Delaney, Professional Plant Ecologist and Botanist
Come join Katrina and Barb for a tour of the Cedar Creek Ecosystem Science Reserve where participants will tour part of the reserve in the morning followed by lunch on-site (bring your own) and then another walk to other areas of the property. Cedar Creek Ecosystem Science Reserve is a University of Minnesota biological field station with many ecosystems and species found throughout the forests and grasslands of North America.
Participants will meet at 10AM at the Lindeman Center at 2660 Fawn Lake Drive NE in East Bethel.
As always, this field trip is for members of the MN Native Plant Society only and will be limited to 20 registrants. Contact Ken Arndt at ken.arndt@mnrinc.us to register. In the event of potential bad weather, participants will be notified of any changes to the day.

Ordway Prairie Plant Identification Focusing on Native Prairie and Wetland Species
2022-09-17 12:00 - 15:00
When: Saturday, September 17th, 2022 from 12:00 – 3:00 PM
Where: Ordway Prairie, 31505 MN Highway-104, Glenwood, MN 56334 (See directions below)
Limit: 20 People, open to all MNNPS members
Please register by September 1st by emailing jennkamm8@gmail.com
Note: The topography within the SNA is hilly and there are not designated trails.
Guide: Rhett Johnson – DNR Prairie Specialist
Rhett Johnson has worked for the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources (DNR) for five years where his duties include prairie management, developing easements on private lands, prescribed fire, ecological evaluation, and teaching people about plants. His career has included working for a private ecological consulting firm, The Nature Conservancy, and the University of Minnesota, Crookston. Rhett also worked for eight years as an independent botanist on projects all over the country. Rhett has a Bachelor of Science in biology from Iowa State University and a Master of Science in biology from the University of Minnesota, Duluth.
Agenda:
11:45-12:00 Gather at Parking Area
12:00-2:45 Tour of Various Sites and Hands-On Plant Identification
2:45-3:00 Wrap-up Q&A and Discussion
The grasslands of the Great Plains once covered one fifth of the North American Continent. Ordway Prairie represents a fraction of what remains after the West was settled. Visitors are reminded of the history of the Great Plains through the numerous granite boulders and potholes that are evidence of the area’s glacial past. The relatively undisturbed quality of Ordway Prairie’s grasslands and wetlands attracted the Nature Conservancy more than 30 years ago. Rhett will guide a tour of Ordway Prairie focusing on grass identification. However, we’ll identify as many plants as we can in both wetland and upland areas.
Items to Bring:
Hat
Sunglasses
Water/snacks
Bug/tick Spray
Pen or Pencil
Notebook
Plant Identification Books
Hand Lens
Boots, tick gators, long pants/sleeves (ticks and poison ivy are present)
Coordinator: Jennifer Kamm. For more information, feel free to contact Jennifer at jennkamm8@gmail.com or 612-875-0543.
Ordway Prairie Location
31505 MN Highway-104, Glenwood, MN 56334
Park in the pull-out parking area off Minnesota Highway 104.

Link to directions via Google Maps: https://goo.gl/maps/AidKXXdXbPuZkJ2P6

Updating Rare Plant Surveys in SE MN, and Sprague Creek Peatland SNA in Northern MN
2022-10-13 19:00 - 20:30
This Zoom presentation is available on the Videos page.
Talk 1. Updating Rare Plant Surveys on several Scientific and Natural Area Sites in Southeast Minnesota.
Presenter: Mike Lee, Botanist/Plant Ecologist, MN DNR/ and new MNNPS Board Member
This talk will discuss the MN DNR’s recent survey efforts at Wykoff-Balsam Fir, Mound Prairie, Kellogg-Weaver Dunes, and Zumbro Falls Woods SNAs. Highlighted species will include Agalinis gattingeri, Asclepias amplexicaulis, Asclepias stenophylla, Aristida tuberculosa, Carex jamesii, Chrysoplenium iowense, Commelina erecta, Diarrhena obovate, Floerkea proserpinacoides, Galium circaezans, Nuttallanthus canadensis, Phemeranthus rugospermus, and Scutellaria ovata.
Talk 2. Sprague Creek Peatland Scientific and Natural Area
Presenter: Scott Milburn, Botanist, Midwest Natural Resources, Inc./MNNPS President & Board Member
One of the more unique SNA’s, Sprague Creek Peatland SNA, lies on the Minnesota-Canadian border in NW Minnesota. This SNA is primarily forested peatland that includes spring fens, a type of calcareous fen afforded special protection under state law in Minnesota. With several main ditches thorough out, in place since 1910, the hydrology has been altered significantly. There is now a plan to dramatically restore the hydrology to a much larger area that includes the SNA.
This brief talk will present an overview of peatland types in Minnesota, a summary of plant communities at Sprague Creek Peatland SNA (historic and conditions today), and the ideal goal for the pending restoration.

Studying Sundews, a Global Carnivorous Plant Genus Found in Minnesota's Backyard
2022-11-03 19:00 - 20:30
Speaker: Rebekah Mohn, University of Minnesota PhD Candidate
The Zoom presentation is available on the Videos page.
Bio: Rebekah Mohn is a Ph.D. candidate at the University of Minnesota in Saint Paul studying chromosome variation in a group of insect-eating plants commonly known as sundews (the genus Drosera).

The University of Minnesota Bell Museum Herbarium: The history, how it is used, and the ongoing work.
2022-12-01 19:00 - 20:30
The recorded Zoom meeting is available on the Video page.
Presenter: Tim Whitfeld, Herbarium Collections Manager, University of Minnesota Bell Museum
Tim will give a brief history of the Bell Museum Herbarium and discuss the way herbarium collections are used by others. He will also go into some of the ongoing work at the Herbarium in the collection including digitizing and the collaboration with researchers and agencies outside the University. Tim will also touch on some of his collecting work in Minnesota and further afield in Papua New Guinea.

Peatland Restoration as a Natural Climate Solution in Minnesota
2023-02-02 19:00 - 20:30
Presenter: Kristen Blann, Lead Freshwater Ecologist with The Nature Conservancy (MN, ND, SD)
The Zoom presentation is available on the Videos page.

Talk Summary: Peatlands cover 6 million acres or more in Minnesota, representing more than 10% of the state by area and an estimated 37% of stored terrestrial carbon. However, drainage of peat soils has caused and continues to drive significant carbon losses to the atmosphere due to oxidation and decomposition. Given the critical role that protecting and restoring peatlands play in the global carbon cycle, The Nature Conservancy (TNC) in Minnesota is working with partners to develop a peatland strategy as part of our overall climate change mitigation efforts. We have attempted to quantify and refine estimates of peatland conservation and restoration by mapping drained, partially drained and intact peatlands and extrapolating initial estimates of GHG (CO2 and CH4) stocks and fluxes from literature, and we are currently implementing GHG monitoring at a large restored peatland in the Sax Zim Bog. The presentation will summarize our initial mapping results, estimates, and feasibility considerations, as well as updates on our strategies and research plans.
Presenter Bio: Kristen Blann (Conservation Biology, UMN, M.S. ‘00, PhD ‘04) is Lead Freshwater Ecologist with The Nature Conservancy in MN, ND, SD. For the past 15+ years, she has provided technical leadership for freshwater and watershed conservation planning at TNC, including development of ecological flow and water level criteria to support sustainable water management and lake classification and conservation portfolios in 4 states. In addition to peatland protection, she is currently working on climate adaptation and protection for wild rice, as well as science, restoration and protection strategies for floodplains, wetlands, and freshwater in MN, ND, and SD. She is based in north central Minnesota where she and her husband raise vegetables, chickens and grass-fed lamb.

Sherburne National Wildlife Refuge
2023-02-25 09:00 - 12:00
Geology, Birds, and Plants of the Sherburne National Wildlife Refuge
Where: Sherburne National Wildlife Refuge Oak Savanna Learning Center
16797 289th Avenue Northwest, Zimmerman, Minnesota 55398
When: Saturday February 25th, 2023 (9:00 a.m. to 12:00p.m.)
Leader: Bruce Galer, Professional Geologist, Sherburne NWR Volunteer, Master Naturalist, and Jennifer Kamm, Environmental Consultant, Master Naturalist
Come join Bruce Galer and Jennifer Kamm for a discussion of the geology and natural history of the Sherburne National Wildlife Refuge and hike the Blue Hill Trail. A one-hour presentation at the Oak Savanna Learning Center will discuss how the glaciers shaped the landforms we see in the Refuge today, and how these landforms, along with water, influence vegetation and other organisms. Then follow us to the Blue Hill Trail just west of the Learning Center to hike the trail and observe geologic features, birds, and winter botany. The 30,700-acre refuge was established in 1965 at the urging of local conservationists and hunters interested in restoring the wildlife values of the St. Francis River Basin. Following that, the refuge became and remains the largest public land holding in Sherburne County. The refuge is now a wild remnant at the meeting of the western prairies and the northern woods, with oak savanna, prairie opening, forest, wetland and riverine habitats.
Download the flyer with additional information: MNNPS Field Trip – Sherburne National Wildlife Refuge Feb 25 2023
This trip is open to MNNPS members only. To register, please contact:
Field Trip Coordinator: Jennifer Kamm. For more information, feel free to contact
Jennifer at jennifer.kamm@stantec.com or 612-875-0543
Please register by February 24th

State Seed Mixes, Their Evolving Role In Addressing Ecological Challenges
2023-03-02 19:00 - 20:30
Presenter: Dan Shaw, Senior Ecologist/Vegetation Specialist, Minnesota Board of Water and Soil Resources
The Zoom presentation is available on the Videos page.
Talk Summary: State seed mixes have evolved over the last 20 years to meet statewide needs for restoration and conservation programs. With our increasing environmental challenges these mixes are taking on greater significance and new seed mixes are in development to address emerging conservation challenges. This presentation will cover the history, and current activity with state seed mixes, along with a summary of how seed mix design has been evolving to further support wildlife species and increase the climate resiliency of plantings. Information will also be provided about opportunities to provide input about state seed mixes and fact sheets that are in development to guide their installation and management.
Presenter Bio: Dan Shaw is the Senior Ecologist and Vegetation Specialist with the Minnesota Board of Water and Soil Resources (BWSR). His work focuses on plant community restoration, climate mitigation and adaptation, pollinator habitat and invasive species control. He has also taught ecological design and restoration classes at the University of Minnesota for the past 21 years and authored or co-authored and illustrated several publications on ecological restoration and stormwater projects.

Hastings SNA Volunteer Day
2023-03-26 09:00 - 12:00
Help Remove Buckthorn Encroachment on Snow Trillium Population
Where: Hastings Scientific and Natural Area, Hastings, MN
When: Sunday March 26th, 2023, 9:00 a.m. to 12:00p.m.
Leader: Jennifer Kamm
Please join your fellow MNNPS members in an effort to remove buckthorn that is encroaching on a snow trillium population at Hastings SNA. We will be cutting and treating the buckthorn and stacking the cuttings. We will have plenty of tools for everyone. We will meet at the CP Adams City Park parking lot on the north side of Leduc Drive and walk to our treatment area on the south side of Leduc Drive in the south unit of the SNA. We will go to Schoolhouse Scoop for ice cream when we finish.
Hastings SNA consists of two parcels totaling 64.9 acres. The southeast unit where we will be working, is about 43 acres and dominated by mesic oak forest, with old-growth red oak, sugar maple, and basswood on steep north-facing bluffs and bluff tops. Sugar maple-basswood forest covers a small section of the mid-slope, and emergent marsh, pond and floodplain forest cover low-lying areas. Talus slopes and steep escarpments of dolomitic limestone provide habitat for mosses, lichens, and liverworts. The northwest parcel, about 26 acres, is entirely in the Vermillion/Mississippi River floodplain and consists of floodplain forest and emergent marsh. The Vermillion River covers about 3 acres here as it meanders through this parcel. Silver maple dominates the forest, with green ash and American elm. The site topography is varied, with a 52-meter (170 feet) difference in elevation across the site.
This event is for members of the MN Native Plant Society only and will be limited to 20 registrants.
Download the flyer for maps, directions, and more information: MNNPS – Hastings SNA Volunteer Day
To register for this event please contact:
Event Coordinator: Jennifer Kamm, jennifer.kamm@stantec.com or 612-875-0543
Please register by March 20th

Restoring Ecosystem Functionality and Biodiversity in Minnesota’s Changing Climate
2023-04-06 19:00 - 20:30
Presenter: Heather Holm, biologist, pollinator conservationist, and award-winning author
The Zoom presentation is available on the Videos page.
Talk Summary: Four unique biomes converge within Minnesota along a southwest to northeast continuum. Prior to Euro-American settlement, the four contiguous biomes included prairie grassland in southwest and west, tallgrass aspen parkland in the northwest, boreal forest in the northeast, and a mixture of oak savanna, oak woodland, and deciduous forest sandwiched in the middle of these western and eastern biomes. These landscapes have since been radically altered and, with the climate warming, what does the future have in store for Minnesota’s landscape and remaining biome fragments? The presentation will look into the past to understand these biomes at the time of Euro-American settlement, and discuss how Native Americans managed and influenced the composition of the biomes with the regular use of fire. Pivoting to look into the future using projected climate modeling, Heather will address the ecological conditions today, focusing on oak ecosystems and grasslands, then paint a picture of what a functional, biodiverse, and resilient landscape may look like in the future, and what actions are needed to achieve these outcomes.
About the Presenter: Heather is the author of four books: Pollinators of Native Plants (2014), Bees (2017), Wasps (2021), and Common Native Bees of the Eastern United States (2022). Both Bees and Wasps have won multiple book awards including the American Horticultural Society Book Award (2018 and 2022 respectively). Heather’s expertise includes the interactions between native pollinators and native plants, and the natural history and biology of native bees and predatory wasps. Her work has been featured in the New York Times, Minneapolis Star Tribune, and many local publications. Heather is also an accomplished photographer and her pollinator photos are frequently featured in print and electronic publications.

Spring Ephemerals, Sedges, and Birds of Old Growth Hardwood Forest in SE MN
2023-04-30 10:00 - 14:00
Join Michael Lee and Jennifer Kamm in exploring a rich hardwood forest on the bluffs along Partridge Creek In southeastern Minesota.
This field trip is for members of the MN Native Plant Society only and will be limited to 25 registrants. Contact field trip coordinator Jennifer Kamm to register: jennifer.kamm@stantec.com
Download the flyer for more information: MNNPS Field Trip – Partridge Creek April 30

Minnesota’s North Shore
2023-05-04 19:00 - 20:30 | Dakota Lodge, 1200 Stassen Lane, West St. Paul, MN, 55118, United States
Presenter: Chel Anderson, retired botanist & plant ecologist.
A hybrid in-person (Dakota Lodge) and on-line Zoom meeting. The recorded Zoom presentation is available on the Videos page.

7:00 PM Meeting starts, doors will open sometime after 6:30 PM
This will be our first in-person meeting for the plant society in over three years and we hope some of you are able to join us once again! For those who are unable to be there, the option of viewing the presentation through Zoom will continue to take place.
Talk Summary: Northeastern Minnesota straddles the extreme edges of two major North American biomes: the Eastern Deciduous Forest and the Boreal Forest. At this crossroads we find the Lake Superior watershed and MN North Shore. A whirlwind tour of this place—from origins and climate to the diversity and relationships of lands, communities of plants and animals and waters, including Lake Superior— will give you an introduction to one of Minnesota‘s marvel-filled landscapes just as winter relinquishes its firm grip.
About the Presenter: Chel has lived and worked in northeastern Minnesota since 1974. She began her career with the USFS on the Superior National Forest, then transitioned to a consulting botanist, forest and plant ecologist. Before retiring to the rest of her life in 2019, she thrived for a couple of decades as a lead plant ecologist and botanist with the Minnesota Biological Survey. She is co-author with Adelheid Fischer of, North Shore—A Natural History of Minnesota’s Superior Coast.
Other Plant Society Business
Board Member Elections: We will have an in-person vote at the May meeting. Those who are current members of the society will be able to vote. The board of directors has suggested the following slate:
John Arthur (Incumbent)
Jennifer Kamm (Incumbent)
David Remucal (Incumbent)

Geology, Birds, and Plants of the Sherburne National Wildlife Refuge
2023-05-07 09:00 - 12:00
Join Bruce Galer and Jennifer Kamm for a discussion of the geology and natural history of the Sherburne National Wildlife Refuge and hike the Blue Hill Trail.
This field trip is for members of the MN Native Plant Society only and will be limited to 25 registrants. Contact field trip coordinator Jennifer Kamm to register: jennifer.kamm@stantec.com
Download the flyer for more information: MNNPS Field Trip – Sherburne Nat’l Wildlife Refuge May 7

Spring Butterfly Trek
2023-05-13 09:00 - 16:00
This trip is scheduled for May 13 -OR- May 20, depending on weather.
For a dozen years now, Stillwater butterfly enthusiast Dean Hansen has led a day-long trip to look for spring butterflies in the jack pine/oak barrens in northwest Wisconsin’s Burnett County.
This field trip is for members of the MN Native Plant Society only and will be limited to 8 registrants. Contact field trip coordinator Ken Arndt to register: ken.arndt@mnrinc.us
Download the flyer for more information: MNNPS Field Trip – Spring Butterfly Trek May 13 or 20

Tiffany Bottoms Train Ride
2023-09-09 13:00 - 17:00
Where: On Highway 25 about 4.5 miles south of Durand, Buffalo County, Wisconsin
When: Saturday, September 9th, 1-5 p.m.
Leaders: Steve Eggers, Jennifer Kamm
Come join your fellow MNNPS friends on Saturday, September 9th for the unique experience of an open air, antique train ride into an expansive, high quality floodplain forest of the Chippewa River. The event is hosted by the Chippewa Valley Motor Car Association. Enjoy stops with short hikes into floodplain forests, savannas and prairies.
Please see the flyer for more details.
You must be a member of the Minnesota Native Plant Society to participate. Register for this trip by emailing Jennifer Kamm at Jennifer.kamm@stantec.com

Discussion on Welby Smith’s newly published book, Ferns and Lycophytes of Minnesota
2023-10-05 19:00 - 20:30 | Dakota Lodge, 1200 Stassen Lane, West St. Paul, MN, 55118, United States
Presenter: Welby Smith, State Botanist with the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources
The recorded presentation is available on the Videos page.

Please join us for the upcoming monthly meeting with our presenter, Welby Smith, who will discuss his newly published book, Ferns and Lycophytes of Minnesota. Welby will share some interesting stories about ferns and discuss the book itself and the key people behind this great new resource!
Terrace Horticultural Books (Kent Petterson) will have Welby’s new book available for sale at the meeting, so this will give folks an opportunity to both purchase the book and support a local business. The cost for Welby’s book will be $40 (tax included). Kent from THB will be able to accept payment by credit card, cash, and check.
The following is a book review of Welby’s book by Kent.
Book Review: Ferns and Lycophytes Of Minnesota
A new flora for Minnesota from State Botanist, Welby Smith, has been added to his impressive list of work on plants in Minnesota. Ferns and Lycophytes of Minnesota is the first new field guide on ferns, (more on Lycophytes a bit later) in over 40 years. The book is published by the University of Minnesota (ISBN978-1-5179-1466-0) @ $39.95. Editors have repeated the format of Smith’s 2018 Sedges and Rushes of Minnesota, for this updated flora that incorporates rapidly advancing DNA understandings of these plants.
A previous flora, Ferns of Minnesota by Rolla Tryon was last updated in 1980. An aborted attempt at an update by Warren Wagner of the University of Michigan in partnership with Smith ended in 2000 with the death of Wagner.
With this new flora, Welby Smith has not gone alone with this addition to the Minnesota Biological Survey. Support from the Minnesota DNR, specimen photography by Richard Haug, and also help from a long list of contributors produced this fine addition to our flora. A new complete field guide of appropriate size and heft to species identification. Two pages for each species showing a distribution map, in several cases color illustrations by Smith that are actually photos that look like water color paintings, and color specimen ID photos by Haug for 80 fern species, plus 8 orders of 20 Lycophyte species.
Per Welby Smith, “At the beginning of each chapter is a page showing a collage, then the chapter is broken up into genera. At the start of each genus “subchapter” is a page showing 2-dimensional images of a leaf of each species. All the images on the order and genus pages are photographs that I took. Using photo editing software I placed the images side-by-side to show the differences – in typical field-guide style. Every image in the book is a photograph. For each species in the book, there is a page of field photos. That is, photos of the species in their natural habitat. Rick Haug took maybe 90 percent of these field photos (He’s the best field photographer I have ever seen.) A number of other people including myself took the rest of the photos.”
You will learn a lot about these plants and find ID help for sure in this clear and well written book. There is no doubt, Welby Smith is a giant in his field. His flora work with books on Orchids, Trees & Shrubs, Grasses and Sedges, and now Ferns and Lycophytes, together represent 40 years of field work and research. This book is a must have for any plant enthusiast.
Kent Petterson
Terrace Horticultural Books

Minnesota's Peatlands: Climate Change, Carbon, and Cool Plants
2023-11-02 19:00 - 20:30 | Dakota Lodge, 1200 Stassen Lane, West St. Paul, MN, 55118, United States
Presenter: Laura Reuling, Research Scientist, University of Minnesota
The recorded program is available on the Video page.

Laura Reuling is a researcher scientist at the University of Minnesota in the silviculture program. Her research explores applied questions about forest ecology, forest stand dynamics, and regeneration. Current projects include exploring stand development and forest composition in peatland forests, forest response to fire in northern Minnesota, and the impacts of biochar as a soil additive on seedling survival and growth.

2023 Symposium: Minnesota's Forests, Today and Tomorrow
2023-11-11 08:30 - 15:30 | Minnesota Landscape Arboretum, 3675 Arboretum Dr., Chaska, MN, 55318, United States
Speakers and Topics

8:30-9:00 Registration
9:00-9:20 Welcome to the Symposium and the Minnesota Landscape Arboretum
9:20-10:20 White Pine: The Natural and Human History of a Foundational American Tree. John Pastor, Professor Emeritus, University of Minnesota Duluth
10:20-11:20 Adaptive Silviculture for Climate Change. Dr. Windmuller-Campione Lab: Abby Daniel, MS Student, Catherine Glenn-Stone, MS Student, and Nick Parrott, MS Student
11:20-11:35 Minnesota Plant Watch Program Announcement
11:35-12:30 Lunch
12:30-1:25 Giving Nature a Nudge: How National Forests in Minnesota are Incorporating Assisted Migration and Other Climate Adaptation Techniques into Forest Management. Katie Frerker, Climate Adaptation Specialist, Northern Institute of Applied Climate Science, US Forest Service
1:25-2:20 Defining Plant Ecological Specialists and Generalists. Matthew A. Kaproth, Associate Professor, Minnesota State University
2:30-3:30 The Future of Boreal Forests. Lee Frelich, Director, The University of Minnesota Center for Forest Ecology

Payment Options
Register online or download and mail in the 2023 MNNPS Symposium Registration Form & Brochure
Direct any questions regarding registration to: Shirley Mah Kooyman, smkooyman@gmail.com, 763-464-8323.
Event Sponsors
Plant Conservation Program at the Minnesota Landscape Arboretum, and Terrace Horticultural Books

MN PlantWatch
2024-02-01 19:00 - 20:30
Presented by: Angela Miner and Deanna Leigh.
The recorded Zoom presentation is available on the Video page.
MN PlantWatch is a new community science initiative that supports the conservation of Minnesota’s rare native plants. Volunteers search for plants in their natural habitats, collect important data about species location, population health and potential threats, and contribute to conservation seed banking. We will share stories and accomplishments from the 2023 inaugural field season. Learn what it is like to volunteer, future goals for the program and how you might become involved.
Angela Miner is the Conservation Botanist for the University of Minnesota’s Landscape Arboretum (UMLA). She works with the UMLA’s Plant Conservation Program to conserve, research, and bank seed for MN’s rare plant species. She holds a degree in Conservation Biology from the University of Minnesota, has worked with habitat management and restoration with The Nature Conservancy, and began working with the MN PlantWatch program in the spring of 2023.
Deanna Leigh is a Community Science Program Coordinator with the DNR’s Minnesota Biological Survey. She holds a BS in Environmental Studies from Trinity Western University and a MS in Environmental Science from Western Washington University. She pursued various natural resources and field research opportunities across North America before returning to her home state of Minnesota in 2017 for a position with DNR Parks and Trails. She joined MN PlantWatch in April 2023 and is thrilled to be working with rare species.

Seminary Fen SNA Volunteer Event
2024-03-03 09:00 - 12:00
Please join your fellow MNNPS members in an effort to remove buckthorn that is encroaching on a rare plant population at Seminary Fen SNA on Sunday March 3, 2024, 9:00 a.m. – 12:00 p.m. We will be cutting and treating the buckthorn and stacking the cuttings. We will have plenty of tools for everyone. We will go get coffee when we finish. Download the flyer for further details.
This event is for members of the MN Native Plant Society only and will be limited to 20 registrants. Please register by February 28.
To register for the event, contact Jennifer Kamm at Jennifer.kamm@stantec.com.

Comparing the impacts of patch-burn grazing on vegetation in two northern tallgrass prairies
2024-03-07 19:00 - 20:30 | Dakota Lodge, 1200 Stassen Lane, West St. Paul, MN, 55118, United States
Presenter: Fred Harris, plant ecologist, MN DNR (retired)
The recorded Zoom presentation is available on the Video page.

Plant of the Month: The genus Phemeranthus “Everything you ever wanted to know about Phemeranthus, but…”
Talk Summary: MN Biological Survey has long term projects to monitor the effects of management on the prairie in two of the earliest and largest patch-burn grazing projects in Minnesota: at Chippewa Prairie and at Hole in the Mountain WMA. This presentation will review patch-burn grazing management, differences in results related to different cattle densities, and overall conclusions regarding the importance of monitoring, adaptive management and research in prairie management.
Presenter Bio: Fred Harris is a plant ecologist who worked for the Minnesota Biological Survey from 1992 to 2024 (just recently retired). He conducted surveys to document what remains of significant natural areas and rare plant populations in 27 counties in Minnesota – mostly in the prairie region but also the Big Woods and a portion of the Blufflands. Since 2010, he has also coordinated several projects to monitor the effects of cattle grazing management in Minnesota prairies. Prior to working for the DNR, he spent a year with The Nature Conservancy and completed a PhD thesis on the physiological ecology of several species of Phemeranthus.

Smokey the Beaver: how beaver dams keep riparian corridors green during droughts and wildfires
2024-04-04 19:00 - 20:30 | Dakota Lodge, 1200 Stassen Lane, West St. Paul, MN, 55118, United States
The recorded presentation is available on the Video page.
7:00 PM Meeting starts, doors will open at 6:30 PM
Talk Summary: Beaver dams and beaver mimicry (e.g. Beaver Dam Analogs) are gaining popularity as a low‐cost, nature-based strategy to build climate resiliency at the landscape scale. Beavers slow and store water in their ponds, canals, and the surrounding soil during wet periods which can then be accessed by riparian vegetation during droughts. As a result, the well-watered vegetation in beaver-dammed riparian corridors is less flammable. My research has shown that these beaver-influenced patches of the landscape stay green and can serve as fire refugia, preserving intact, mature riparian habitat – even during fires here in the Great Lakes Region. Perhaps instead of relying solely on human engineering and management to create and maintain drought and fire‐resistant waterways and riparian zones, we could benefit from partnering with beaver’s ecosystem engineering to achieve the same goals at a lower cost.
Presenter Bio: Emily Fairfax is an Assistant Professor of Geography at the University of Minnesota and an affiliate faculty member at the Saint Anthony Falls Laboratory. Dr. Fairfax double majored in Chemistry and Physics as an undergraduate at Carleton College, then went on to earn a PhD in Geological Sciences with an emphasis in Hydrologic Sciences from the University of Colorado Boulder. She uses a combination of remote sensing, modeling, and field work to understand how beaver ecosystem engineering can create drought and fire-resistant patches in the landscape under a changing climate. Her research has been featured internationally in National Geographic, the New York Times, the LA Times, BBC, Vox, and others. When Dr. Fairfax says she can talk about beavers all day, she’s not kidding.
