Talk

You don’t have to be an expert to create a meadow! Deanna will take you on a journey through her continuing efforts to restore an old farm field to a diverse meadow ecosystem.  Along with a description of the how tos of this process and the resources she has used, the talk will include the rewards, surprises, challenges, frustrations and utter confusion that she has experienced. This technique can be scaled up or down to meet the land steward’s needs. 

Inland salt marsh is a globally imperiled plant community that is restricted to a small number of occurrences in the northeast U.S. New York has several sites near Syracuse, in varying condition. Using herbarium specimens, Alex compares the historical  distribution of halophytes in NY state to the current extent of these rare,  though degraded, inland salt marsh sites.

Spotting an orchid in the wild can be a thrill.  Some are eye-catching and spectacularly colorful.  Others are small and harder to find and identify. In this presentation, we will discuss the wild orchids I have seen and photographed in western New York State and the parks, preserves, and habitats where they were found. We will learn their identifying features and the unique parasitic and symbiotic relationships some species have with other plants and fungi in the woodlands and wetlands. 

The NY Natural Heritage Program recently led an expedition to Wallface Mountain, in the High Peaks Wilderness Area of the Adirondacks. One of the most botanically important mountains in New York, its cliff face is the tallest in the state. This creates a steep pass and talus community that support unique natural communities and a diverse northern flora.

Short Talks by Members - times in () are approximate start times in  the video.

The Abundant Gravel Garden: Unamended - Krissy Boys
Tips for Online ID Sources: GoBotany & More - Rosemarie Parker (16:33)
Conservation Plus: Bonus Uses of Your Native Plants - Whitney Carleton (33:44)
Explorations of the Flora at Jennings Pond - Arieh Tal (40:30)
Pictures & Stories of Some of Our Native Plants - Robert Wesley (1:03:20)

Time for the annual Solstice Plant Celebration. Bring a dish to pass that has a native, naturalized or invasive ingredient. (Store-bought is welcome and foraged is lovely!) You can stray to regional natives or traditional indigenous peoples' foods. Have fun identifying local plants in their winter state; maybe bring one that you would like identified. Lots of locally collected seeds will be there for your own propagation efforts. (Bring envelopes if you can; we have a limited supply.) Chat with other native plant lovers and enjoy a relaxing evening!

This talk will feature coverage of new preserve properties and a broad overview of certain management strategies and partnerships as they pertain to both native and invasive species. Included in the talk will be examples of efforts related to rare species documentation and collaborative repopulation efforts. Some aspects covered will include the FLLT approach to invasive species management which is based on factors such as: infestation level, ecological sensitivity, staff investment, and cost.

Since the beginning of the 20th century, billions of American Chestnut trees have succumbed to a blight, rendering the species critically endangered. This talk will review efforts to resurrect the species including backcross breeding, The Darling 58/54 cultivar, and the most promising prospects currently in development.

Click here for link to 404 Plant Science MAP 

Fireflies are one of the joys of summer evenings in the Eastern United States. Their flashing communication illuminates moist woodlands and wet meadows, but our first firefly that is becoming abundant now does not flash. And although adult fireflies are well recognized, most folks have never seen a larva. In principle, however, they determine where you will find fireflies, because the larvae feed on slugs and snails.