Talk

For nearly 25 years, Prof. Hudler taught a popular course on fungi at Cornell to classes that often exceeded 400 students. For our group, he will lead us on a light, virtual tour of fungi in local fields and forests with emphasis on the beneficial roles that they play in releasing captive elements to nourish next generations of life. The conversation is intended for audiences with varied scientific backgrounds (or none at all) so please bring questions to ask and observations to share.

Frederick Traugott Pursh was a German-born botanist. He had little formal training, but worked at the Dresden Botanical Gardens.  He came to America in 1799 and ended up working for Dr.

THIS IS AN ARCHIVED PAGE ABOUT A PAST EVENT. For information on the upcoming Members Night, please look for its listing on the FLNPS events page. 

Show some slides or artwork, read a poem, ask a burning question, explain your latest plant-related theory or discovery. This event provides you a chance to share your "phyto" stuff (tangible and otherwise) with your fellow members.

Pot luck of dishes with Native or Naturalized Plant ingredients - Peoples' Choice Prize

Winter Plant ID contest with door prizes - collaborate, use the field guides, just have fun and learn.

Seed exchange and give-away - locally collected seed of ~100 species - take a pinch to try. Bring some to share (label species, location, collection date) & collect responsibly with permission.

Are native plants easier or harder to grow than other plants?  Do native plants require less maintenance in landscapes? With climate change, should we plant southern species or southern genotypes to anticipate future conditions?  Are cultivars of native plants ‘native plants’?  These and other myths and realities will be discussed, with original photos and perspectives gained from over 25 years working nationally and locally in the native plant field.

Chemical communication by plants has long been discussed as a factor in interactions within ecological communities. Volatile organic compounds emitted from a plant that has been attacked by herbivores or pathogens have been found to affect interactions between the plant and its enemies, the plant and the enemies of its enemies, as well as between neighboring plants. How important this chemical information transfer is for larger scale ecological processes (and ultimately the plants’ fitness) has been a topic of controversy, a controversy that will be at the core of this presentation.

Elizabeth Farnsworth is delighted to return to Ithaca, NY, where she was Director of Cornell’s Experimental College from 1987-8. She now reports on New England Wild Flower Society’s recently released comprehensive, peer-reviewed report called “The State of the Plants.” For the first time, the report gathers together the most up-to-date data on the status of plants on the New England landscape. But it is also relevant for the Finger Lakes region, since we share many plant species. From these data, we can discern increases and declines in both rare and common species across all six states.

Near Schoharie Dam in NY, the Gilboa Fossil Forest has been known for some time.  A few years ago, new excavations allowed much more insight into this Middle Devonian forest of giant cycads. See the link above for more information.  Remember, the definition of "native" requires not only a place, but a time period.  So come hear about a much earlier native flora of New York.

Sunflower family species are everywhere, on every continent except Antarctica.  With over 23,000 species worldwide, the Sunflower Family (Asteraceae) is arguably the largest plant family on Earth.  Within eastern North America, Asteraceae can be found in nearly all habitats, from our highest peaks to our coastlines, and from unspoiled wilderness areas to the cracks in urban pavements.  This photographic presentation will lead you on an informative, colorful overview of some of the amazingly diverse, beautiful and intriguing Sunflower family species of northeastern North America.