1. home and garden

WildfloraRI
Vol. 22 No. 3
BULLETIN OF THE RHODE ISLAND WILD PLANT SOCIETY
Winter/Spring 2008-9
This article, by Lisa Lofland Gould appeared in the very first RIWPS newsletter. It is as vital a topic today as
it was 20 years ago, if not more so. One of RIWPS education themes for the coming year will be how we can be
part of preserving native habitats and diversity. At our annual meeting in March, David Tallamy, whose book
Bringing Nature Home: How native plants sustain wildlife in our gardens, will address ways that we can support diversity in our own backyards.
Why Go Native?
The Importance of Maintaining Species Diversity
By Lisa Lofland Gould
few months ago, as I was expressing my concern for protecting native plants, a friend asked
me, "Why bother protecting natives? Some plants are global in their distribution, and
they’re the ones that will survive. What’s wrong with introduced or naturalized plants?"
Of course, nothing is wrong with plants from other parts of the world; in fact, plants like the
dandelion, common reed, barberry and Queen Anne’s Lace are extraordinarily successful in biological terms and are pretty as well. I grow many non-native herbs and flowers in my gardens, and
enjoy them for their beauty and usefulness. A problem exists, however, when non-native plants
invade natural ecosystems. Native organisms have evolved as part of a specific community of
organisms, a complex set of interrelationships complete with "check and balances" for each kind
of organism. Non-native species may not be subject to these natural brakes on population growth
and can end up out-competing the natives and upsetting the community in a number of ways (the
ecological literature is full of examples of these situations, such as the introduction of rabbits and
of Prickly-pear Cactus into Australia; the mongoose onto the Caribbean Islands; starlings, pigeons,
gypsy moths and Purple Loosestrife into the United States, to name but a few.
If introduced species were the only problem ecosystems faced, there might be little cause for
worry. Natural ecosystems throughout the world, however, are besieged with difficulties; pollution,
over-lumbering, wetland drainage or filling, over-grazing, herbicide use, over-collecting (for collectors and gardeners, crafts, medicinal purposes), development, and war are gobbling up the
world’s wild areas, and causing the extinction of hundreds of species each year. If these current
trends of habitat destruction continue (and they are likely to accelerate), it is estimated the world
will lose from one-fourth to one-half of all existing species by the year 2100.
What does this mean to us now, and what will it mean in the future? Some scientists compare
the Earth’s organisms with a giant library, most of the books never read, translated, or even titled.
Just as we are beginning to be able to translate the information in a few of the books—to understand the "language" of DNA—we are burning the library. Whole sections of the library are on
fire right now, especially the tropical wing, the largest collection of all.
In human terms alone this is a loss beyond measure. Each day we benefit from newly found
plants and animals, which give us food, fiber, medicines and other materials. In agriculture, the
introduction of genes from wild plants increases productivity an estimated 1% per year, a worth
of several billion dollars. Your chances of surviving leukemia or Hodgkin’s disease are greatly
improved from twenty years ago, due to a little tropical periwinkle that yields cancer-fighting
agents. We feed more people now than ever before, on less land, and we relieve more suffering,
because of these and other plants and animals.
Yet daily we decrease the potential for finding new benefits to humankind, by the destruction
of habitats all over the world and the subsequent extinction of numerous species. The extinction
of organisms is irreversible; we cannot retrieve a species once it is gone. The book is burned forever and the results of losing that "book," unknown. In addition to human need and sound scientific reasoning, some of us will recognize the extinction of a plover or a Pogonia as an aesthetic
and spiritual loss; we are diminished by it.
Protecting diversity is an investment in the future, an investment to which each of us, right here
in Rhode Island, can contribute. By avoiding planting invasive, non-native plants, we give our
natives more of a chance for survival. By encouraging local, state and federal officials to adopt
sound and non-polluting land-use plans, we protect native species and our own health. Last, but
by no means least, we can support efforts to preserve natural ecosystems intact, maintaining them
as living museums and as natural gene banks, for future generations.
A
Asclepias incarnata
Swamp-milkweed
INSIDE THIS ISSUE
President’s Message
Old/New Trail in Narragansett
Book Review: Wildflowers in the
Field and Forest
Budding Botanists:
Create a Wonder Jar
The RIWPS REPORT
2008 Harvest Dinner
2009 Flower Show
2009 Spring Plant Sale
SeedStarters News
New Members
Winter-Spring
2009 Calendar of events
January General Meeting:
Propagation Techniques
for Native Plants
Annual Meeting:
Bringing Nature Home
Included with this Issue
Cultivation Note: Dogwoods
A Message from the President
Networking for Preservation
Among the great treasures of Rhode Island
are the many and diverse "wild" places scattered all through the state. When I first
arrived on these shores, I was fortunate to
meet several people who knew of special locations that I just had to explore. This was how
I first learned about RIWPS.
One of my latest wild friends is Bill Bivona,
of Narragansett. He is in the process of trying
to adopt a trail that starts at the Narragansett
Beach parking area. It wanders through a lovely wooded area that is surrounded by subdivisions and tourist business, but it remains a
quiet place, with vernal pools, lots of native
shrubs and a sense of timelessness. (See
"Old/New Trail in Narragansett")
As we walked and talked, it occurred to me
that this was truly the type of interaction that
RIWPS is all about—discovering areas,
New/Old Trail in
Narragansett
By Bill Bivona
One hundred years ago, a cart track ran
through a pasture along Pettaquamscutt Cove,
the southern leg of Narrow River in
Narragansett, RI. The cart track crossed a
crude bridge made from huge slabs of granite
laid across Crooked Brook. Sections of the
track were raised up with fill retained by a line
of rocks on the downhill side to keep cartwheels from sinking in the muck.
The farm belonged to the Robinsons, one of
the first families to settle in the region.
Governor William Sprague bought a portion
of the farm and built a grand mansion for his
wife, Kate, and his children. The pasture
became their lawn. A row of stately chestnut
trees lined one driveway, and beeches lined
another. Then, one night, the mansion burned
to the ground.
Over the years the land progressed from virgin forest to farmland to governor’s estate to
second growth forest. Narragansett took the
remaining 175-acre parcel by eminent domain
when the owner declared his intent to build a
vast housing development. After building a
grammar school, a community center, a
sewage pumping station, and leasing several
acres to the South County Museum, the town
made very little use of the land, except to
maintain an unmarked walking trail on the
old cart track.
The cart track still remains as a footpath that
stretches from Beach Street to Mumford
2
becoming familiar with them, working to preserve the sites and sharing them with others.
We have many members who are already
actively pursuing this philosophy, but it is
something we all should be doing.
RIWPS talks, walks and future native plant
gardens are great public outreach programs,
but personal involvement is vital to protecting
these extraordinary areas.
Is there an area you would like to share with
our members? Let me know. This information
could be put on our website or be a regular
column in WildFloraRI. If each of us had one
or two or even three natural areas that we
could explore and study, then share the experience with others, it would greatly expand the
number of people who intimately know these
natural areas, and we could band together to
protect these often threatened areas.
Cheryl Cadwell, President
Road, for a distance of 1.5 miles. Along the
way, it passes South County Museum, a oneacre cleared field, the stone bridge, the Chafee
Wildlife Preserve, vernal pools, ancient surface granite quarries, a grove of one-hundred
year old beeches, a chestnut-lined lane,
numerous stone walls. Along the way are
beautiful vistas of Pettaquamscutt Cove and
the salt marshes along Narrow River.
The Rhode Island Wild Plant Society has
offered to assist the town in labeling the many
wild shrubs and flowers that abound along
the trail. Since the grammar school sits at one
end of the trail, the labeling project would
enhance the natural history education of the
many K thru 6th graders that trod the trail
each year.
Trail Location
From Route 1A: Beach Street (1A) passes by
the South Pavilion of Narragansett Beach.
Across from the pavilion, drive between two
ponds adjacent to the road into an unpaved
parking lot. One trailhead leads from the center of the right side of the lot. Cross through
a grove of beeches to find the trail. Another
trailhead starts from Anne Hoxsie Lane,
beyond the parking lot. A sign marks the trailhead.
From Kingstown Road (1A): Turn onto
Mumford Road. Then turn into a large parking lot, on the right, that serves the school
and the community center. Drive straight
back and park near the center. Walk behind
the center building and find the trail at the far
rear corner in back of the barbecue facility.
WildfloraRI | 401.789.7497 | email: [email protected] | www.riwps.org
Book Review
By Dorothy G. Swift
I’d like to draw your attention to the book,
Wildflowers in the Field and Forest: A Field
Guide to the Northeastern United States, by
Steven Clemants and Carol Gracie (Oxford
University Press, 2006, 445 pp). I purchased
this book in hardcover when it was first published (list price $75.00) and did not review it
sooner because of the high cost. There is now
also a paperbound edition with a list price
under $40.00; you can find it available for
substantially less, if you check several sources.
Dr Clemants is a research scientist at the
Brooklyn Botanic Garden, and Carol Gracie is
a nature writer and photographer. This book
can be differentiated from similar field guides
by the use of excellent color photographs to
illustrate the plants, emphasizing the flower.
(The large number of photographs no doubt
is the reason for the price of the book).
Species are grouped first according to flower
color and then by family or several families.
Besides a brief description and a color photograph, there is a map for each. The map is of
the Northeastern United States, with the
plant’s native area colored in, with color codes
for the plant’s season of bloom. The format
has the page on the left side containing the
map and text, with the page on the right side
containing color photographs of the 6 to 8
species described on each 2-page unit.
The photographs make this a very useful
book, and one that is desirable to have. Other
field guides, such as Newcomb’s or Peterson,
mainly have black and white sketches of the
plants and flowers, but they do have more textual information. I’d recommend Clemants
and Gracie as a very useful field guide to use
in conjunction with one of the others. If a
plant is in bloom, it will provide a quick identification.
RI WILD PLANT SOCIETY
Saturday, January 10, 2009
PROGRAM & GENERAL MEETING
Location: North Kingston Public Library
Boone Street, Wickford, RI
Guest Speaker: Leslie Duthie
Propagation Techniques for Native Plants
Learn the ins and outs of propagating native plants from ferns to wildflowers to native
trees and shrubs. The lecture will cover seed and spore collection, storage, time and temperature for germination, and hardwood and softwood cuttings. Native plants are generally easy
to grow and some basic techniques are sufficient for propagating many different kinds of
plants. Bring your questions on those plants you find "difficult to grow."
1:00 – 1:30 pm
1:30 – 2:00 pm
2:00 – 3:30 pm
Business Meeting
Refreshments & Fellowship
Program
Free and open to the public—Bring a friend
If your last name begins with the letters A—M,
please bring refreshments to share.
RI Wild Plant Society
The Rhode Island Wild Plant Society Inc. is a
non-profit conservation organization dedicated
to the preservation and protection of Rhode
Island’s native plants and their habitats.
Our Goals
• To aid in land preservation so that native
plants are protected in their natural habitats.
• To encourage and offer guidance in the
cultivation and propagation of wild plants.
• To educate the public on the scientific
and aesthetic values of wild plants.
• To provide opportunities for Rhode
Islanders to study and enjoy native plants in
their natural habitats.
• To offer our knowledge and skills to
governmental, civic, and corporate
organizations.
Officers
President.....................................Cheryl Cadwell
Vice President, Education......... Christine Kalina
Secretary...........................Sara (Sally) Woodruff
Treasurer......................................Rick Harrison
Trustees-at-large
Paul Dolan, Dick Donnelly, Dorothy Swift,
Susan Trembaly Shuster, Debbie St. Pierre,
Deborah van Dam.
Congratulating Peter Lockwood for winning the RI State Award presented at the NEWFS Annual Meeting on
Nov. 4 are John Burns, Peter and his wife, Dawn, Garry Plunkett and Joan Pilson.
Photo by NEWFS
Encourage your Budding Botanist!
Create a Wonder Jar
Keep a mason jar handy to hold all your collected
tresures from time spent outdoors. They can be easily
admired and removed for study and investigation. A
small handheld magnifying glass is a handy tool for
taking a closer look. Having a few source books is a
plus! Check out the many wonderful Audubon field
guides. Many are available in child friendly versions.
Or use the Internet to learn more about your finds.
Chris Kalina
Editorial Advisory Committee
Pat Cahalan, Sindy Hempstead, Joan Pilson,
Gary Plunkett,Walter Thayer, Deborah Van Dam
Editor..................Cheryl Cadwell, Jackie Dawley
Design/layout.................J. A. Fusco Design,LTD.
WildfloraRI, the bulletin of the Rhode Island
Wild Plant Society, is published three times a
year.
RIWPS
P. O. Box 414
Exeter, RI 02822
The Rhode Island Wild Plant Society is a nonprofit 501(c)(3) organization. Contributions
and dues in excess of $3 (for annual Bulletin
subscription) are tax deductible to the full
extent allowed by law.
WildfloraRI | 401.789.7497 | email: [email protected] | www.riwps.org
3
THE RIWPS REPORT: News, Events, & Items of Interest
2008 RIWPS Harvest Dinner a Big Success
Good food - Good auction items - Good fellowship
Our annual Harvest Dinner was held on
Saturday, September 6, 2008 at Yawgoo Bakes
in Slocum, RI. This old-fashioned clambake
included "lobstah, chowdah," clam cakes and
all the fixings. For those who preferred, vegetarian and chicken dinners were provided.
Special thanks to the Committee including
Chairman Jules Cohen, Bob & Shirley
Anderson, Karen Asher, Bonnie Baker, Andy
Daigle, Russell Bragg, Lou & Cheryl Cadwell,
Dede Cohen, Dick Donnelly, Cindy
Gianfrancesco, Margaret Gradie, Rick
Harrison, Paula Morrissey, Karen Nissen,
Barbara Ray, Debbie & Moe St. Pierre, Judi
Scott, Dorothy Swift, Sandra Thompson,
Mary Lou Upham and Angela Seckendorff.
This was a great opportunity to get to know
other RIWPS members while having a delicious dinner and supporting RIWPS. What a
relaxing way to end the summer.
Auction items were donated to the Society
by businesses and individuals from across the
state.
Please support the businesses
that support us.
A Piece of Paradise
All That Matters
Allies Tack & Feed
Argentum Jewelry Studio
Alternative Health Care
Applied Bio-Systems Inc.
James V. Aukerman, Esq.
ATR/Treehouse
Arnold Lumber
Belmont Market
Bluebird Cafe
Blue Moon Farm
Blithewold
Buff's Mulch
Briggs Nursery
Briarbrook Farm
Clarke Farm Garden Center
Carol's Colors
Carrie's Shoes & Accessories
Colonial Wine & Spirits
Cranesbill Nursery
Dan Dunn
Eagle's Nest Gallery
Eleven Fourty Nine
Framer's Gallery at Mariner Square
Frances Topping
Gardener’s Wharf Seafood
Granite Theater Corporation
Green River Silver Company
Heart Song Yoga
4
Holly Ridge Nursery
Janeeska
Joyce Fingerhut
Judith W. Ireland, L.A.
Kim Botelho
Kingstown Liquor Mart
Kinney Azalea Garden
Little Tree Nursery
Lisa Fiore
Margrave, Ltd.
McKay's Furniture
Montaup Country Club
Morgan Bozarth
Morningstar Nurseries, Inc.
Narrow River Kayaks
Nelumbo Water Gardens
Newport Music Festival
New Harvest Coffee Roasters
Norman J. Leclair
Northeast Golf Sales
Other Tiger Bookstore
Ocean State Job Lot
Peter Pots
Preservation Society of Newport County
Picture This Gallery
Quaker Lane Tool
Rhode Island Historical Society
Recreational Equipment Inc.
Sak's Florist
Schwartz Tree & Landscape
Seven Arrows Farm
Sonoma Grill
Sosnowski Farm
Starry Eyes Stained Glass
Taylor Rental
The 1661 Inn & Hotel Manisses
The Farmer’s Daughter
The Seating Arrangement
The Up River Cafe
Tire Pros
Tranquil Lake Nursery
Umbrella Factory Gardens
Weedweavers
Westcott Perennials
Wildwood Nursery
Wilson's of Wickford
Wickford Lumber Company.
Wood River Evergreens, Inc
Zoe & Co.
Approximately $7000 was raised from the
Harvest Dinner. We thank all attendees, and
we’re sure that everyone enjoyed an evening of
stimulating conversation, lots of laughs, and
some great deals.
We need some new members to join the
WildfloraRI | 401.789.7497 | email: [email protected] | www.riwps.org
committee to plan for next year’s event, which
will be on Saturday, September 12, 2009. If
you live on Aquidneck Island or Jamestown,
maybe we could convince you to make several
solicitation calls—mostly to folks we have
dealt within the past and who probably expect
our call. Dick Donnelly has softened them up
through the years.
Judi Scott is taking a year off from soliciting in the Westerly and Wakefield areas. We
need someone to handle solicitations under
Judi's guidance. Again, not a lot of groundbreaking here because of the great job Judi
has done opening these doors in the past.
Finally, we can always use more helpers on
the day of the event—setting up and helping
with the checkout.
None of these are backbreaking chores, so
we hope you'll come forth to pitch in.
To volunteer, call Chairman Jules Cohen,
294-6617 or [email protected]
Guests at the 2008 Harvest Dinner peruse
the many silent auction items.
Photo by Rick Harrison
RIWPS 2009 Plant Sale
Despite the wintry weather outside, it’s not
too soon to begin thinking about our upcoming Plant Sale—Saturday June 6th, 2009, rain
or shine. As you begin your spring garden
chores, keep RIWPS in mind. We can use
donations of plants that have outgrown their
garden space, divisions from a treasured plant,
or seedling volunteers that can be potted up
and grown on. Digging can be begun in late
March as plants emerge--there is much less
shock of transplanting if plants are dug when
small and the weather is cool.
But please, no invasives! Sarah Keisling,
[email protected], is the person to
contact if you have plants to donate or need
help digging.
Our Plant Sale is known throughout the
state as a source of unusual and special plants,
both native and non-native, and it’s also a
major fundraiser for RIWPS. We count on
our members as well as our SeedStarter volunteers to continue making it a success.
Mark the date on your calendar and check
next issue of WildfloraRI for more detailed
information.
RIWPS at the 2009
Flower Show
The 16th Annual Rhode Island Spring
Flower & Garden Show will take place
February 19-22, 2009.
This year the show’s theme will be "Gardens
of the World." RIWPS is putting together a
wonderful garden based on the book Last
Child in the Woods, by Richard Louv, which
looks at nature from the standpoint of a
youngster. Judy Ireland and our design group
have designed an inspiring display— "An
American Woodland Garden."
The garden will have several sections, all of
which should certainly excite youngsters as
well as their parents. Included are water displays, invasive plants, poetry, photos, and
many appeals to one's senses of sound and
vision. Sounds like another RIWPS winner.
We'll be recruiting docents and planters in
December and early January. And we’re
always looking for folks to pitch in on all
aspects of the Show. Please contact our Chair,
Jules Cohen, to participate. Phone 294-6617
or email [email protected].
A WARM WELCOME TO
OUR NEW MEMBERS
SeedStarter News
• SeedStarters East, Dorothy Swift and her
group, are already planning and planting
for next year. The group meets monthly at
Plane View Nursery in Portsmouth on the
first and third Thursday mornings. There’s
a carpool from North Kingstown for west
bay members. To join this group, contact
Dorothy at [email protected].
• SeedStarters West have found a new greenhouse,
this one in Exeter, thanks to Karen Asher. This
South County group will be starting seeds and
grow plants for this year’s plant sale. Karen and
Cathy King will be co-chairs, and they can use
additional volunteers. Contact Karen at [email protected] to join.
• SeedStarters Central, based in Providence,
are changing gears. Chairperson Sarah
Keisling will be heading up a campaign to
contact RIWPS members and work with
them to donate plants. They will also be
doing propagation by cuttings and divisions and working out a new system using
cold frames. You can reach Sarah at
[email protected].
You can also contact the RIWPS office at
401-789-7497 or [email protected] and
ask Jackie to forward your name to the
appropriate chairperson.
Barbara Quigley, Warwick
John Joaquim, Wakefield
Holly Duksta, Narragansett
Judith Knight, Providence
November 8th. General Meeting
Members Walter Thayer and Tom Kutchner received
their Certificates in Native Plant Studies from the
New England Wild Flower Society at a ceremony at
the Garden in the Woods in October.
Photo by Joan Pilson
John Burns, our Speaker at the November 8 General
Meeting, talks to Norman Boyer and Bob Thorn.
Topic of the meeting was "The vital role of the New
England Plant Conservation Volunteer Corps." Over
30 RIWPS members are RI Plant
Conservation Volunteers.
Photo by Joan Pilson
Winner Melanie Luiz displays the beautiful afghan,
one of many items raffled on November 8 ASRI in
Bristol were our hosts. They also provided “10% off ”
coupons for all present to spend in their gift shop.
Photo by Joan Pilson
WildfloraRI | 401.789.7497 | email: [email protected] | www.riwps.org
5
CALENDAR OF EVENTS: Winter/ Spring 2009 walks, field trips, workshops & lectures
be on using native plants and maintenancefree set-ups, upflow filters and pump cages.
Standard fee.
RIWPS GENERAL MEMBERSHIP
MEETING AND PROGRAM
North Kingstown Free Library
Sat., JANUARY 10, 2009
Details on page 3
WINTER WALK IN WEETAMOO
WOODS – NEW 2008 TRAIL
Tiverton
Sun., JANUARY 18, 2009 ~ 1-3 pm
(Snow Date: Sun., January 25)
Leader: GARRY PLUNKETT
This 650-acre preserve of maritime hardwoods and wooded swamp is at the heart of an
on-going effort to protect an unusually large,
unfragmented forest on the southern New
England coast. Its primary natural community is coastal oak-holly forest that surrounds a
remnant Atlantic white cedar swamp. We’ll
practice winter tree and shrub ID, while
checking out footprints from the past – cellar
holes, slab bridges and the remains of a 19th
century sawmill and stone arch bridge over
Borden Brook. Moderate walk. Standard fee.
WATER LILIES and MORE!
A SLIDE SHOW
PRESENTATION
South Kingstown
Sat., JANUARY 24, 2009 ~ 2 pm
(Snow Date: Sat., January 31)
Speaker: SINDY HEMPSTEAD
Sindy will present a slide show illustrating
her adventures in learning about the biology
and ecology of water lilies. In addition, members are invited to bring up to 10 native plant
slides each to share with the group. Standard
fee.
NATURE JOURNALING WORKSHOP
FOR CHILDREN
(co-listed with Blithewold)
Blithewold Mansion & Garden, Bristol
Sat., JANUARY 24, 2009 ~ 2-4 pm
Instructor: CHRIS KALINA
Join us for an afternoon of nature study.
Children will explore a variety of nature printing techniques and create a hand-made nature
field guide.
This program combines nature exploration
with creative arts. Each field guide will be
unique and individual. Dress appropriately as
we will be using acrylic paints. Appropriate
for students in grades three through five.
Fee: $10 plus $5 materials fee to be paid on
6
RIWPS ANNUAL MEETING
Kettle Pond Nature Center, Charlestown
Sun., MARCH 15, 2009
Details on page 8.
the day of the workshop. Advance registration
required. Register at http://www.blithewold.org
EXPLORE ARCADIA’S BLACK SPRUCE
BOG IN WINTER
Exeter (Arcadia Wildlife Management Area)
Sat., FEBRUARY 7, 2009 ~ 1-3 pm
(Snow Date: Sun., February 8)
Leader: DOUG McGRADY
Bogs form in kettleholes, or depressions,
that have poorly-drained soils. Unlike swamps
and fens, bogs lack flowing water. The water
that does collect becomes acidic and low in
oxygen, resulting in poor growing conditions
for most plants. The lack of oxygen also slows
decomposition. This allows generations of
Sphagnum moss to gradually fill the kettlehole, creating a spongy mat of peat. Some
plants do well in their peaty "soil". Black
Spruce, found in only fourteen states, is one
that tolerates these conditions, and is quite
uncommon in RI. Other plants include
Leatherleaf, Highbush Blueberry, Rhodora,
Sheep Laurel and some carnivorous plants.
Moderate+ walk. Standard fee.
RHODE ISLAND SPRING FLOWER
AND GARDEN SHOW
RI Convention Center, Providence
FEBRUARY 19 to FEBRUARY 22
Details on page 5
PLANNING A WATER GARDEN FOR
YOUR BACKYARD
North Kingstown
Sat., MARCH 7, 2009 ~ 10 am to 12 noon
(Snow Date: Sun., March 8)
Leader: BARNEY WEBSTER
Barney will demonstrate a variety of
options for building a simple pond. He will
show you how to incorporate simple shelves to
avoid the rock necklace look. Emphasis will
WildfloraRI | 401.789.7497 | email: [email protected] | www.riwps.org
TREE ID IN PARKER WOODLAND
George B. Parker Woodland, Coventry
Sat., MARCH 21, 2009 ~ 11 am to 1 pm
(Snow Date: Sun., March 22)
Leader: FRANCIS UNDERWOOD
Join Francis Underwood, one of RIWPS’
most knowledgeable tree lovers, to learn to
identify the trees and shrubs of ASRI’s Parker
Woodland by examining the bark, buds, habitats and communities, without the leaves and
flowers to distract you. Bundle up, bring your
guidebook and expect to enjoy the outing on
this geologically and historically interesting
preserve. Moderate walk. Standard fee.
TREES & SHRUBS OF
SWAN POINT CEMETERY
Providence
Thur., MARCH 26, 2009 ~ 10 am to noon
(Weather Date: Tues., March 31)
Leader: KELLY PERRY, Horticulturalist
The Swan Point Cemetery on Blackstone
Boulevard in Providence is renowned for its
trees and shrubs. We are delighted to have
Kelly Donnelly Perry, their horticulturalist,
lead us on a walk to see some of the highlights
of this 200-acre facility. We hope to catch the
new buds and other signs of spring in this
beautiful spot, as well as have a peek into
some of the greenhouses. Easy walk.
Standard fee.
PROPAGATION WORKSHOP:
THE KINDEST CUT
(co-listed with ASRI)
ASRI Environmental Education Center,
Bristol
Sat., APRIL 4, 2009 ~ 1-3 pm
Instructor: CHERYL CADWELL
One of the most reliable ways to expand
MAY 10-16, 2009 ~ CELEBRATE
RHODE ISLAND WILD PLANT WEEK
your plant collection is by dividing plants and
taking stem, root and rhizome cuttings. Learn
the techniques that will make this process easy
and successful. Bring small plastic pots and
sharp scissors or pruners. Soil and plants will
be provided. A joint program with ASRI and
RIWPS.
Fee: $10 for members and non-members.
SHADBUSH STROLL
(co-listed with USFWS)
Trustom Pond Wildlife Refuge,
South Kingstown
Sun., APRIL 26, 2009 ~ 1-3 pm
(Weather Date: Sun., May 3)
Leaders: DAVID & NANCY CLAYTON,
USFWS Volunteer Naturalists
Spring in southern RI is marked by the
bloom of the Shadbush. Dave’s guess for this
year is that on Sunday, the 26th, we will be
rewarded with some in bloom, maybe even the
allee out to Osprey Point will oblige. He
points out there are other reliable wild flowers
on the refuge which we will find in early
bloom. Come celebrate the real arrival of
spring with Dave and Nancy! Easy walk.
Standard fee.
HIKE A NEW TRAIL!
(co-listed with Richmond Land Trust)
Richmond, RI
Sat., MAY 2, 2009 -10 am to 12 noon
Leader: DENISE POYER
This new trail, developed by the Richmond
Land Trust, is short and easy. It has some
interesting wild flowers, which will be shared
with us by Denise Poyer, the Program Director
of the Wood Pawcatuck Watershed
Association and board member of the
Richmond Land Trust. Easy walk.
Fee: standard for each organization. Pre-registration required. Call RLT office 401-5399017
SPRING WILD FLOWERS
ON THE BEN UTTER TRAIL
Exeter
Sat., MAY 16, 2009 ~1-3 pm
(Weather Date: Sun., May 17)
Leader: DOUG McGRADY
This scenic trail is a wonderful spot for seeing a variety of woodland wild flowers. May
is a great time to go because many of the
plants bloom before the leaves come out.
Along the river there are rich, moist areas with
Marsh Marigolds, Anemones, Bellworts,
Dwarf Ginseng and Canada Mayflower. We
will detour to a rocky, upland Sugar Maple
forest, where the soils are richer and less
acidic, not typical for Rhode Island. There we
will see some unusual ferns, including
Maidenhair and Rattlesnake, along with some
uncommon Violets and Bellworts. Moderate
walk. Standard fee.
LATE SPRING BLOOMS AT TRUSTOM
POND NWR
(co-listed with USFWS)
South Kingstown
Sat., MAY 23, 2009 ~ 1-3 pm
(Weather Date: Sun., May 24)
Leaders: DAVE & NANCY CLAYTON,
USFWS Volunteer Naturalists
Join experienced naturalists Dave and
Nancy in searching for wild flowers in bloom,
such as Wood Betony and maybe, if we are
lucky, a species of "Concern", the Arethusa
bulbosa. Easy walk. Standard fee.
We welcome people of all botanical abilities at our events. Beginners or experts, amateurs or
professionals … we all come to enjoy and learn about wild plants.
WALK NOTES & GUIDELINES
ADVANCE REGISTRATION IS REQUIRED for all events with fees (and sometimes for those without fees). Register by contacting the RIWPS office at 401-789-7497 or [email protected] or on occasion,
the person listed as a contact. Registration closes 48 hours before the walk, and may fill up even sooner, so
please register early.
STANDARD FEE for members is $5, for non-members, $7. Payment must be made 48
hours prior to the walk. Send check to RIWPS, PO Box 414, Exeter, RI 02822.
CONFIRMATION: Registered participants will receive directions to the site and more
details by e-mail or telephone.
DIFFICULTY: For your guidance, our walks are rated easy, moderate, or strenuous for
healthy people of average physical ability. Our leaders are volunteers with no special training
in first aid; therefore, participants assume full responsibility for their own well being.
CANCELLATION: If you must cancel, please notify the person with whom you registered
as soon as possible so that we may notify those on the waiting list. Leave a message if no one
answers. If you cancel within 24 hours of an event, or on a weekend, call the RIWPS office
at 401-789-7497 and leave a message.
DRESS AND EQUIPMENT FOR OUTDOOR EVENTS: Dress appropriately, usually in
long pants and sturdy shoes and socks (for protection from poison ivy, briers and ticks).
Equipment options might include insect repellent, hat, rubber boots, water, field guides, hand
lens, small notebook, and/or hiking stick.
WildfloraRI | 401.789.7497 | email: [email protected] | www.riwps.org
7
Sunday, March 15
JOIN US FOR OUR ANNUAL MEETING 2009
RIWPS Annual Meeting 2009
Sunday, March 15th
Kettle Pond Visitor Center
50 Bend Rd.
Charlestown, Rhode Island
1:00 pm: Business Meeting:
Annual Report, Budget, Elections, Other
2:00 pm: Refreshments and Fellowship
2:30 pm: Awards Presentation followed by Speaker
Douglas Tallamy
"Bringing Nature Home:
How Native Plants Sustain Wildlife in our Gardens"
Dr. Tallamy will discuss the unbreakable link between native plant species and native wildlife.
When native plant species disappear, or are replaced by alien exotics, the insects disappear,
thus impoverishing the food source for birds and other animals.
Dr. Tallamy is a Professor of Entomology and Wildlife Ecology at the
University of Delaware in Newark, Delaware
Snow Date (check WPRO or RIWPS office at 789-7497): Location to be announced.
If you surname begins with letters N through Z, please bring refreshments to share.
The program is free and open to the public. Bring a friend!
Rhode Island Wild Plant Society
P. O. Box 414
Exeter, RI 02822
Non-Profit
Organization
US Postage
PAID
Permit No.
01048
Prov. RI