Aquilegia Newsletter of the Colorado Native Plant Society Dedicated to furthering the knowledge, appreciation and conservation of native plants and habitats of Colorado through education, stewardship and advocacy Volume 35 - Number 3 - Fall 2011 ISSN 2162-0865 (print) ISSN 2161-7317 (online) CONSERVATION CORNER By Mo Ewing A few weeks ago I volunteered to be the chairman of the CoNPS conservation committee. One of the re- sponsibilities of the job is to write, or have someone write, pieces for this column. But since time was too short to organize that, I thought I might use the space this month for some introductory observations and a call for interested people to come and join me in con- servation issues. But before I get into the meat of the issue, I would like to do what Ann Henson used to do when she was pres- ident of CoNPS. Before the actual work started we would share native plant stories, just for fun. Presently I am sitting at my computer while on the island of Nan- tucket, Massachusetts. I am always fascinated by the plants and plant communities that are found in dispa- rate places, and Nantucket and Colorado are about as different as can be. In fact, according to NatureServe, there is only one plant association that is common to both, “Duckweed species Permanently Flooded Herba- ceous Vegetation”. I have not found this association in either place yet, but I haven't looked hard either. However, one of my favorite places here is Sanford Farm, which has an excellent example of Sand Plain Grasslands. Nantucket is nothing more than a pile of sand, the terminal moraine left by the glaciers 10,000 years ago. Here little bluestem (Schizachyrium scopa- rium) grows in almost pure stands. Little bluestem also grows all over Colorado from the Pawnee and Com- anche Grasslands to the Colorado Tallgrass Prairie in Boulder and even in places on the West Slope. Nantucket Little Bluestem Grasslands Photo by Mo Ewing Another interesting grass grows in both places. Salt- marsh switchgrass (Panicum virgatum) grows on San- ford Farm along a sandy road about a quarter-mile from a salt marsh, but it is also a co-dominant in the Colorado Tallgrass Prairie in Boulder. Talk about a wide ecological range! -1 - According to L. J. Mehrhoff^ these two grasses proba- bly migrated east from the mid-western prairie during a particularly warm period called the hypsithermal or xerothermic period 8,500 to 5,000 years ago. He post- ulates that the prairie peninsula, a finger of the tallgrass prairie that currently extends into Ohio, ex- panded eastward into New England and then when things cooled off and favored tree- rather than grass- growth, our species were stranded in small grasslands along the coast. A species of blazing star (Liatris scari- osa van novae-angliae) also was stranded here, but un- like the grasses, became a separate species, now glo- bally rare. You can catch some of our Liatris's bloom- ing along the Front Range into October. Back to business. Over the last few years, it seems to me that the conservation committee has not been very active. So I decided to dig a little deeper into the committee's past and found a document called, “Con- servation Committee Objectives and Functions”, adopted September 28, 2001. This document listed seven objectives and 16 functions for which the com- mittee was responsible. Perhaps this document was the reason people were not lined up to volunteer for the committee chair. I'll summarize: Objectives You might expect wind-pollinated grasses to be found in both states, but how do you explain Kinnikinnik (Arc- tostaphylos uva-ursi)? It grows in large patches on San- ford Farm, but you also find it on the Lyons Overlook Trail in Roxborough State Park in a rocky Ponderosa Pine forest). Unlike our mid-western prairie plants this plant probably came south from common populations in the arctic boreal regions. It is found not only in Mas- sachusetts and Colorado, but also in northern regions of Europe and Asia. Gentiana algida, Summit Lake, Mt. Evans Photo by Mo Ewing • Advocate for the conservation of endangered, threatened, sensitive and special concern species. • Promote recognition and conservation of native plant communities in Colorado. • Promote legislation, rules and regulations to protect sensitive, special concern, threatened and endangered Colorado native plants and plant communities. • Oppose legislation, rules or regulations that will adversely affect native plants and plant communities. • Discourage the use and spread of non-native species, especially noxious weeds that threaten Colorado's native flora. Functions • Identify and assist in field inventories of Colorado rare plants and plant communities. Represent the Society at Colorado Rare Plant Technical Committee meetings and assist in obtaining formal agency recognition or listing of species that qualify. • Work to increase public and agency awareness of rare and endangered Colorado plants and plant communities. • Exchange information about rare plants and plant communities with the Colorado Natural Heritage Program and the Colorado Natural Areas Program. • Review status reports and other documents produced for Colorado’s rare plants. • Review and comment on local, state, and federal documents, rules, and legislation 2 concerned with the land management and vegetation in Colorado. • Provide reports as requested, to the Board of Directors and articles to Aquilegia. • Prepare and present testimony at appropriate hearings. • Continue efforts to get a Colorado Endangered Species Act passed by the state legislature. • Initiate efforts to get state legislation passed that affords legal protection to rare or endangered plant communities. • Provide information to encourage state and federal agencies to use locally native plants in their restoration/revegetation operations. • Support noxious weed control efforts. • Maintain a list of professional and lay persons familiar with the taxa, communities and areas of botanical interest in Colorado. I might be able to accomplish these goals with a full- time staff of six, but lacking that. I'll settle for accom- plishing things that our current membership is inter- ested in doing. So, I am interested in your input. What conservation issues do you think our society should be doing? What conservation issues would you like to work on with me? What conservation items would you like to see in this column in Aquilegia? Would you like to write a column here? Can you suggest interesting people to write a column? You can contact me at moewing@q.com or (303) 584- 8925. Lacking any feedback from anyone, I plan to forge ahead on my own on several fronts. First, I'll serve on the Colorado Rare Plant Technical Committee. I went to the committee's annual meeting in Carbondale the day before the CoNPS Annual Meeting. I am always struck by the number of new rare plant populations that are found each year; sometimes a new species or two are found. But almost all of the people there are professional botanists who work for the Forest Service, BLM, Denver Botanical Gardens and the like. There are probably fifty or maybe a hundred people like that who are members of CoN PS. That leaves about 550 of the rest of us who do other things or work on non-botanic jobs and do our plant thing as an avocation. I would like to do an article for Aquilegia that focuses on the rare plants and/or plant communities that us ‘‘amateur botanists” have found in the last year (or two). I have always been impressed by the knowledge that our “non-professional” members have. Please send me your stories and photos. Secondly, I'll continue to comment on conservation issues that come up, and would love assistance from anyone who would like to help. This summer we op- posed Christo and Jeanne-Claude's “Over The River Project”, an art construction along the Arkansas River, because of its potential negative impact to several spe- cies of rare plants there. We received a certain amount of criticism for that, but as a Native Plant Society I be- lieve that we must advocate what is best for native plants, especially rare ones. There are plenty of other people who will advocate for tourism, economics, art or fame. I am personally particularly interested in rare plant communities. Did you know that of the 1,054 plant associations recognized by NatureServe in Colorado, 76 are ranked as either Gi or G2 - imperiled or critically imperiled? There are probably no more than a handful of people in Colorado who could name a rare plant community, never mind find one. Summit Lake, Mt. Evans Photo by Mo Ewing And finally while talking about rare plant communities, last summer Bill Weber wrote an article in Aquilegia asking our society to tackle the issue of the introduc- tion of exotic mountain goats into Mt. Evans. I would like to take this issue on, and again, would love to pull together a small group of people to see how we could protect the rare plants and populations on that site. It is one of the gems of Colorado. 3 There are endless interesting and challenging conserva- tion issues to study here in Colorado. I invite you to join me in what could be an exciting and educational experience. Please write, call or e-mail. Mo Ewing Conservation Chair ^Mehrhoff, L. J. 1997. “Thoughts on the biogeography of grassland plants in New England”. Pp. 15-24 in Grass- lands of northeastern North America; ecology and con- servation of native and agricultural landscapes (P.D. Vickery and P.W. Dunwiddie, eds.). Massachusetts Au- dubon Society. In addition to becoming the new Chair of the Conserva- tion Committee, Mo Ewing is Treasurer ofCoNPS. He re- cently retired from Colorado Open Lands as its Land Ste- wardship Director and now volunteers for a variety of organizations including the Colorado Natural Areas Pro- gram and the Denver Natural Areas Program. Liatris scariosa novae-angliae Nantucket, MA Photo by Mo Ewing WORKSHOPS Wild Pinks of Colorado Date: Saturday, December 3, 2011 or Sunday, December 4, 2011; 9am - 3pm Presenter: Rich Scully Where: CSU Extension Service, 9595 Nelson Road, Longmont, CO 80501 PLEASE NOTE! The workshop for December 3 is full, but there are still spaces available for the December 4 workshop. The Caryophyllaceae family in Colorado includes an alpine cushion plant, native catchflys in the alpine down to the foothills, alien catchflys along roadsides, and invasive ornamentals. We will learn how to identify all of the genera and most of the species. Using pic- tures and material collected for hands-on dissection, we will become more familiar with the terminology and morphological characteristics used in keys. This is Rich’s fifth workshop for CoNPS. To register for this workshop through paypal, please go to http://www.conps.org/Activities/workshops.shtml . To register through the mail, use the workshop regis- tration form on the following page. 4 COLORADO NATIVE PLANT SOCIETY WORKSHOP REGISTRATION FORM 2011-2012 NAME: STREET: CITY: STATE: ZIP: PHONE (h): PHONE (w): PHONE (cell): EMAIL: I am a member of CoN PS Yes No. (If not, you must add the annual membership fee to your payment.) Please register me for the following workshops at $25 per session: Workshop Title Session Date Fee$ Workshop Title Session Date Fee$ Workshop Title Session Date Fee $ Workshop Title Session Date Fee $ Total Registration Fees Membership fee (if applicable) $ Total amount of check made payable to CoNPS $ To encourage carpooling, are you willing to share your contact information with others in the same workshop? Yes No Mail Workshop Registration to: CoNPS, Linda Smith, 4057 Cottonwood Dr., Loveland CO 80538 MEMBERSHIP FEES (circle one): Please select an affiliate Chapter (all members may attend any chapter event): Boulder Gore Range Metro/Denver Northern Plateau SE SW Unaffiliated Individual $20 Family $30 Senior $12 Student $12 Organization $30 Supporting $50 Lifetime $300 REQUEST FOR PROPOSALS - THE JOHN W. MARR AND MYRNA P. STEINKAMP FUNDS The Colorado Native Plant Society supports research projects in plant biology from the John W. Marr and Myrna P. Steinkamp funds. These separate funds hon- or the late Dr. John Marr, Professor at the University of Colorado and the first President of the CoNPS, and Myrna Steinkamp, a founding member of CoNPS who worked on behalf of the Society for many years in a variety of capacities. Both funds were established to support research on the biology and natural history of Colorado native plants by means of small grants. The Steinkamp Fund targets rare species and those of con- servation concern. Both field and laboratory studies are eligible for funding. Thanks to the generous con- tributions of many members and supporters, a total of nearly $3,000 is available, although individual awards will not exceed $1,000. Recipients of the awards must agree to summarize their studies for publication in Aquilegia. The Board of Directors is now soliciting proposals for a February 15, 2012 deadline. Information on guidelines and requirements for proposals may be obtained at http://www.conps.org/research_grants.html. If additional information is needed, contact the Chair of the Research Grants Committee, Catherine Kleier at ckleier@regis.edu. BOOK REVIEWS By Bob Henry On February 18, 18^2, Henry David Thoreau wrote in his journal: “/ have a commonplace-book for facts and another for poetry, but I find it difficult always to pre- serve the vague distinction which I had in my mind... ” In different ways, the two books reviewed below - one newly-published and the other newly reissued in a second edition - reflect nature as both ‘'fact'' and “poe- try", to use Thoreau's terminology. Although the essayists whose works comprise Field Notes on Science and Nature are first and foremost fo- cused on fact-based observation, their work often re- flects the “poetry" of nature in addition to the mere re- cording of “facts". Similarly, Candace Savage's Prairie: A Natural History captures the poetry of the prairie with- out ignoring underlying facts. Field Notes on Science and Nature, Edited by Michael R. Canfield. Cambridge, Harvard Uni- versity Press, 2011. When I came across Field Notes on Science and Nature in the nature section of the bookstore, it immediately piqued my interest more because of my longtime in- terest in journals and notebooks (usually of historical rather than scientific interest). As I stood there skim- ming through it, I became immediately absorbed. Field Notes on Science and Nature is a collection of twelve essays by field scientists, with an introduction that provides historical context. Both the introduction and the essays are well- illustrated with copies of pages from actual field notes. The illustrations include pages from as far back as Linnaeus, Darwin, and Meriwether Lewis. More recent examples include both handwritten and hand-sketched field notes, as well as others kept digitally with com- puters, digital photography, digital sound recordings. 6 and other modern technological tools. For the latter, see particularly ‘‘Note-Taking for Pencilophobes”, by Piotr Naskrecki. The essays share the general topic of observing nature and recording those observations. Their scope is broad, representing geologists, archaeologists, zoolo- gists, and more. As a result, the book has a wide appeal to anyone interested in the observation of the details of nature, regardless of whether they have scientific backgrounds or are simply interested in observing more closely the nature around them. The dust jacket notes that the book “allows readers to peer over the shoulders and into the notebooks of a dozen eminent field works, to study firsthand their ob- servational methods, materials, and fleeting impres- sions.” It is not intended as a history of field notes, nor is it a how-to book. Nonetheless, readers will find fascinating historical tidbits (especially in the Introduction) as well as some practical tips along the way as to what has worked well (or not) for the essayists. In “The Evolution and Fate of Botanical Field Books”, James L. Reveal recalls the various means he has used over a forty-five year career of recording botanical in- formation. In part, it is a lament that modern methods may reduce the amount of retained historical detail, as well as losing the individuality or personality of the per- son keeping the record. While it is easy to take the oth- er side of that argument, is undoubted true that the digitized records being keep today will be markedly different that the hand-penned notes of the past, in- cluding their marginal notes, musings, and the inclusion of diary-like notes that may or may not be particularly relevant to the scientific inquiry at hand. The book contains a number of sketches and drawings from various field notes - more than enough to make mere mortals envy the artistic ability as well as the scientific bent of the various people who made the notes and wrote the essays. After spending the greater part of a rainy day in 1842 perusing old books and accumulated discarded posses- sions stored in the attic of the “the old manse”, Na- thaniel Flawthorne observed that “Nothing, strange to say, retained any sap except what had been written for the passing day and year without the remotest preten- sion or idea of permanence... a few old newspapers , and still older almanacs... ” So it is, I think, with exceptional journals and note- books such as those kept by Emerson, Thoreau, Alcott, Flawthorne, and naturalists such as Audubon. Now, after reading this book, I suspect the same might be said of naturalists’ field books. Though their contents might be sifted, sorted, added to or subtracted from in the final book or paper to which they contribute, it is often the field books that retain the immediacy and the context of times and places when new things were discovered or observed. I found Field Notes on Science and Nature to be an ex- tremely absorbing book, and I would expect that most readers - regardless of their background or their expe- rience in keeping field notes themselves, will also find it so. 7 Prairie: A Natural History, Second Edition, by Candace Savage. Vancouver, D&M Publishing, 2011. Originally published in 2004, Prairie: A Natural History is an extremely well-written and organized treatment of both the science and the beauty of the prairie. In- tended for a non-technical audience, the book will nonetheless be of interest to all readers. The book covers the 1.4 million acres of prairie that makes up the mid-section of North America, from the grasslands that comprise the greatest part of the prai- rie to prairie woodlands that make up the whole area’s eastern boundary. The book is very readable, and is exceptionally illu- strated with photographs (mainly by James R. Page), pen-and-ink illustrations (Joan A. Williams) and helpful maps of the extent of grassland coverage, precipita- tion, soil types, prairie types, and more. The book focuses particularly on the ecology of the prairie, leading to an assessment of the current condi- tion and future of the prairie as it faces challenges from farming and other uses that have already nearly oblite- rated some prairie forms (such as the tallgrass prairie and the northwestern Palouse, now largely agricultural land). Along the way. Savage sprinkles poetry, such as the following by Carl Sandburg: am grass. Let me work.” More than anything else. Prairie is simply an “apprecia- tion” of a huge part of the continent that is often over- looked or under-valued. If you missed the first edition (which became difficult to find some time ago), this is your second chance to enjoy a book that does not miss the forest for the trees, or the grassland for the grass. Bob Henry's interest in nature began in the woods of western Pennsylvania. He also has an interest in nine- teenth century history and journaling, and especially the life and writings of Henry David Thoreau. He is a Volun- teer Master Naturalist with the City of Fort Collins Natu- ral Areas Program, and editor of Aquilegia. He is retired from the Federal government after 32 years with the Executive Office of the President ( 0 MB) and Department of the Interior (Bureau of Mines and the Bureau of Land Management). NEWSLETTER AVAILABLE BY E-MAIL Aquilegia is available electronically. If you receive your newsletter by e-mail, this would save both postage and printing costs and you will receive each issue sooner. 8 CHAPTER NEWS and ANNOUNCEMENTS BOULDER CHAPTER Boulder Chapter programs are held on the second Thurs- day of each month (September through April) from 6:30 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. All meetings, except as noted, are held at the Community Room at the Boulder RE/ Store at 1789 28th Street (between Canyon and Pearl). For more in- formation, please e-mail Chapter President Pamela Sherman at boulderconps@gmail.com THE SEARCH CONTINUES FOR THE NEXT BOULDER CONPS PRESIDENT! If you would like to consider joining our wonderful volunteer staff to help this flourishing chapter stay vibrant, please contact us for more information at: boulderconps@gmail.com PLANTS IN ARAPAHO TRADITIONAL CULTURE Thursday, December 8, 2011, 6:30 pm Presenter: Andrew Cowell, PhD., Professor of Linguistics at CU Specialty: Native American Languages and Linguistic Anthropology including Ethnobotany and Ethnozoology Dr. Cowell’s talk will explore the names and uses of Colorado native plants in Arapaho culture. His presen- tation is based on field research with Arapaho Indians in Colorado and Wyoming, plus research with older manuscript materials in archives. WHITE PINE BLISTER RUST IN HIGH MOUN- TAIN ECOSYSTEMS Thursday, January 5, 2012, 6:30 pm Presenter: Anna W. Schoettle, PhD, Research Plant Ecophysiologist at the Rocky iVlountain Research Station Dr. Schoettle will provide an overview of the ecology of our remarkable limber pine and the Rocky IVlountain bristlecone pine, and the factors that threaten them. Both species are currently threatened by a non-native pathogen (that causes the lethal disease white pine blister rust), mountain pine beetle, and climate change. She will describe how these factors interact in high mountain ecosystems and the program currently underway to proactively increase the resiliency and sustainability of limber pine and Rocky IVlountain bris- tlecone pine populations, and the ecosystems of the Southern Rockies. FUTURE PROGRAMS (DETAILS TO FOLLOW) February 9: Paula J. Fornwalt PhD, Research Ecologist with the USDA Forest Service, Rocky Mountain Research Station will speak on her recent native plant research. March 8: Sylvia Hickenlooper, Soil Scientist with NRCS will present. GORE RANGE CHAPTER This new chapter of the Colorado Native Plant Society is being formed. We hope to have program and other information available on the website soon and in future issues of Aquilegia. METRO-DENVER CHAPTER Monthly meetings of the Metro-Denver Chapter are typi- cally held on the fourth Tuesday of the month (Septem- ber through April) at the Denver Botanic Gardens, 1007 York Street, Denver. The Metro-Denver Chapter wel- comes everyone, members and non-members, to at- tend its free programs and field trips. For more infor- mation, please contact Jannette Wesley at metroden- verconps@gmail.com. 9 COLORADO AND PATAGONIA - WHAT DO THEY HAVE IN COMMON? November 29, 2011 Presenter: Mike Kintgen ‘‘Argentine Patagonia and Colorado share much in common, similar climates, both steppe and temperate mountains create similar vegetation patterns. This past winter I was able to spend 5 weeks in Argentine Pata- gonia with my colleague Dan Johnson. We covered many miles studying the flora. Not only do Patagonia’s landscapes resemble the Mountain West, but many plant families, genera and even a few species are the same. We’ll take a look at both locations and compare and contrast their flora. There should be some surprises and nice landscape and flora shots.” TO BE ANNOUNCED January 24, 2012 RARE PLANT STEWARDSHIP: DOCUMENTING AND PROTECTING COLORADO’S RAREST PLANTS February 28, 2012 Presenters: Jenny Neale and Brian Kurzel Join Jenny Neale, Director of Research & Conservation at Denver Botanic Gardens, and Brian Kurzel, Natural Areas Coordinator at the Colorado Natural Areas Pro- gram to learn how you can help protect Colorado's rarest plants. Jenny and Brian will discuss the Rare Plant Monitoring Steward program, a volunteer pro- gram designed to get citizen scientists into the field collecting data. In the first five years of the program, more than 70 people have been trained in the theory and practice of rare plant conservation. Learn how the RPM Stewards are positively impacting rare plant con- servation within the state while also learning more about the research and conservation work done at Denver Botanic Gardens and the Colorado Natural Areas Program. TO BE ANNOUNCED March 27, 2012 Presenter: Panayoti Kelaidis COLORADO WETLAND PLANT FIELD GUIDE April 24, 2012 Presenter: Denise Culver Tools for Colorado Wetlands: Essential Information for Identification, Assessment, and Conservation, will de- velop a Colorado Wetland Field Guide that will contain botanical descriptions of over 520 wetland plants as well as information on priority wildlife species and oth- er wetland-dependent animals, wildlife and vegetation ecology, and rare and/or sensitive plants. The Guide will serve as the ultimate resource to determine a wetland plant’s identity, wetland indicator status, coefficient of conservation, rarity, and ecology. The project will also develop an easily accessible Colorado Wetland Website that will present a) information on wetland ecosystems and their conservation status, b) a database to calcu- late the overall conservatism of species present in a wetland, c) reports on Colorado wetland and wetland assessment tools, and d) links to other wetland projects and programs — a virtual “one-stop shopping” for wetland information in Colorado. NORTHERN COLORADO CHAPTER MONTHLY MEETINGS NIGHTS HAVE CHANGED The Northern Chapter meetings are the first Thursday of the month (unless stated otherwise), November through May, 7:00 pm, at The Gardens on Spring Creek, 2145 Centre Ave., Fort Collins, CO. For further informa- tion, contact Northern Chapter President, Jennifer Ackerfield, at jackerfield@gmail.com. Meetings and field trips are free and open to all. Prior to meetings, we meet for dinner with the speaker at Cafe Vino, 1200 S. College Avenue, Fort Collins at 5:30 p.m. Please join us. 10 NURTURING A SEED: DEVELOPING A THERAPEUTIC GARDEN Wednesday, December 07, 2011, 7 p.m. Presenter: Ms. Kim Ewy, Ph.D. Candidate, CSU Kim spoke to us last year to tell us of her plans to de- velop a plan for a therapeutic garden at Poudre Valley Hospital. Since that time so much has happened. Kim has become a PhD student and also landed a significant grant to make her dream come true. This is a sequel to an amazing story with an amazing person to tell us about her adventure! FRACTALS FROM THE FOREST Thursday, January 05, 2012, 7 p.m. Presenter: Renee Galeano-Popp, (Ret. USFS Regional Botanist, Consultant, CSU Herbarium Volunteer) During 2010, Renee was trying to figure out her next botanical project when she started collecting pine con- es from around the world using Facebook and the in- ternet. With the help of individuals and gardens and arboreta in the US and Mexico, Project Pine Cone was quickly born. This hands-on educational display is in- tended to "keep botany alive in our culture" and al- ready includes over half of the world's pine species and counting. Renee says that even with her education in Botany and Forestry, she still had many "wow" and "ahah" moments during the pursuit of pine information and is ready to share them. In January, she will bring the collection and talk about pine ecology, classifica- tion, and her experiences taking Project Pine Cone to the Poudre School District during the 2011-12 school year. This a good time to review our own knowledge and celebrate our local pines. EDIBLE WILD PLANTS OF COLORADO: AN ARCHAEOLOGICAL PERSPECTIVE Thursday, February 02, 2012, 7 p.m. Presenter: Meg Van Ness, Regional Historic Preservation Officer/Archaeologist, US Fish & Wildlife Service cornucopia of seeds, berries and roots would never be mistaken for a Big Mac, it did provide a year-round supply of nutrients and calories to sustain the native populations for thousands of years. Some of these plants, such as wild plums and pinion nuts, require only a slight stretch of the modern imagination to be consi- dered for tonight’s dinner. Others, such as the slime covered cattail root, stinking gourds, nauseous rabbit- brush and the aptly named pincushion cactus, take a bit more thought. Thankfully, the collection and preparation of these plants is often described in ethnographic accounts from the late 1800’s and early 1900’s. These accounts provide great reading and valuable analogies for the interpretation of plant remains from archaeological contexts. Meg’s 45-minute PowerPoint presentation will cover the excavation and extraction of botanical remains from archaeological sites, the interpretation of the re- mains and a review of some of the plants and their uses. Many of the plants discussed are common in our yards and open landscapes. RESTORING NATURE Thursday, March 01, 2012, 7 p.m. Presenter: Jim Tolstrup, Executive Director High Plains Environmental Center Join Jim Tolstrup on a virtual tour of the High Plains Environmental Center. Jim will share the strategies in- volved in designing, funding, building, vegetating and maintaining the center’s extensive native plant gardens and restored natural areas, as well as the center’s mis- sion to educate the public about the propagation, con- servation and use of native plants and the correspond- ing benefits to wildlife. With a little bit of knowledge and a good digging stick, resourceful Americans were able to find plenty to eat among the wild plants of Colorado. Whereas this virtual 11 COLORADO WETLAND FIELD GUIDE Thursday, April 05, 2012, 7 p.m. Presenter: Denise Culver, Ecologist, Colorado Natural Heritage Program Many of you have heard about the project to create a field guide for Colorado wetlands. It is our great plea- sure to present the project leader and lead author, De- nise Culver. Denise will give you a summary of her new guide and share her adventures as she embarked on this three-year odyssey to create a great tool for our state. Many of you know Denise, and if you don’t and her name is familiar it is because she served as North- ern Chapter President and the State Treasurer for CoNPS fora number of years! KEEPING UP WITH TECHNOLOGY - USING ONLINE AND ELECTRONIC KEYS Thursday, May 03, 2012, 7 p.m. Presenter: Ernie Marx Ernie Marx will facilitate as we come together for this workshop-style program. Ernie will have plants for us to key using some of the newest programs like XI D for keying plants on your computer! These keys can be easier to use than typical dichotomous keys, especially if you don’t have both fruits and flowers or all the parts. Once you become familiar with these keys they offer a totally different keying experience. You may bring in a plant if you like and we can investigate your plants too as time allows. Soapstone Prairie Natural Area Photo by Bob Henry PLATEAU CHAPTER The Plateau Chapter generally encompasses the west- central and north west area of Colorado from Grand Junction to Montrose to Gunnison to Glenwood Springs to Craig. Wherever you are in Western Colorado, come join us for meetings and field trips. Chapter activities are scheduled throughout the year. For more information, visit www.CoNPS.org or contact Chapter President Gay Austin at austin- ceae@frontier.net. SOUTHEAST CHAPTER Activities of the Southeast Chapter are scheduled throughout the year and include field trips and meetings. Regular chapter meetings (always with an educational focus) will begin in October in both Pueblo and Colorado Springs. Those wishing more information can e-mail us as SEtrips@gmail.com and we will add you to our distribu- tion list. The Southeast Chapter welcomes your participation, no matter where you are in southeast Colorado. Activi- ties will be scheduled throughout the year with most meetings in Pueblo and field trips to a variety of sites throughout the area. Southeast Chapter meetings are held from 6:30 p.m. to 8:00 p.m. All meetings, unless otherwise noted, will be held at the 701 Court Street in Pueblo. For more meeting information, please call Warren No- lan: (719) 543-6196. GRETCHEN VAN REYPER We are sorry to have to note the loss of Gretchen Van Reyper, a longtime member of the Colorado Native Plant Society and highly regarded contributor to the- nature of the West and particularly to native plants and habitats. Gretchen received her B.S. in Environmental Biology from Mankato State University and pursued this career field throughout her life. After leaving Minnesota and a brief period in the Northeast, she headed west “look- ing for adventure” and landed on the Western Slope. She became a renowned, well-respected expert in plant identification, wetland studies, and soil restora- tion projects throughout Colorado and Utah. She was consulted regularly during the creation of the Mon- trose Botanic Gardens, was an active member of CoNPS, a freelancer for Biologic, the BLM, and most recently was employed by ERO Resources Corporation as an ecologist researcher. Montrose Botanic Gardens, where Gretchen consulted, has been approached and agreed to assist in a “Gret- chen Memorial Native Plant Garden” with a possible design of path to a garden filled with her favorite na- tive plants. Diane Winger - diane@wingpeople.com - will be organizing and collecting donations if you wish to participate. Gretchen’s legacy will live on for all to enjoy and learn in this beautiful setting. AQUILECIA Newsletter of the Colorado Native Plant Society Aquilegia is the newsletter of the Colorado Native Plant Society, and is available to members of the Society and to others with an interest in native plants. Four regular issues are published each year, plus a special issue for the annual Society meeting held in September Announcements, news, articles, book reviews, poems, bo- tanical illustrations, and other contributions should be sent to the editor at bh.prairieinl<@gmail.com. All contributions are subject to editing for brevity and con- sistency, with final approval of material changes by the au- thor. Articles from Aquilegia may be used by other native plant societies or non-profit groups, if fully cited to author and attributed to Aquilegia. Deadlines Submissions to Aquilegia are accepted throughout the year, although the usual deadlines for publication are: February 15 (Spring issue, published March 1) April 15 (Summer issue, published May 15) June 15 (Annual Meeting issue, published July 15) July 15 (Fall issue, published Aug. 15) October 15 (Winter issue, published November 15) 13 MEMBERSHIP APPLICATION AND RENEWAL FORM Name(s) Address City State Zip MEMBERSHIP CLASS Dues cover a 12-month period. Phone CHAPTER - E-mail You are free to affiliate with any chapter you choose and to attend the meetings of any chapter. Chapters do not have drawn map boundaries; the locations below indicate the usual meeting place of chapter meetings. □ Boulder □ Gore Range □ Metro-Denver □ Northern □ Plateau □ Southeast □ Southwest □ Unaffiliated Individual ($20.00) Family / dual ($30.00) Senior (65+) ($12.00) Student ($12.00) Organization ($30.00) Supporting ($50.00) Lifetime ($300.00) OPTIONAL E-MAIL DELIVERY OF Aquilegia Many members prefer to receive the newsletter electronically via e-mail, and this saves the Society considerable printing and post- age expense. If you would like to receive the newsletter by e-mail, please check this box and provide your e-mail address above. □ Please deliver Aquilegia electronically to the above e-mail address. DONATION $ General Fund Endowments in support of small grants-in-aid of research: $ John Marr Fund: research on the biology and natural history of Colorado native plants. $ Myrna P. Steinkamp Memorial Fund: research and other activities to benefit the rare plants of Colorado Mail to: Eric Lane, P.O. Box 200, Fort Collins, CO 80522 Please make checks payable to ''Colorado Native Plant Society" Dues and contributions are tax-deductible. www.conps.org 14 Colorado Native Plant Society The Colorado Native Plant Society is dedicated to furthering the knowledge, ap- preciation and conservation of native plants and habitats of Colorado through education, stewardship and advocacy. Membership is open to all with an interest in our native plants and is composed of plant enthusiasts, both professional and non-professional. Please join us in learning about, enjoying and protecting Colorado’s native plants. OFFICERS President Vice President Treasurer Secretary Admin. Asst. Crystal Strouse Bernadette Kuhn Mo Ewing Nan Daniels Linda Smith csnativeplants@gmail.com bernadettekunhconps@gmail.com moewing@q.com nahada@msn.com conpsoffice@aol.com CHAPTER PRESIDENTS Boulder Northern Metro-Denver Plateau Southeast Pam Sherman Jennifer Ackerfield Jannette Wesley Gay Austin Ann Zielinksi boulderCoNPS@gmail.com jackerfield@gmail.com metrodenverconps@gmail.com austinaceae@frontier.net zielinkski.agnesann7@gmail.com BOARD OF DIRECTORS Director Brian Kurzel (’13) Jenny Neale (‘13) Robert Powell (‘11) Jan Turner (‘12) Charlie Turner (‘11) Steve Yarbrough (‘11) brian.kurzel@state.co.us nealejr@gmail.com robertlpowell@durango.net jlturner@regis.edu turner@ rabbitbrushpublishing.com steveandkenna@msn.com STANDING COMMITTEES Conservation Education and Outreach Mo Ewing Megan Bowes moewing@q.com bowesm@bouldercolorado.gov Field Studies Horticulture and Restoration Steve Popovich Megan Bowes stevepopovich@hotmail.com bowesm@bouldercolorado.gov Media Membership Research Grants Sales Workshops Boyce Drummond Eric Lane Jan Turner Linda Smith Steve Yarbrough bdrumm0nd3@msn.com ericmlane@yahoo.com jlturner@regis.edu conpsoffice@aol.com steveandkenna@msn.com Editor, Aquilegia Webmaster Website Editor Bob Henry Yongli Zhou Linda Smith bh.prairieink@gmail.com shallopcq@yahoo.com conpsoffice@aol.com “What pains are taken to keep this wilderness in health, - showers of snow, showers of rain, showers of dew, floods of light, floods of indivisible vapour, clouds, winds, all sorts of weather, interaction of plant on plant, and animal on animal, beyond thought! How fine Nature’s methods! how deeply with beauty overlaid! the ground covered with crystals, the crystals with mosses and lichens and low-spreading grasses and flowers, these with larger plants leaf over leaf with ever changing colour and form, the broad palms of the firs outspread over these, the azure dome over all like the bell-flower, and star above star.” John Muir My First Summer in the Sierra 15 P.O. Box 200 Fort Collins, Colorado 80522 http://www.conps.org Colorado Native Plant Society CALENDAR 2011 - 2012 NEXT BOARD MEETING BOULDER CHAPTER October, Regis University, Denver (date to be announced) Dec 8 Plants in Arapaho Traditional Culture Jan 5 White Pine Blister Rust in High Mountain WORKSHOPS Ecosystems WILD PINKS OF COLORADO METRO-DENVER CHAPTER Saturday, December 3 Sunday, December 4 Nov 29 Colorado and Patagonia - What Do They Have in Common? NORTHERN CHAPTER Dec 7 Nurturing a Seed: Developing a Therapeutic Garden Jan 5 Fractals from the Forest 16