Posted at www.uwyo.edu/wyndd/wnps/wnps_home.htnn To Everything, There is a Phenology By Lynn Moore ...As the growing season unfolds, think "Phenolog}^." Phenology is the study of the timing of recurring biological events. It is not the same thing as seasonality, which refers to abiotic events such as first and last frost or when ice melts on a stream. Observations of phenology have been around a very long time; hunter- gathers and early agricultural societies probably used plants as indicators of seasonal change. Modern phenological observations began as a pastime of country dwellers in 18^^ century England and eventually developed into a discipline through the organization of the Royal Meteorological Society (Sparks and Carey 1995). The Royal Meteorological Society kept records of phenological observations spanning two centuries and published annual reports between 1875 and 1948. These old reports have helped researchers to identify patterns in phenology and climate. In this issue: To Everything, There is a Phenology 1, 2 2009 WNPS Annual Meeting 3 Wlldscaping Wyoming 4 Native Notion 4 Plant Select 5 One Bold Buttercup 6 Bighorn NPS Field Trips 7 Sheridan College Outreach Classes 7 Leaps in Lichenology 7 Yellowstone Institute Field Courses 8 Sagebrush buttercup {Ranunculus giaberrimus^dx. eHipticus) is one of our earliest spring flowers. See p. 6 for more information on its phenology. Illustration by Charles Yocum, from: Rocky Mounain Flora (Weber 1967). Today, phenology is important to us for many reasons. Phenology information tells us when to expect the peak wildflower displays. It helps us to predict the onset and intensity of allergens and when to weed and harvest our gardens. Understanding phenology is critical to agriculture for determining when honeybees are needed and in planning harvests. Recreational activities are planned around phenology, for example weekend tours to enjoy fall colors. (Cont. p. 2) WNPS News New Members : Please welcome the following new members to WNPS: BKS Environmental, Gillette, Brent Ewers, Laramie; Jill Larson, Spearfish, SD; and Adrienne Pilmanis, Cheyenne. 2009 Scholarship Winner : The 2009 Markow WNPS Scholarship winner is Monia Haselhorst (University of Wyoming), doctoral candidate who is researching hybridization between white spruce {Picea glauca) and Engelmann's spruce [Picea engelmanif) using the genetics of hybrids as a window into evolution and adaptation. Her work will be conducted in the Big Horn Mountains and Black Hills. The $500 award covers a part of research expenses. Thanks go to everyone who applied AND to all in WNPS who support scholarships. Treasurer's Report : Balance as of 23 Apr 2009 - General Fund: $1,663.29; Markow Scholarship Fund: $1,016. Total Funds: $2,679.29. Wyoming Native Plant Society P.O. Box 2500 Laramie, WY 82073 WNPS Board - 2009 President: Lynn Moore lmflora@alluretech.net Vice-President: Brian Elliott: brianelliott.eec@gmail.com Sec.-Treasurer: Ann Boelter amb749@yahoo.com Board-at-large: Curtis Haderlie C08-'09) curtis@silverstar.com Linda Dudinyak C09-'10) ldudinyak@hotmail.com Newsletter Editor: Bonnie Heidel (Laramie; bheidel@uwyo.edu) Webmaster: Melanie Arnett (arnett@uwyo.edu Teton Chapter: PO Box 6654, Jackson, WY 83002 (Amy Taylor, Treasurer) Bighorn Native Plant Society: PO Box 21, Big Horn, WY 82833 (Jean Daly, Treasurer) Contributors to this Issue : Ami Erickson, Bonnie Heidel, Lynn Moore Phenology, cont. from p. 1 The U.S. National Phonological Network (US-NPN) took its first steps in the 1950's as a group of observers and volunteers who recorded flowering dates of lilacs. Additional lilac networks grew across the country and scientists saw a need to expand the phonological network to include native species as well as other non-natives, The US-NPN, based at the University of Arizona with co- sponsorship of U.S. Geological Survey and others, was formed in 2005 and 2006 and monitors the influence of climate on the phenology of plants, animals, and landscapes. The network accomplishes this by encouraging people to observe phenological events like leaf out, flowering, migrations, or egg laying, and by providing a place for people to enter, store, and share their observations. Although much of what the US-NPN does is directed toward scientific research, the program is designed to include everyone from children to gardener's to participate in gathering and recording phenological data. Interested parties can sign up on the website to record new phenological observations or submit existing information. Some of the most valuable data comes from long-term family records such as when gardens or crops were planted. Get your kids involved and log onto the US-NPN website (see below for uri) and start recording phenological data. It is fun and provides valuable information. References Sparks, T. H. and P. D. Carey. 1995. The Responses Of Species To Climate Over 2 Centuries - An Analysis Of The Marsham Phenological Record, 1736-1947. Journal of Ecology 83:321-329. U.S. National Phenological Network homepage http://www.usanpn.org 2 2009 WNPS Annual Meeting Announcement May 30-31, 2009 - the weekend AFTER Memorial Day The highest concentration of state endemics are found in southwest Wyoming, promising a weekend of adventures! Open to the pub tic! Schedule of Events Saturday, May 30 8:00 am, meet at the Green River Recreation Center, 1775 Hitching Post Drive, easiest to access from Upland Way (see map). We will explore: - Green River greenthread {Thetesperma caespitosum), the sentinel of Green River; -Precocious milkvetch {Astragatus proimanthus), near McKinnon; -Stemless beardtongue {Penstemon acautis), a striking penstemon growing at Flaming Gorge. Saturday evening informal social: The Red Canyon Lodge restaurant, located at the Canyon Rim Overlook, is a grand place to close the day at an informal facility with a great menu. Information on it is posted at: www.redcanyonlodge.com., (435) 889-3759. Dinner reservations are not required. . It also has room to picnic, and has log cabins that can be reserved - see lodging options below. Sunday, May 31 8:30 am, at the Rock Springs BLM parking lot (north end of town on Hwy 191) Second-day tour-goers can also join at the Red Canyon Overlook on Hwy 28. We will be in hot pursuit of Barneby's clover {Trifotium barnebyi) above the Red Canyon Ranch, hear a talk on critical weed control in the area, and look for other endemics (Rocky Mountain twinpod, Beaver Rim phlox, and Fremont bladderpod). Lodging The nearest campground to the city of Green River is at Buckboard Crossing south of Green River, about V 2 hour south on Hwy 530. It's a bit windy there. For those whose want to reserve a spot ahead of time: 1-800- 280-CAMP or www.reserveusa.com. There are other campgrounds around the Gorge (Flaming Gorge, Lucern Valley Marina, Firefighter's Memorial, Greens Lake or Canyon Rim Campground (where we'll be eating dinner at the Red Canyon Lodge) but the drive is about 1 V 2 hr from Green River. The motels in Green River are the Hampton Inn 81 Suites or the Oak Tree Inn, (307) 875-3500. Red Canyon Overlook is about 80 miles north of Rock Springs, and 20 miles south of Lander. Reminders Bring snacks, food, and drink both days. Good walking shoes, sunscreen, bug spray, and jackets are a must. We'll be passing by stores but they'll be far and few between. We'll be in the outback of the high cold plateau desert of southwestern Wyoming, but we might luck out and it might be warm. Questions? Contact: Charmaine Delmatier r delmatierc@wvoming.com y 3 GARDENING AS THOUGH NATURE MATTERED The following three information resources on gardening with natives are only a dick away. Wildscaping Wyoming Wyoming Wiidscape: How to Design^ Plant and Maintain Landscaping to Benefit People and Wildlife. By Andrea Cerovski. 2005. Wyoming Game and Fish Department, Nongame Program, Lander. 64 pp. Avaiiabie oniine at: http://gf.state.wy.us/downioads/pdf/WiidscapeJune 2005.pdf; aiso avaiiabie at no cost as a printed bookiet from aii regionai offices of Wyoming Game and Fish Department. What in the world can a Wyoming wildlife biologist with a backyard do for wildlife? The ensuing frustration and piecemeai answers to that question iead Andrea Cerovski to deveiop one of the most easiiy accessibie, hands-on guides to pianting native piants in Wyoming. Wyoming is home to 325 species of birds - some are here year-round, whiie others oniy spend the summer or winter months in Wyoming, or are found here oniy during spring and autumn migration. Cerovski prociaims that we can heip popuiations of aii native birds by pianting native wiidscapes - iandscaping that benefits both peopie and wiidiife. Wiidscaping can be done on virtuaiiy any piece of iand of any size as iong as a wiidscaping pian is deveioped and foiiowed. The guide is a tooi to design, piant, and maintain your wiidscape. The foiiowing topics are addressed in the pubiication: • Benefits of wiidscaping • Design • Piant seiection • Guideiines for pianting woody piants, wiidfiowers, and grasses, or to deveiop watering, terraces, wetiands, composting • Maintenance • Do's and Don'ts • Tabie of 160-i- native piants ideai for wiidscaping in Wyoming, comprising over haif of the pubiication, inciuding common name, scientific name, maximum height. growth form, iighting, soii and moisture preferences, wiidiife vaiue, stress, noting where the species is native. In the back of the guide are some additionai resources to heip you find out more about wiidscaping, inciuding the currentiy avaiiabie commerciai Wyoming sources for native piants, and xeriscaping references. The University of Wyoming Cooperative Extension Service recentiy reieased an Aprii 2009 Barnyards & Backyards \wsex\. appearing in statewide newspapers, with an articie on "Rocky Mountain natives for Wyoming iandscapes" by Donna Cuin. If you missed it, there is stiii a chance to view it at: http://agecon.uwyo.edu/insuringsuccess/Barnyards AndBackyards/2009BandB/Inse rt_2009_03.pdf Cuin introduces the reader to six common piant famiiies, as different as the Aster Famiiy and the Grass Famiiy. Seiect members are featured in each famiiy. This work draws heaviiy from the Piant Seiect® homepage (see the next page), with its own strengths and weaknesses. We can iaud this Cooperative Extension Service initiative, and take heart in the ciosing words of this articie: 4 ''As many of us are trying to develop or rejuvenate gardens more suited to our high plains desert and mountainous Wyoming conditions, considering native plants will become more and more prevalent As gardeners request these plants, the horticulture trade will become more apt to grow and sell them to meet the needs of their clientele” This article and more are available through the University of Wyoming Cooperative Extension Service offices or on-line by searching under the headings of "Flowers" and "Plants." Plant Select Plant Select® is a cooperative, non-profit program administered by Denver Botanic Gardens and Colorado State University in concert with horticulturists and nurseries throughout the Rocky Mountain region and beyond. The purpose of Plant Select® is to seek out, identify and distribute the very best plants for landscapes and gardens from the intermountain region to the high plains. Several plants are chosen each year that thrive in the sunny, variable conditions of Rocky Mountain gardens. These can be plants that have grown here for years and have not yet attained the popularity they deserve, known as recommended plants. Introductions represent taxa that are discovered by our cooperators. Superior forms or hybrids carefully tested over time are known as originals. Plant Select® is at the vanguard of a bold, new plant palette that is revolutionizing the way we garden, and helping forge a truly American style of horticulture. They are posted at: http : //WWW. plantselect.org/ The information accompanying striking photos includes height, phenology, lighting and soil conditions, and hardiness. Unfortunately, it does not distinguish between native and non-native species, or the cultivars of native species. It also does not indicate where the species is native, so gardeners might be advised to use this in combination with other resources like Wyoming Wiidscape (previous page) or like Growing Native Plants of the Rocky Mountain Area (Dorn and Dorn 2007; reviewed by W. Fertig in 2007 in CastiHeJa 26(2)), with their more critical information on selecting suitable plants for Wyoming sites and for considering where the species is native. BH References Dorn, R.D. and J.L. Dorn. 2007. Growing Native Plants of the Rocky Mountain kxedi. 252 pages. Book version or CD; available at www.lulu.com/content/768231 . Native Seed Collecting at Vedauwoo, WY: July 30-31, 2009 Vedauwoo is one of the most attractive natural features in southern Wyoming. A rock climbers paradise, this location boasts a tremendous variety of fauna and flora as well. We will camp at Vedauwoo and spend two relaxing days, Thursday & Friday collecting native seeds among the splendor or lush foliage and dramatic sandstone cliffs. Food will be provided. Many land restoration projects depend on precious hand collected native seed because purchased seeds are unavailable, too expensive or not an acceptable match to the local native species ecotypes. These seeds will be multiplied agriculturally by an inter-government agency partnership. This process increases seeds up to lOOOX for revegetation projects on public lands. To sign up, or for more information, call Wildlands Restoration Volunteers at 303-543-1411, send an e-mail to lnfo@wlrv.org, or sign-up online at www.wlrv.org. 2009 Colorado Native Plant Soc. Meeting September 11-13, 2009 Don't forget to mark the Colorado Native Plant Society 2009 annual meeting on your calendar. It will be held in Windsor, CO, as close to Wyoming as you can get to our state without being in it. This September 11-13 event includes a day of exciting talks and a fieldtrip to Soapstone Ranch, Colorado's largest Colorado butterfly plant population. See the Colorado Native Plant Society homepage for more information: http://www.conps.org/conps.html . 5 One Bold Buttercup Sagebrush buttercup {Ranunculus glaberrimusyar. ellipticus) is a bright harbinger of spring across most counties and elevations of Wyoming. For all the furtiveness of spring for gardening, we can indulge in spring for nearly five months of the year if willing to travel and take our cues from sagebrush buttercup. If you missed the sagebrush buttercup show at 3,850 ft near Hulett this past March, it can still be found flowering in the Laramie Hills in May, in many other mountains in June, and at 11,580 ft in the Beartooth Mountains in July. Specimens at Rocky Mountain Herbarium capture the elevation gradient of its flowering phenology, with peak flowering activity approaching in mid May through mid June at mid-elevations (Figure 1). The glistening, bright petals of buttercups {Ranunculus attract insects, and are the result of epidermal cells packed with pigment and cells directly below packed with starch. The yellow petals offer a mixed message to the animal kingdom. Petals and the rest of the plant are poisonous, laced with alkaloids. For all of its striking appearance, sagebrush buttercup is small (5-20 cm) and often overlooked. Imagine my surprise to hear it featured in national news one January day a few years ago, when an intrepid Montana ecologist by the name of James Habeck reported that this harbinger of spring had flowered in Missoula under mild midwinter conditions. It turns out he has kept a chronicle of spring's arrival by its buttercups - basic phenology that made national news. What is to be inferred from one bold buttercup? There were no hard conclusions offered in the news byte, but you might want to keep an eye on those buttercups nearest you (see article on phenology, p. 1). BH Figure 1. Sagebrush buttercup flowering phenology in Wyoming*^ Flowering \ Elev (ft) March wk 4 April wk 1 April wk2 April wk3 April wk4 May wk 1 May wk2 May wk3 May wk4 June wkl June wk2 June wk3 June wk4 July wkl July wk2 July wk3 3660 1 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 4000 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 4330 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 4660 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 5000 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 5330 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 5660 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 6000 1 0 0 0 1 0 0 1 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 6330 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 6660 0 0 1 0 0 1 0 0 3 1 0 1 0 0 0 0 7000 0 0 1 2 0 0 1 5 1 0 0 0 0 0 7330 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 4 0 1 1 1 0 0 0 0 7660 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 1 1 0 7 2 0 0 0 0 8000 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 3 3 1 4 3 2 0 1 0 8330 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 3 4 3 2 2 0 0 0 8660 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 3 1 1 2 1 0 0 9000 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 3 2 2 2 0 0 9330 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 1 1 0 0 0 9660 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 1 0 2 0 0 10000 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 1 0 1 10330 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 10660 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 2 0 0 11000 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 2 0 0 0 11330 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 ^ *From all Ranunculus glaberrimusf\o'^Qmq specimens at RM that also have elevation recorded with precision (+/- 200 ft). Total=114. Cells are highlighted to represent those weekly periods with the highest flowering number of specimens for each elevation interval. This does not take into account differences in latitude , habitat, and year of collection. 6 Bighorn Native Plant Society Fieldtrips Amsden Creek elk winter range May 16, 2009 with Bob Giurgevich. Meet in the K-Mart parking lot in Sheridan, WY at 8:30am or at the Tongue River Bridge in Dayton, WY at 9am. E-mail Jean Daly for more information (djdaly@fiberpipe.net). Destination TBA June 28, 2009 - with Dick Birkholz. - E-mail Jean Daly for more information (djdaly@fiberpipe.net). Bud Love Wilderness Area July 25, 2009, with Ami Erickson. E-mail Ami Erickson for more information (ami.erickson@gmail.com) Sheridan College Outreach Classes Wildflowers of Wyoming courses are now being offered through Sheridan College. These 1 day courses can be taken for 1 credit. For further information, please contact: (ami.erickson@gmail.com) . Wildflowers of Wyoming AND Hiking\ Using GPS, June 24, 2009, with Ami Erickson and Dave Munsick. We'll be heading up Hwy 16 Southwest of Buffalo. We will stop at various locations to Identify flowers and learn how to use a GPS system to track and find these flowers in the future. Transportation is provided, but room is limited, so register soon. Wildflowers of Wyoming AND Hiking\ Healthy Hiking, July 18, 2009, with Ami Erickson and Christy Lohof: We'll be heading up Hwy 16 Southwest of Buffalo. We will stop at various locations to identify flowers and do some guided hiking. Transportation is provided, but room is limited, so register soon. Leaps in Lichenology - the Big Horn Mountains Clifford Wetmore, the University of Minnesota lichenologist who inventoried Black Hills lichens (Wetmore 1967) and coauthored Yellowstone National Park inventory results (Eversman et al. 2002), recently published the results of lichen collections made over a two-week collecting trip in the Big Horn Mountains (Wetmore 2009). He documented 202 species, a significant contribution to the montane lichen flora of northern Wyoming. The relatively intact lichen flora of Wyoming and air quality indicator value of lichens provide exciting prospects for exploring these fascinating bastions of symbiosis. Readers are referred to the "classic" Lichens of North America et al. 2001; reviewed by E. Holt in Castiiieja the Macroiichens of the Northern Rocky Mountains and Goward 1995), and the recent Fieid Guide to Bioiogicai Soii Crusts of Western U.S. Z7/y/(^/7^/5 (Rosentretter et al. 2008) if contemplating your own leaps into lichenology. BH References Brodo, I.M., S.D. Sharnoff, and S. Sharnoff. 2001. Lichens of North America. Yale University Press. New Haven, CT. Eversman, S., C. Wetmore, K. Glew, and J. Bennett. Patterns of lichen diversity in Yellowstone National Park. McCune, B. and T. Goward. 1995. Macroiichens of the Northern Rocky Mountains. Mad River Press, Inc. Eureka, CA. Rosentreter, R., M. Bowker and J. Belnap. 2008. A Fieid Guide to Bioiogicai Soii Crusts of Western U.S. Dryiands. U.S. Government Printing Office, Denver, CO. Wetmore, C. 1967. Lichens of the Black Hills of South Dakota and Wyoming. Publ. Museum, Michigan State Univ. 3(4). Wetmore, C. 2009. Lichens collected in the Big Horn Mountains, Wyoming. Evansia 26(1): 10-14. 7 Announcing : Yellowstone Institute Field Courses Four favorite piant courses are offered this year by Yeiiowstone Institute: Spring Wildflowers, June 6-7 Jen Whipple, Botanist, Yellowstone National Park Plants of Yellowstone NP’s Indian People June 16-18, Wayne Phillips, author The ART of Wildflower Identification June 26-28, Meredith Campbell, artist Alpine Wildflowers - Beartooths, July 13-15 John Campbell, Northwestern University Wyoming Native Plant Society is a non-profit organization established in 1981, dedicated to encouraging the appreciation and conservation of the native flora and plant communities of Wyoming. The Society promotes education and research on native plants of the state through its newsletter, field trips, and annual student scholarship award. Membership is open to individuals, families, or organizations. To join or renew, return this form to: Wyoming Native Plant Society P.O. Box 2500, Laramie, WY 82073 Name: Address: For information on fees, or to register, call tmaw: Yellowstone Institute, 307-344-2293; or visit the $7.50 Regular Membership web site at htto: //vellowstoneassociation .ora/ . $15.00 Scholarship Supporting Member ($7.50 goes to the Markow Scholarship Fund) Check one: New member Renewing member Renewing members, check here if this is an address change. Wyoming Native Plant Society P.O. Box 2500 Laramie, WY 82073 8