News

Volume III Number 4

Indiana is one of only a handful of states with a non¬
native as a state flower. The first state flower was the
CARNATION, a native of Europe. In 1923, this was
changed to the TULIP TREE, an Indiana native found in
practically every county. Then in 1931 the state legislature
changed it once again, this time to the ZINNIA, a native of
Mexico. The current state flower, the PEONY, a native of Asia,
was selected by the legislature in 1957. The peony is a beautiful
plant providing glorious floral displays in late May but it is not a
native of Indiana.

Ever since the change, biologists and nature enthusiasts have want¬
ed to nominate a native species. The famous Hoosier botanist,
Charles Deam, said it best. “The Indiana flora is rich in the
number of native species that are attractive and beautiful.

Out of our abundance of native flowers (2,000 species)
we should be able to select one for our state flower...

Why advertise our ignorance of our native plants? I
appeal to readers to take pride in our state and in our
native plants.”

There is another good reason to choose a native species. The
combination of natural habitat loss and introduction of invasive
exotic species is creating environmental chaos. Because of the mag
nitude of this problem, the Indiana Academy of Science sponsored
a major national symposium in 1991 on the topic and published a
book in 1993 focusing on the problems being caused by non¬
native species and the importance of promoting the use of native
species. A recent United States Congress report indicated that the
damage caused by just 15 non-native species during the next 50
years could cost Americans more than 130 billion dollars.

Selecting a suitable replacement for the current non-native state
flower (the peony) has become a project of the Indiana Academy
of Science, a 1,200-member, statewide, nonprofit organization
established in 1885. The Academy is dedicated to promote scien¬
tific information and to improve education in the sciences. Among
the many activities sponsored by the IAS are symposia, research
grants and publications. The Indiana Native Plant and Wildflower
Society (INPAWS) has supported the state flower project as well,
by providing assistance in preparing mailings.

NEWS

December 1996

by Bill McKnight

Since all fourth-graders
in Indiana are required to
study Indiana state history the IAS
reasoned that this also could
include Indiana natural history.
Fourth-graders were asked to
choose from among a short list
of 13 candidate species. The list
was compiled from a survey of
55 persons with expertise
on the flora of
Indiana. Each per¬
son involved with
the survey submitted a
rank-ordered list of their
top five choices for a state
flower. This screening process
insured the selection of a native
species. (About 20 percent of the
flowering plant species found growing
wild in Indiana are non-native).

State Flower Project continued on page 2

Inside . . .

President’s Message . 3

IN PAWS Coming Events . 3

Lost and Found . 3

Letters to the Editor . 4

Ropchan Memorial Bog . 5

Free for the Picking-Tis the Season(ing) to be Jolly...6

Multi florae . 8

Report on Natural Areas Conference . 11

Annual Meeting . 12

Katrina’s Recipes . 13

Committee Reports . 14

Dunes Trip Enjoyed by All . 15

Membership Application . 16

State Flower Project continued from page 1

A poster and a rdsumd for each candidate flower were pro¬
duced and distributed to all 4,041 fourth-grade classes in
Indiana, in both public and private schools. The poster fea¬
tures a high-quality color photograph of each of the 13 candi¬
dates. The accompanying r6sum6s briefly describe distribu¬
tion, habitat, morphology, flowering time, suitability as a gar¬
den plant, and other generally interesting attributes. The can¬
didates were Bloodroot, Bluebells, Blue Phlox, Butterfly
Milkweed, Cardinal Flower, Fire Pink, New England
Aster, Nodding White Trillium, Shooting Star, Spring
Beauty, Wild Columbine, Wood Poppy and Yellow Trout
Lily. The students were asked to vote for one of the 13 wild-
flowers, and encouraged to search for all 13 species in their
wild native haunts. Regardless of which species got the most
votes, they were all winners since the students now have a
greater understanding of the Hoosier flora and our environ¬
ment.

More than 6,000 fourth-graders voted for the Fire Pink
(Silerte virginica). (Illustration on page 1). It should be noted
that Fire Pink received about 2,000 more votes than its near¬
est competitor, Nodding White Trillium, which received
4,000, and that each of the 13 wildflowers did receive a num¬
ber of votes, including 43 for the peony. The 55 adult experts
also chose Fire Pink as their first choice.

Fire Pink (Silene virginica) is a resident of rocky, wooded
slopes and openings, and is frequent to common (except in

the northwestern counties) in spring. The many brilliant red
star-like flowers are as visible in daylight as lightning bugs
during summer nights. Its flowers are produced near the top
of a two-foot stalk with simple, paired leaves. A sister
species. Royal Catchfly (S. regia), is found in Indiana only in
prairie remnants at a few locations; both are eye-catching
garden plants.

This project is also a civics exercise. The Academy will
obtain bipartisan support to get the necessary legislative
action to change the Indiana state flower from the non-native
peony to the Fire Pink. Students can be kept aware of the pol¬
itics through media coverage or through the IAS HomePage
(http://www.statelib.Iib.in.us/www/ias/ias.html). It should
be noted that this project is being supported with volunteer
effort and funding from the Indiana Academy of Science; no
state tax dollars are involved.

The State Flower Project Committee includes:

Chairman Bill N. Me Knight
William C. Block

Michael Dana
Rebecca Dolan
Michael A. Homoya

Paul E. Roth rock

Park Tudor School
haak Walton League of
America

Purdue University
Butler University
IDNR Division of Nature
Preserves
Taxlor University.

Indiana Native Plant and Wildflower Society Newsletter

©Copyright 1996

Published quarterly by the Indiana Native Plant and Wildflower
Society for members.

The Mission of the Indiana Native Plant and Wildflower Society
is to promote the appreciation, preservation, conservation, utilization
and scientific study of the flora native to Indiana and to educate the
public about the values, beauty, diversity and environmental impor¬
tance of indigenous vegetation.

Officers 1996-1997

President Carolyn Harstad

Vice President Kevin Tungesvick

Corresponding Secretary Gil Daniels
Recording Secretary Becky Dolan

Treasurer Jean Vietor

(317) 257-9452
(317) 354-2775
(317) 251-7343
(317) 940-9413 (w)
(317) 823-1542

Newsletter Committee

Editor Dan Anderson (317)

Co-Editor/Design/Layout Anne Wilson (812)

Technical Editor Gil Daniels (317)

Mailing Ruth Ann Ingraham (317)

Contributing Editors Bill Brink (317)

Becky Dolan (317)

Carolyn Harstad (317)

SueNord (317)

Barb Kaczorowski (317)

849-3105

342-6838

251-7343

253-3863

255-0166

940-9413

257-9452

782-0763

877-0850

(w)

Submission of articles

Information for the newsletter is supplied by Society mem¬
bers and others interested in sharing information about
Indiana native plants. Articles or drawings should be sent to
the Editor, Dan Anderson, 7412 Graham Road, Indianapolis,
IN 46250.

Committee Chairs

Annual Meeting
Auction

Communications

Conservation

Fundraising

Governance

Historian

Hospitality

Memership

Native Plant Education
Native Plant Rescue

Newsletter
Programs/Field Trips
Publications
Publicity

Speakers Bureau
Volunteers Coordinator

Bill Brink
Lynn Jenkins
Hilary Cox
Ted Harris
Bernadette Traeger
Janice Glimn-Lacy
Reta Rutledge
Katrina Vollmer
Ruth Ann Ingraham
Sue Nord
Sue Dillon
Don Miller
Dan Anderson
Kevin Tungesvick
Anne Wilson
Margo Jaqua
Colletta Kosiba
Helen Merrill

(317) 255-0166
(317) 769-3456
(317) 272-4938
(317) 362-1509
(317) 933-9238
(317) 293-1207
(317) 784-2927
(812) 988-0063
(317) 253-3863
(317) 782-0763
(317) 844-3558
(317) 327-7416
(317) 849-3105
(317) 354-2775
(812) 342-6838
(317) 253-4367
(317) 852-5973
(317) 255-3433

Muncie Chapter Kevin Tungesvick (317) 354-2775

Past President Jeffrey Maddox (317) 253-0659

2 • Indiana Native Plant and Wildflower Society News • December 1996

President’s Message

by Carolyn Harstad

nvironmental issues have been a high priority for
INPAWS since its inception in the spring of 1993. On
the back of a friend’s sweatshirt, I read, “We will con¬
serve only what we love. We will love only what we under¬
stand. We will understand only what we are taught.” News
articles regularly report the results of man’s carelessness—
depletion of the ozone layer, oil spills in our seas, loss of
plant and animal habitat—the list is endless.

The Autumn 1996 issue of Wildflower, a publication of the
Canadian Wildflower Society, Ontario, Canada, reports on
the Wood or Celandine Poppy (Stylophorum diphyllum) as
one of Canada’s endangered species. The article, by Elaine
Gosnell, terrestrial and wetland biologist, shows a map of the
range of the Wood Poppy with Indiana at the center. (This
plant grows readily in Indiana and I have heard people tell of
“weeding” it out when it becomes too vigorous. I was sur¬
prised to find that this lovely cut-leaved bright yellow wild¬
flower is in danger in other parts of its range in North
America. Perhaps we need to be more watchful in our local
environment).

The Nature Conservancy ranks the Wood Poppy as “globally
secure but critically imperiled in Ontario and Canada” and
was listed as an endangered species in Canada in March
1991. Two sites are discussed in the article. At one site the
Wood Poppy population had decreased from around 5,000
plants in an area approximately 100 m. in 1987 to 161 in 25
m. in 1995. Gosnell writes, “The cause of the demise of the
population was fairly obvious. Extensive tree cutting had
taken place along the ravine slope and fill material had been
dumped at the entrance to the ravine. The trees and under¬
storey vegetation (including wood poppies) which were inun¬
dated by fill were either buried or were dying. The once
shady and sealed-off ravine was now exposed to the full dry¬

ing effects of the sun and wind. Further openings in the tree
canopy had been created by the selective tree cutting which
occured in the ravine.” The article went on to list other poten¬
tial stresses such as “encroaching development, aggregate
extraction, agriculture runoff and increased human access.”

On Tuesday, November 12, 1996, the Indianapolis Star pub¬
lished an article by William F. Hartwig entitled “Heeding
warning signs of something amiss in nature” written in
response to a September 22 editorial in the Star which
claimed that “the fairy shrimp and spotted owl are not in dan¬
ger of extinction and have cost jobs and stopped construction
projects.” Hartwig writes, “ ... to suggest that saving endan¬
gered species must come at the cost of jobs and human needs
is specious. A strong economy and healthy environment go
hand in hand.” He says that species such as the fairy shrimp
and the spotted owl are natural smoke alarms, “signaling that
something is amiss with the natural systems that keep us all
alive.”

Ken Druse, our 1995 Annual Meeting speaker, called frogs
“the barometer of nature.” Recent news articles tell of
deformed frogs in over 100 sites in 57 of Minnesota’s 87
counties. The problem has not been identified, yet the frogs
are undoubtedly a part of nature’s alarm systems.

At the INPAWS 1996 annual meeting attendees were
encouraged to “Think globally, act locally.” Our environment
is precious and it is fragile. As members of INPAWS, we
need to monitor these “alarms,” encourage legislators and
developers to work with nature and not against it, and help to
educate our citizens about the importance of the environment.

Working together, we can make a difference.

INPAWS Coming Events

Planning is now underway
for 1997 activities.

If you have an idea for a program or field trip
contact Kevin Tungesvick, program
committee chairman, at 317-354-2775,
or send e-mail to wilson@hsonline.net.

Lost

and

Found

Lost: Small black camera at
annual meeting. Please call
Helen Merrill at 317-255-3433.

Found: Pair of women’s black
leather gloves at the annual
meeting. Call Carolyn Harstad
317-257-9452.

Found: Platter, at Holliday
House, Holiday Park, after the
February 18 slide test and din¬
ner pitch-in. Call Carolyn
Harstad 317-257-9452.

December 1996 • Indiana Native Plant and Wildflower Society News • 3

Letters

to the Editor

State Flower

Just a note regarding your comment about our state flower in
the last INPAWS News. It has always seemed inappropriate
to me that a non-native flower was chosen, and I would sup¬
port any effort to change this. We were in Colorado in July,
photographing and studying the flora of the sub-alpine and
alpine regions, when I remarked to a Coloradian how abun¬
dant the columbine was, and what a good choice it was for
their state flower. He asked where we were from, and when
we said “Indiana,” he said "otherwise known as the Peony
State.” I guess our reputation precedes us, at least in some
circles, and thought you might find the comment amusing.

Doug Johnstone, Martinsville
Honeysuckle - our worst weed?

You note in the August issue that Amur Honeysuckle is "our
worst woody weed." In North Carolina we have some estab¬
lished populations of this species but by far in the mountain¬
ous area our worst woody weed seems to be Multi flora Rose
(Rosa multiflora), though some would suggest it is Kudzu
(Pueraria lobata) or perhaps Oriental Bittersweet (Celastrus
orbiculatus). Recently I note many more species are appear¬
ing in our woodlands, including Leatherleaf Viburnum
(Viburnum rhytidifolium), Winged Euonymus (Euonymus
alatus), and Autumn Olive (Elaeagnus pungens). But I nomi¬
nate the Multiflora Rose because of its prickly nature and
ability to gel into both wetland and meadow areas. Have you
knowledge of how far the virus that is infecting the rose has
progressed? I would be happy, from my perspective, to learn
the virus was eliminating our Multiflora Rose.

J. Dan Pittillo, Cullowhee, North Carolina

(J. Dan Pittillo is the editor of Chinquapin, the newsletter of
the Southern Appalachian Botanical Society-Co-Ed.).

More on honeysuckle

The latest newsletter is very nice. Good layout, articles,
graphics!

The article on honeysuckle is very timely as Indy Parks is
getting heat from a couple of birders that honeysuckle is the
most important plant for birds and that removing it from
parks is a crime and they want it stopped. We need to get this
info out before the public.

Bill Brink, Indianapolis

Send your letters to the Editor, Dan Anderson,
7412 Graham Road, Indianapolis, IN 46250
ore-mail wilson@hsonline.net

Clarification

I attempted to clarify What is a Native Plant. The editing of
my article, published in August 1996, resulted in misleading
and inaccurate statements. Corrections follow:

I. Plant Kingdom

A. Bryophyta: liverworts, hornworts, mosses

II. Monera Kingdom

A. Cyanobacteria: blue-greens

B. Bacteria

C. Viruses

III. Protista Kingdom

A. Pyrrophyta : dinoflagellates

B. Chrysophyta: golden algae, yellow-green algae, diatoms

IV. Mycetae Kingdom (Fungi)

A. Myxomycota: slime molds

B. Oomycota: water molds, downy mildews, white rusts

C. Chytridiomycota: chytrids and allies

D. Zygomycota: black bread molds and allies

E. Ascomycota: yeast, molds, mildews, morels

F. Basidiomycota: rusts; smuts; jelly fungi; gill, pore, coral
and toothed fungi; puffballs; stinkhoms; bird’s nest fungi

In Indiana there was tail-grass prairie in the northwestern
part of the state. The rest of Indiana consisted of eastern
deciduous forest. The types of deciduous forest in Indiana
include oak-hickory, beech-maple (central Indiana), tamarack
bog, cypress swamp and others.

The common names of Viburnum trilobum are American
cranberry bush, Cranberry bush. High cranberry, Highbush,
Pimbina, Cherry wood, Dowrowan-tree, Water elder, Marsh
elder, Gadrise, Gaiter tree, Gattan tree, Grouse berry, Love
roses. This plant is not to be confused with the source of
cranberry sauce served at Thanksgiving dinner: Vaccinium
macrocarpon (cranberry).

An advantage of growing plants native to an area is that
desirable native birds and butterflies use native plants for
food and shelter.

Janice Glimn-Lacy, Indianapolis

For further information on the evolutionary relation¬
ships of all groups formerly included in the Plant
Kingdom please refer to the chart on page 42 of Botany
Illustrated by Janice Glimn-Lacy and Peter B.

Kaufman, Van Nostrand Reinhold Company, Chapman
and Hall, New York, 1984.

4 • Indiana Native Plant and Wildflower Society News • December 1996

Ropchan Memorial Bog by Anthony L. Swinehart

Dr. Charles Deam, the pioneer Hoosier botanist, recognized
the need to preserve tamarack bogs in Indiana as early as
1924, as the tamarack trees were rapidly becoming scarce due
to drainage and cutting.

Ropchan Memorial Preserve, in Steuben County, harbors one
of the state’s relatively few remaining tamarack bogs. It is
situated in an area rich in diverse, glacial topography, with
many kettle holes, the result of
glacial blocks of ice, found in the
region. Many of these favored the
formation of bogs because of their
small sizes and great depths. The
wetland at Ropchan is an example
of a kettle hole, which has become
a bog during the last 12,000 years.

Unlike marshes and swamps, bogs
accumulate peat, which is a decom¬
position product of plants and ani¬
mals, which, because of poorly oxy¬
genated conditions, do not fully
decay. Instead of muck, they contain
a soil made up mostly of plant parts,
overlaid by a layer of Sphagnum
mosses.

Peat began forming at the margins
of the original lake, and spread
inward until no open water
remained. As the surface became more stable, trees, especial¬
ly the tamarack, became established. The tamarack is a decid¬
uous conifer, which loses its needles in the autumn. In
Canada and the northern tier of states, it is found in a wide
variety of habitats. In Indiana, it does not compete well with
other trees, and is almost entirely restricted to bogs. Its ability
to survive in a habitat unfavorable to other trees is temporary,
as conditions favorable to other tree species may develop.

The tamarack forest in Ropchan is dying, as the peat has
become firm enough to allow red maples to grow tall enough
to develop a dense canopy, shading out the tamarack. Many
of those remaining are spindly and weak, and it is likely that
most will be dead within ten years.

The dense understory still harbors some remnant bog species,
such as mountain holly, starflower, blueberry, ladyslippers,
and goldthread. The chaotic arrangement of fallen and stand¬
ing tamarack, dense shrub layer, and bright green Sphagnum

hummocks create a scene resembling a Jurassic bog.

Studies are underway to learn more of the history of the bog
through analysis of the plant and animal remains which are
found in the layers of peal. After only 15,000 years or less,
the material has not turned to stone, and often contains many
of the same substances that constituted the living organism.
We call these organic remains subfossils.

During the summer of 1995, Ropchan
was one of the sixteen bogs and fens
across northern Indiana to be studied.
The peat was probed with segments of
metal rods to map the original basins
and locate the deepest areas. When the
maximum depth of 28 feet was found,
a coring device was pushed to the bot¬
tom to recover a stratified sample.

Remains of fifteen species were recov¬
ered. The lowest levels contained parts
of stoneworts and bushy pondweed,
indicating the presence of a lake. Seeds
of yellow water lily, at higher levels,
tell of the development of a marsh.

Next came bulrushes and sedges, and
brown mosses characteristic of hard,
alkaline waters. As the peat clogged the
basin, it cut off the How of mineral-rich
groundwater, and the Sphagnum moss¬
es became established. Then cranber¬
ries and bog rosemary carpeted the bog, but like the other
species mentioned, have died out. In time, the bog will
become a lowland forest dominated by red maple, swamp
oak, and elm.

So, if you walk through the Ropchan Memorial Preserve,
look out into the dense tangle of wetland trees and shrubs and
turn back the pages of time in your mind-you just might hear
the sound of waves lapping against an ancient shoreline. You
might imagine a treeless glade carpeted with bright green
hummocks of moss and cranberry bushes. And, as you con¬
sider the ecosystem we see today, you might agree that it is
truly a reflection of a fascinating past and an indicator of
changes yet to come.

This article is reprinted by permission of ACRES Land Trust,
based in Fort Wayne, which administers several nature pre¬
serves in northern Indiana. Anthony L. Swinehart is a doctor¬
al student at Purdue University.

December 1996 • Indiana Native Plant and Wildflower Society News • 5

Free for the Picking

by Dan Anderson

U

))

Many guides to edible wild plants tend to focus on those
which are used in quantity-greens, roots, berries and nuts.
Often overlooked are smaller varieties which, used in lesser
amounts, can impart a delightful flavor to an otherwise bland
dish. A number of these, with suggested uses, will be
described below.

Wild onions. Allium spp., and field garlic, A.
vineale , were discussed in the previous
issue of INPAWS News. The former,
being strong-tasting, should be used more
sparingly than the equivalent amount of
civilized onions. The field garlic cloves
may be used in the same amounts as you
would use commercial garlic.

Sheep sorrel, Rumex acetosellci , has small,
vitamin-C-rich leaves resembling spear or
lance points. These have a pleasantly sour
taste, and can be added to a mixed salad as
a substitute for lemon juice. (It has been
pointed out that eating large amounts over an
extended period of time may inhibit the
absorption of calcium by the body).

The mustard family (Cruciferae) furnishes us
with a number of useful plants possessing various
degrees of heating ability. The spindly, sparsely
leaved stalks of black mustard, Brassica nigra, can
often be found along field edges and roadsides. The
clusters of small yellow four-petalcd flowers help
to identify it with the mustard family. We have used
the flower buds in salads to give them a pleasant tang, and
the ripe seeds can be ground to make an acceptable dry mus¬
tard. The peppergrasses, Lepidium spp., and field pennycress,
Thlaspi ar\>ense, all bear seedpods, either round or heart-
shaped, which are attached to the main stem by short pedicels
at an angle of 45 to 90 degrees. The small pods can be used
green or dried for later use. The roots of cut-leaved tooth-
wort, Dentaria laciniata, can be chopped and added to salads,
or ground and mixed with vinegar and a little salt as a horse¬
radish substitute.

Wild ginger, Asarum canadense , was used by Amerinds and
pioneers in the same ways as commercial ginger is used
today. The long horizontal rootstocks can be candied, or
dried and ground for use as a seasoning. The plant seems to
be absent in many areas, but I have seen it covering large
patches of ground in both Holliday Park and Ritchey Woods
in the Indianapolis area.

We have recently enjoyed tea made from the spicebush,
Lindera benzoin, and found it to be most pleasant in taste.

The red berries can be dried and ground to make an accept¬
able substitute for allspice. The young leaves of Sassafras
albidum can be dried and powdered for thickening
soup, or for making “gumbo filet”
which is used in Cajun cook¬
ing. (It has been reported that
sassafras contains a chemi¬
cal, which if force-fed to
laboratory animals in large
amounts, can lead to the
formation of certain types
of cancer).

Sweet cicely and anise-
root, Osmorhiza claytoni
and O. longistylus, have
femlike lower leaves in sets of
three. The roots have a pleasant
anise-like odor, and both they and the
fruit can be used in place of anise for flavoring.

There are several wild mints (Mentha) in our area.
Most can be recognized be the characteristic odor of
the leaves and the square stems. Mints can be used as
a garnish for lamb and a flavoring for jellies, sauces
and teas.

It has been reported that the'crushed dried leaves of yellow
and white sweet clover Melilotus officinalis and M. alba can
be used in place of vanilla for flavoring pastries. The seeds
can be used in soups and stews, although the source does not
indicate what flavor they impart. Considering how common
these plants appear to be in central Indiana, please feel free to
help yourselves!

There are many good source books written about edible wild
plants, the best-known of which are by Euell Gibbons.
Gibbons concentrates on selected types, which he covers in
detail with recipes and personal experiences. My favorite,
from the standpoints of comprehensiveness and ease of use,
is A Field Guide to Edible Plants by Lee Allen Peterson.

Dan is a wild-foods aficionado, editor of IN PAWS News (this
is his seventh issue!) and a charter member of IN PAWS. He
would love to hear about your favorite recipe using wild
plants. Send it to him at 7412 Graham Road, Indianapolis, IN
46250. -Co-Ed.

6 • Indiana Native Plant and Wildflower Society News • December 1996

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Phone: 317-247-1987 FAX: 317-248-2074

Compost now available in Northwestern Indiana - Call us!

December 1996 • Indiana Native Plant and Wildllower Society News • 7

MULTIFLORAE

Governor’s Conference on the Environment

November 9th, in addition to being the date of our annual
meeting, marked the 5th annual Governor’s Conference on
the Environment, which was attended by your editor as the
representative of INPAWS. It appeared that about 125 people
were in attendance at the meeting, which was held at the
South Government Center at Washington Street between
Senate and West Streets. A good many were affiliated with
either DNR (Department of Natural Resources) or IDEM
(Indiana Department of Environmental Management), or
were exhibitors or speakers. Three utility companies were
represented (NIPSCO, IPALCO and PSI), each of which has
active environmental programs, including restoration of
prairie and wetland areas near their facilities. Americorps,
operating in the Elkhart area, was represented by a delegation
of ten, many of whom expressed the wish they had heard of
INPAWS before they planned their nature trails in the area.
Many of the sessions dealt with proper waste disposal, pro¬
jects involving public-private cooperation, and programs ini¬
tiated by governments and private enterprise to help improve
the environment. The exhibitors included such organizations
as the Audubon Society, Clean Cities, White River
Association, and groups involved in recycling efforts. Other
than DNR and IDEM (which we have successfully infiltrat¬
ed), most folks were unaware of INPAWS and were pleased
to know that we are an active, expanding organization. I gave
out about 40 applications and informational sheets on our
organization, and had the opportunity to discuss with booth
visitors (in addition to INPAWS activities) such matters as
the best way to prepare spicebush tea and the merits of
Indiana game stamps. It is vitally important that INPAWS be
represented at events of this sort, as there appears to be an
increasing interest in improvement of our environment and
preservation of our desirable wildlife!

New Book on Native Gardens in Preparation

Garden writers Sally and Andy Wasowski are working
on a new book tentatively titled Native Gardens for the
Prairie States (University of Minnesota Press). They’ll
be traveling through the Midwest and into Canada and
are on the lookout for photogenic landscapes. These may
be residential or commercial, and should be composed of
at least 50% indigenous plant materials. A brief descrip¬
tion and, if possible, a few non-returnable photos would
be appreciated. Contact the Wasowskis at P.O. Box 607,
Arroyo Seco, NM 87514, or call 505-776-1499.

Bayh Proposes $23 Million for Natural Areas

Governor Bayh has proposed the expenditure of $23 million
over the next two and one-half years to complete the pur¬
chase of land for Prophetstown State Park in west-central
Indiana and to increase funding for the Indiana Heritage
Trust program. The latter has purchased more than 5,000
acres for forests, wetlands, parks, habitat and nature pre¬
serves. More than $5.6 million has been generated by the sale
of more than 225,000 environmental license plates, and the
General Assembly appropriated an additional $5 million in
1995. The 2,770-acre Prophetstown State Park is five miles
north of Lafayette and West Lafayette, and will include a
campground, nature center, picnic areas, playing fields and
trails. Scattered wood lots will be restored, and restoration of
a prairie, marsh and wetland is planned. A unique attraction
to the park will be the park system’s first Native American
cultural center, which will be developed by the Prophetstown
State Park Foundation.

We *re getting around . . .

Douglasia, the newsletter of the Washington Native Plant
Society has reprinted in its Autumn, 1996 issue, Hope for
the American Chestnut? by Dan Anderson from our Winter
1995 issue. Volume II, Number 4 . . . and Sue Nord’s arti¬
cle Purple Loosestrife, an Unwelcome Wildflower , from
May 1996, Volume III, Number 2, has been reprinted in the
October 1996 issue of the Northern Nevada Native Plant
Society newsletter.

Seeds with Special Needs

Bill Cullins reports in the fall issue of the New England Wild
Flower Society that seeds of many of our favorite spring
bloomers become non-viable when they have been allowed to
dry out, hence must be planted when they are ripe but not
dry. These include Hepalica, Wild Ginger, Trillium,
Celandine Poppy, Spring Beauty, Mayapple, Squirrel Corn,
Dutchman’s Breeches, Bloodroot, and Twinlcaf, among oth¬
ers. The Society’s nursery is experimenting with packaging
seeds of these species in moist vermiculite, sealed in plastic
bags. If you would like more information on collection and
storage of these “hydrophilic” seeds, please contact NEWFS
Propagator Bill Cullins at 508-877-7630, extension 3402.

Congratulations to Fred Wooley, INPAWS member
and Pokagon State Park interpretive naturalist, who
has received the Lucy Pitschler award for his success
in advancing the field of interpretation. Named for
Indiana’s first professional naturalist who worked at
McCormick’s Creek State Park, the award is the high¬
est merit an interpreter can receive in the DNR.

8 • Indiana Native Plant and Wildflower Society News • December 1996

Wildflower Rescue in Suburban Detroit

For an inspiring account of volunteers who have been per¬
forming successful plant rescues for many years, see the arti¬
cle Wildflower Rescue in the September 1996 issue of House
Beautiful magazine. It tells the story of the Wildflower
Rescue Committee of Cranbrook, formed 21 years ago, in
Bloomfield Hills, Michigan. It is one of the oldest and best
organized groups in the country, and its members now num¬
ber 120. Thousands of plants are rescued each spring, with
the written permission of developers, and go into private gar¬
dens and are sold at an annual plant sale.

Other veteran plant rescue groups mentioned include the
North Carolina Botanical Garden in Chapel Hill, Wild Ones
Natural Landscapers of Milwaukee, New England
Wildflower Society, North Framingham, Massachusetts, and
the Crosby Arboretum in Picayune, Mississippi, which spe¬
cializes in saving bog plants.

Ken Moore, assistant director of the North Carolina Botanical
Garden, said “Plant rescue operations offer a wonderful
opportunity to go in and save selected plants, but we need to
remember that these are last-ditch efforts. Our main goal
should always be preserving natural areas intact.”

This philosophy of plant rescue echos ours as well. If you
would like to get involved with local efforts, contact
Sue Dillon, Native Plant Rescue Committee Chair
• 317-844-3558 •

❖ Nature Walks at Butler University ♦>

Dr. Rebecca Dolan, Director of the Friesner Herbarium at
Butler, will be conducting the following walks. Meet
behind Gallahue Hall near the greenhouse at noon on the
second Tuesday of each month. There is no charge for the
walks, which will last about 40 minutes each. During the
winter months, please come prepared for mud!

January 14 Winter birds of the campus
February 11 Tour of the Butler Greenhouse
March 11 Early signs of spring in the
Butler woods

If you would like to receive a monthly reminder of the
walk, or wish to be dropped from the reminder list, call
Dr. Dolan at 317-940-9413 ore-mail rdolan@butler.edu.

Dr. Dolan is also pleased to announce that the Friesner
Herbarium has received a $4,923 contract from the
Indianapolis Parks Department to conduct a quantita¬
tive vegetation analysis of Spring Pond Nature
Preserve, an old-growth wet-mesic site within Eagle
Creek Park. Rebecca and Marcia Moore, Herbarium
Assistant, will also prepare a slide presentation on the
ecological value of old-growth forests for use in the
Nature Center at the park.

Indiana’s Newest State Park Becoming a Reality

Recently, I had the opportunity to spend a little time with
Jeannine Montgomery, who has recently been hired as the
chief naturalist at the Fort Harrison State Park. Ms.
Montgomery, an Illinois native, studied at Illinois State
University, earning Bachelor’s degrees in both geology and
biology/geography education. Her recent experience includes
15 years as Ranger-Naturalist at Yellowstone National Park.

Parts of the park are already available for public use. These
include the Delaware Lake picnic ground and the Fall Creek
and Lawrence Creek trails, although the trails are muddy at
present and several bridges are yet to be installed. The tem¬
porary Nature Center will be located in one of the existing
buildings along Glenn Road. Display and lecture area will be
about 1000 square feet, with additional area for staff and stor¬
age. A newly-built Nature Center is contemplated, but this
will be several years down the road.

Other attractions of the park include the re-opening of the
completely redesigned Fort Harrison golf course, and the
construction of about 2.5 miles of bridle trails and stables
where park-owned horses may be rented. The multi-use trail,
which traverses flat terrain, will be resurfaced for use by hik¬
ers, bikers, and those using wheelchairs.

Ms. Montgomery plans to hire three seasonal naturalists, and
hopes to attract volunteers with natural history and environ¬
mental education backgrounds. She plans to gear many of her
programs toward school and senior citizen groups.

INPAWS members can help in many ways: species lists of
Marion County native plants and reference plant materials arc
needed, trail monitors and volunteer naturalists are welcome,
along with developers of educational programs and people to
field telephone calls and answer questions in the office when
the naturalists are out in the field. The help of artists to help
decorate the nature center and designers of native plant plots
(to be installed along access roads and between the park
buildings) would be most appreciated. Someone with legal
experience and knowledge of not-for-profit organizations and
fund-raising would be most helpful.

The building intended as a temporary Nature Center is
presently only a shell, but heat and light will be provided
shortly. Ms. Montgomery anticipates that she will be able to
start working with volunteers shortly after the beginning of
1997. If you would like to participate in any of the programs
or volunteer activities of this newest Marion County asset,
please call her at (317)-591 -0904 or fax (317)-541-9532.

December 1996 • Indiana Native Plant and Wildflower Society News • 9

CONTINUED

MULTIFLORAE

Holliday Park Nature Center,
Indianapolis, Moving Ahead

The planned Nature Center at Holliday Park is moving closer
to the construction phase, with several important develop¬
ments. The Parks Department has indicated to several mem¬
bers of the Friends of Holliday Park that the department will
provide $300,000 in cash and $700,000 in services toward
the demolition of Holliday House and the construction of the
new Nature Center. The Friends are also conducting a
fundraising campaign, and are aiming for 2.5 to 3 million
dollars in the initial phase. With the above pledge, the cam¬
paign is more than halfway toward its goal. A preliminary
design for the new building has been prepared, and a number
of suggestions made by members of the planning committee
and by employees of nature centers in other cities have been
incorporated.

During recent weeks, the Friends have received more than
600 letters from parents, teachers, school administrators, and
neighbors supporting the project. If you are interested in
helping in some way, please call the park office and ask for
John or Vicki.

Sabrina Gorbett has recently been appointed to fill the posi¬
tion of Volunteer Coordinator, which has been vacant since
Gwen Sniady moved from Indianapolis last year. We wish
Sabrina good luck in her new position!

e-mail e-mail e-mail e-mail e-mail

If you have a quick comment (or a lengthy one) here
are a few board members’ addresses:

Bill Brink
Carolyn Harstad
Ruth Ann Ingraham
Lynn Jenkins
Katrina Vollmer
Anne Wilson

bbrink@inetdirect.net

ptharstad@aol.com

rai38@aol.com

jenks@iquest.net

vollmrvill@aol.com

wilson@hsonline.net

(Let Ruth Ann know if you’d like your e-mail
address printed in the next issue)

Send us your news!

Please remember that we continue to
solicit articles, art, commentary, etc. from
anyone interested in native plant issues.

Send to Dan Anderson
7412 Graham Road
Indianapolis, IN 46250

ore-mail wilson@hsonline.net.

Purple Loosestrife, Wetlands Pest,
Banned From Sale in Indiana

With the support of many environmental groups, the nurs¬
ery industry and the Indiana Farm Bureau, a law was
passed in the 1996 session of the Indiana General
Assembly which banned all non-native Lythrum species
from sale and distribution!

Previously only the species Lythrum salicaria was prohibit¬
ed by state law, but the law was changed to ban all non¬
native Lythrum species, including Lythrum virgatum.
Although the law does not require eradication of the
species where it is found, control is recommended by most
people familiar with the plant’s serious problem-causing
potential.

Mike Dana, Purdue University horticulturist and INPAWS
charter member, said, “It's prudent that concern over nat¬
ural habitat degradation should dominate over continued
landscape use of Lythrum... and while purple loosestrife is
a beautiful garden perennial...substitutes are available. A
good alternative from our native flora that gardeners
should try is Queen of the Prairie, Filipendula rubra."

Purple loosestrife, introduced from Europe, has taken over
many millions of acres of wetlands in North America in the
past 100 years. With no pests or diseases to slow its
progress it reproduces rapidly, crowding out native
species. The value of the wetland for wildlife is diminished
due to loss of food for mice, voles and waterfowl. Also, the
wetland cannot function as a filterer of water. Normally, the
fibrous roots of most native wetland plants trap sediment
as water moves through. The large tuberous roots of pur¬
ple loosestrife are not effective at filtering water.

For more information contact Robert D. Waltz or Gayle
Jansen, Indiana Department of Natural Resources’

Division of Entomology and Plant Pathology, at 317-232-
4120.

(See Sue Nord’s article Purple Loosestrife, an Unwelcome
Wildflower in the May 1996 issue of INPAWS News).

Black Soil Prairie Preserved

Cressmoor Prairie, in Hobart, Indiana, is among the last of the
300 acres of black soil prairie left in the state. The 37-acre tract
in Lake County is to be dedicated as a stale nature preserve.

Myrna Newgent, president of the Shirley Heinze Environmental
Fund, said that so far botanists have found 178 native plant
species, including four rare varieties, growing on the site.

The Hobart Industrial Economic Development Corporation has
made a donation to the fund toward the prairie’s acquisition.

For more information on land trusts as a way to protect biodi¬
versity, such as the Shirley Heinze Environmental Fund, contact
Ted Harris , IN PA WS Conservation Committee Chairman, at
317-362-1509.

10 • Indiana Native Plant and Wildflower Society News • December 1996

Report on Natural Areas Conference

by Art Hopkins

The Natural Areas Association/North American
Prairie/Indiana Dunes Ecosystems combined conference met
in Chicago recently. I attended the last two days-Friday, the
day dedicated to all-day field trips, and Saturday, when I
scrambled among five rooms in two buildings to attend twen¬
ty-minute research presentations. In the spirit of
biodiversity, each room’s moderator kept to a
slightly different time zone, so that five min¬
utes into each talk, a wave of newcomers
surged into the room. This kept energy levels
high, both among the original community and
the late-arriving exolics-but I digress.

The Chicago area is rich in field-trip sites,
having dozens of remnant/restored/recreated
prairies, wetlands and woodlands. There’s
even a Prairie Parklands Macrosite cover¬
ing 40,000 acres! That's an all-prairie site,
and since I practice in Indiana, I wanted
to learn about woodlands, savannas, wet¬
lands and prairies, so I didn’t go there.

Instead, 1 chose field trip #12-the
Chicago Botanic Garden and Somme
Prairie Grove. The CBG includes a 15-
acre exhibit built atop highly disturbed,
non-native soils. Hundreds of tons of soil
and gravel were trucked in and sculpted
to recreate (or, if you prefer, “imitate”)
six tail-grass prairie types: wet, mesic
and sand prairies, bur oak savanna, a
gravel hill prairie, and a fen. The latter
was the trickiest to recreate.

As you know, a fen is a wetland fed
by springs or seeps, as opposed to surface
water. To mimic the seepage, water is pumped in
from lagoons through big pipes filled with high-pH gravel. A
pan of marl underlies two or three other soil types, with the
most erodible, organic soil placed away from the water
inflows. We saw slides of the work in progress, and were
impressed by the feats of engineering and fund-raising
involved.

The reconstructed prairies are a few years old now, and doing
well. The CBG has tried hard to put appropriate plants in
each niche. For example, the fen includes Solidago ohiensis,
which was still in flower and glowing bright against a back¬
ground of dark lagoon water. Nearby, in a drier zone, was S.
rigida, taller and sparser, and with less color remaining.

The CBG’s nursery for native woodland plants is modest but
well planned. Within an area devoted to one species, adjoin¬
ing rows of seedlings grown from seed gathered from three
or four locations were set out. Different locations are pre¬
sumed to have different genotypes. By keeping the rows dis¬
tinct, the propagators hope to maximize genetic diversity by
cross-pollination along and across the rows.

The 99-acrc remnant Somme Prairie has it all, from wood¬
land to wet prairie, all surrounded by rushing highways. Here
I tasted the tiny, nutty seeds of Sporobolus heterolepis ,

Prairie Dropseed, which Indians ground into a nutritious
flour. Dropseed is a clump-forming grass, a burnished red-

gold in fall, fine-textured and
perfectly round in cross-sec¬
tion. Our guide from the Nature
Conservancy, bubbling with
enthusiasm, told us “landscape
restoration today is at the Wright
brothers stage of technology, just start¬
ing out. Fortunately, it’s still cheap and
easy to bend this strut or move that flap
to see what will happen.”

I remembered that comment the next day,
during the technical presentations.
Occasionally, I heard conflicting testimony
presented as basic fact, e.g. “-in prairie

V restorations from seed. Big Bluestem

(Andropogon gerardi) predominates by the end
/ of the First year” or “Big Bluestem doesn’t appear
until Year 3, then multiplies thereafter.” It was the
same story with Indian Grass ( Sorghastrum nutans)
but speakers did agree that at some point it takes over and
just monopolizes a patch. Then, it practically disappears!
Why? Does its presence change the soil/fungus biochemistry
to the advantage of succeeding waves of competitors?

I learned a great deal from the twenty sessions I attended. My
choices ranged from “A Nine Year Assessment of
Successional Trends in Prairie Plantings Using Seed
Broadcast and Seedling Transplant Methods” to “Riverbank
Planting Project” to “Abundance and Nest Productivity of
Wetland-Dependent Birds.” For more information, call me at
812-372-2862, or write the Natural Areas Association at P.O.
Box 900, Chesterfield, MO 63006.1 look forward to meeting
or hearing from many of you!

Art Hopkins is a new member of IN PAWS and a practicing
landscape architect in Columbus, Indiana.

December 1996 • Indiana Native Plant and Wildflower Society News • 11

1 996 Annual Reports

Jim Wilson addresses record crowd at
Third Annual Meeting, November 9,1996

“Environmental awareness and landscaping with native
North American plants have grown hand in hand,” writes
Jim Wilson in his book Landscaping with Wildflowers.
Wilson, a resident of South Carolina and a host of public
television’s Victory Garden, was the featured speaker for
the INPAWS third annual meet¬
ing and fall conference. He was
very generous with his time and
broad knowledge, lecturing and
showing slides of native trees
recommended for the landscape,
conducting two mini-sessions
with lips for meadow and prairie
gardening and finally presenting
his evening slide lecture on land¬
scaping with wildflowers. He
encouraged the 185 registrants to
learn the Latin botanical names
because this is the only way “sci¬
entists and wildflower hobbyists
around the world can communi¬
cate clearly.” He illustrated how
the use of native plants rather
than exotics can help to preserve
our environment. Wilson does not
disapprove of the use of cultivars
of our natives, however, and
explained these “cultivated varieties” are the result of scien¬
tific plant and seed selection to achieve a better, stronger
variety of the original native plant.

Phil Kelly demonstrated using the web on the internet to
find garden sites, communicate with others around the world
about native plants, wildflowers and gardening, and brought
up the newly created INPAWS home page on the screen
(http://www.iupui.edu/~mcox/inpaws). Kelly also conducted
a mini session on the use of computers and the internet.

Bill McKnight, Indiana Academy of Science, presented a
proposal to change the Indiana state flower to a native wild¬
flower. See complete story on page 1.

After a video presentation about land trusts, the representa¬
tives from Indiana’s land trust organizations each gave a
synopsis of goals, objectives, and accomplishments.
Panelists included: Ralph Jersild, Central Indiana Land
Trust (CILTI); Barbara Plampin, Shirley Heinze

Environmental Fund: Ed Schools,
Sycamore Land Trust; Susan Ulrich,
NICHES Land Trust; Bob Weber,
ACRES Land Trust; Les Zimmer,

The Nature Conservancy; and moder¬
ator Ted Harris, INPAWS
Conservation Chairman. Discussion
centered on land trusts—a way to
protect biodiversity, and panelists
indicated ways in which individuals
as well as members of INPAWS
could help these organizations. Les
Zimmer encouraged all to focus on
lands where there are endangered
species. Many states have large num¬
bers of active land trusts and Zimmer
commented that he “dreams of cover¬
ing the whole state with land trusts.”

Conference participants were invited
to choose two of five mini-sessions,
each lasting a half hour. The mini¬
sessions included Creating your own herbarium sheets , Dr.
Rebecca Dolan, head of the Friesner Herbarium, Butler
University; Meadow/prairie gardening tips, Jim Wilson;
Gardening to attract birds and butterflies. Barb
Kaczorowski, Accent Gardens; Plant propagation and seed
collection, Hilary Cox and Kevin Tungesvick; and Surfing
the Web, Phil Kelly.

During the brief annual meeting, a few slides of INPAWS
program events for 1996 (including the two-day trip to the
Dunes) were shown. The social hour included lively music
by Blackberry Jam , a folk music group (Jean Roberts, Bill
Bailey, Stephen Kobe, Judy Meister, Alberta and Don
Lathan). Conference attendees enjoyed the paintings of

12 • Indiana Native Plant and Wildflower Society News • December 1996

1996 Annual Reports

artists Jean Vietor, Mary Rose Wampler and Bill
Zimmerman as well as exhibits by the
Department of Transportation (Dave Sosbe);

The Nature Conservancy (Jeffrey Maddox); the
Indiana Department of Natural Resources—
Division of Nature Preserves (Lee Casebere);
the Indianapolis Parks Department (Don Miller),
Spence Nursery (Kevin Tungesvick), and 4-H
Wildflower project information (Sophia
Anderson). Videos about native plants and
grasses ran on the two floor monitors and books
were available for sale from the speaker, Jim
Wilson, as well as Jan Glimn-Lacy, Borders
Bookstore, Indiana Academy of Science, and
Dick Heidbredder’s used books. NICHES Land
Trust offered a few items for sale to help their
organization’s fund.

A full buffet dinner followed the social hour,
and all were encouraged to enjoy coffee and
dessert in the lecture hall and to hear Jim
Wilson’s evening slide presentation entitled
Landscaping With Wildflowers.

Special thanks are extended to the volunteers
who made this annual meeting/fall conference
run smoothly. Annual Meeting planning com¬
mittee: Bill Brink, chairman, Carolyn Harstad;
session facilitator and time keeper, Rolland
Kontak; Registration table, Lynn Jenkins,
Mildred Kontak; Membership table, Dorothy
Chase, Jean Vietor; Nametags, Chris Carlson;
Hospitality, Helen Merrill, Katrina Vollmer;
Publicity, Margo Jaqua; Reservations/folders,
Carolyn Harstad; Clean-up, Max Gentry;
Banquet decorations, Dottie Gorman, Sue Nord;
Hall decorations, Kevin Tungesvick; Book sales.
Bill Brink, Margo Jaqua, Mary Johnson, Colletta
Kosiba, Jan Lacy, Gayle Moore; Speaker intro¬
duction, Gilbert Daniels.

Seed packets were donated by Rolland Kontak
and much of the food for the coffee break (see
next column) was made by Katrina Vollmer.

Our thanks to all for making this a very success¬
ful event!

There were so many requests for the recipes
for Hospitality Chair Katrina Vollmer’s fabulous
concoctions served at the annual meeting that
we are printing them for everyone to enjoy.

jflmaretto ffiruil fyip

16 oz. cream cheese, softened 2/3 c. sour cream

1/4 to 1/3 c. Amaretto liqueur 2/3 c. powdered sugar

1/2 t. each vanilla and almond extract

Mix well and store in refrigerator for up to two months.

'/Ipricot Coriander $read

3/4 c. butter

1 egg

1/2 t. baking powder

2 T. sour cream

1 1/4 c. sugar

2 c. flour

1 T. + ground coriander
1/2 c. chopped pecans

1(16 oz.) can drained and mashed apricots

Cream butter and sugar, add egg, beat until fluffy. Add
coriander, sour cream and mashed apricots. Combine dry
ingredients and add to apricot mixture. Add nuts. Mix
well. Spoon mixture into greased, floured bread pan. Bake
at 350 degrees for about 45 minutes, until center is done.

(JQatrina ’s ^ruffles

4 c. powdered sugar 8 oz. cream cheese, softened
1 t. real vanilla extract 1 t. real almond extract

5 oz. unsweetened chocolate, melted
1/4 c. Grand Marnier liqueur

Combine cream cheese, melted chocolate, vanilla, almond
extract and Grand Marnier. Gradually add the powdered
sugar. Stir until all is absorbed. You may need to knead
for a smoother texture. Refrigerate overnight. Shape into
one-inch balls and roll in powdered cocoa, ground nuts or
coconut. Or dip them in a melted mixture of one 6-oz
package chocolate chips and 1/4 bar paraffin.

These freeze well, and freezing improves flavor.

December 1996 • Indiana Native Plant and Wildflower Society News • 13

1 996 Annual Reports

Ted Harris, Chairman

The Conservation Committee is
INPAWS ’ newest standing committee,
having been authorized in July, 1996.
Its main purpose is to help protect
Indiana’s remaining unprotected natur¬
al areas. For the most part, these are
the scattered meadows, wetlands and
woodlots that exist throughout Indiana
and are owned mostly by private indi¬
viduals. Together with the lands that
already have a greater level of protec¬
tion, such as land trust preserves and
state parks, these privately held areas
provide the principal home for Indiana
native plants.

The Conservation Committee will help
identify biologically-rich natural areas,
and will assist willing owners in raising
the level of long-term protection. This
will be done, in part, through networking
with land trusts and with Indiana land-
management agencies.

The Committee will also educate
INPAWS members and public officials
regarding legislative and policy issues
that affect native plant communities. If
you arc interested in participating in
Conservation Committee activities, please
call chairman Ted Harris at 317-362-
1509, or write to him at 1120 Ridgeway
Dr., Crawfordsville, IN 47933.

Computer Communications Committee

My main aim this year has been to
cruise the Internet to find out what is
happening with respect to native plants
globally, and specifically how much
interest there is among the public in
maintaining some sort of balance in
our natural habitats.

Hilary Cox, Chairperson

1 am also in the process of setting up a
Web page for INPAWS. I was disap¬
pointed to find so few Web sites for
other native plant societies throughout
the United States. However, this makes
it easier to do something innovative
and exceptional! We hope to be on line
by the time this report is published.

Speakers Bureau

Colletta Kosiba, Chairwoman

Our goal is to create excitement
about, and appreciation for, native
plants, to encourage the public to
use native plants in home gardens,
and to motivate them to help pre¬
serve native plants in Indiana.

We have had requests for speakers
from schools, garden clubs, com¬
munity organizations, and Master
Gardener groups. From my list of
INPAWS members who are will¬
ing to speak on subjects such as
mushrooms, woodland plants,
grasses, prairies, and fall flowers,

I try to coordinate the talents of
the speaker with the needs of the
requesting organization.

Although we have several excel¬
lent speakers, we surely can use
additional volunteers. If you can
do a few programs each year,
please call me at 317-852-5973
and help INPAWS spread the
good word about our wonderful
native plants!!!

Membership Committee Ruth Ann Ingraham, Chair

When a few of us met on a snowy March
evening in 1993 to discuss starting a soci¬
ety of people interested in the native
plants and wildflowers of Indiana, we
knew there was a core of interested folks.
Perhaps the time is ripe, we mused. How
right we were! In fact, three and one-half
years later, we are approaching a mem¬
bership of 500 statewide.

Your satisfaction as a member is impor¬
tant to me as Membership Chair, and to
the entire society. Are your expectations
being realized? Are we going in the right
direction?

Whatever sprouts in your mind regarding
INPAWS, I would like to know. Please
call or write me at 6106 Kingsley Drive,
Indianapolis 46220, or E-mail me at
rai38@aol.com.

A special welcome to all of you who
have joined us since June 30th!

Those who have joined or renewed for
1996:

Julia Brillhart (Fishers), Dorcas Bush
(Indy), Beth Coon (Bristol), Johanna
Marie Eisenbraun (Warsaw), Mike
Eoff (Indy), Margarcta Fong (W.
Lafayette), Betty and Burk
Friedersdorf (Greenfield), Nancy
Galliher (Muncie), Dan Gluesenkamp
(Bloomington), Marilyn and Jim
Hamaker (Indy), Randall Kirk
(Richmond), Virgil Knapp (Zionsville),
Amy Kress (Muncie), Linda
McCaffrey, Jim Proctor, and Letha
Quiesser (Indy), Gretel Smith (Garrett),
Mary Sutherland and Bergin White
(Indy), Sara Whitfield (Evansville) and
Julia Yake (Connersville).

Those who have joined or renewed for
1997:

Joyce Adams and Eleanor Bookwalter
(Indy), Rick and Melissa Combs
(Westfield), Lois Davis (Indy), David
and Ruth Eiler (N. Manchester), Wendy
Ford, Helen Fowler, Rosemary Glass
(Indy), Phyllis and Bob Goble
(Winamac), Avital and Talia Guernsey
(Indy), Paul Hammond (W. Lafayette),
Anne Heighway (Indy), Dean Hill
(Fishers), Wanda Holdren (Marion),

Eva Hopkins (Chesterton), Art Hopkins
(Columbus), Mary Kraft (Noblesville),
Elisabeth Kroetz, Bryan Krueger, Bill
McKnight, and Catherine Nagy (Indy),
Parks Pifer (Beech Grove), Chris
Salberg (Cedar Lake), April Shelske,
Tom Tyler, Bridget Watkins, Don and
Shirley Westerhaus (Indy), and Ro
Anne and Charles Whittington
(Elizabethtown).

14 • Indiana Native Plant and Wildllower Society News • December 1996

Dunes Trip, August 3 and 4, Enjoyed by All by Kevin Tungesvick

Thanks to wonderful weather, gorgeous natural areas and out¬
standing hike leaders, our first INPAWS overnight hike was a
smashing success. The Indiana Dunes area provided a won¬
derful array of diverse plant communities. The expert inter¬
pretation of these communities, combined with excellent hos¬
pitality and camaraderie, resulted in an enjoyable weekend
for all the participants.

Saturday began with a tour of Bieseker Prairie, a rolling
mesic prairie oddly situated at the junction of two
major highways. Dr. Gerould Wilhelm, our Saturday
hike leader, began by expounding on the differences
between the living virgin prairie that surrounded
us and the sterile traditional landscaping that
surrounded the buildings across the road.

During the description, we got a humorous
reminder of how far our educational efforts
have yet to go, when a passing motorist yelled
“Get out of the weeds, you idiots!” Unfazed,

Gerould continued to describe the incredible
attributes of the tallgrass prairie, including its
diversity and ability to hold the soil. He then
identified many fascinating plants present at the
site, including their ecology and the origin of their Latin
names. We saw several dozen species, including Prairie
Dropseed ( Sporobolus heterolepis ), three members of the
Silphium genus, and Leadplant ( Amorpha canescens).

We then continued on to Hoosicr Prairie, a spectacular nature
preserve consisting of over 500 acres of prairie, black oak
savanna, and wetlands. We were greeted by thousands of
Dense Blazing Stars ( Liatris spicata) in bloom along the first
section of the trail. Other fascinating species in this area
included Meadow Beauty ( Rhexia virginica) and Tall Green
Milkweed ( Asclepias hirtella). As we entered the black oak
savanna we were attacked by thousands of hungry mosqui¬
toes. These pests, however, did not prevent us from seeing a
variety of beautiful native shrubs, including Sweet Fern
(Comptonia peregrina), Winged Sumac (Rhus copallina ), and
Black Chokccherry ( Aronia melanocarpa). (Some references
assign Black Chokccherry to genus Primus- Ed.). We also
passed several marshes containing Prairie Cordgrass
(Spartina pectinata ), Woolgrass ( Scirpus cyperinus) and Soft
Rush ( Juncus effusus).

Our final stop on Saturday was Gibson Woods, a fine exam¬
ple of rolling dune and swale topography. The low dunes
were covered with prairie and savanna species, including
Woodland Sunflower (Helianthus divaricatus ), Butterfly
Weed ( Asclepias tuberosa ), and Flowering Spurge
(Euphorbia corollata). A particularly beautiful species of this
habitat was Goat’s Rue (Tephrosia virginiana). The swales
contained many interesting wetland species, including Tall
Water Parsnip (Siutn suave), Buttonbush (Cephalanthus occi-
dentalis), and Royal Fern (Osmunda regalis). After we
thanked Dr. Wilhelm for his wonderful interpretation of these
three sites, we boarded the bus and traveled to the Indiana

Dunes Hotel where we were treated to a delicious buffet
meal. The remainder of the evening was spent relaxing and
enjoying the company of other INPAWS members.

Sunday began with a trip to the Cowles Bog area of Indiana
Dunes National Lakeshore. Noel Pavlovic, of the National
Biological Service, was our hike leader for the day. He began
by describing the incredible diversity of the Dunes area and
Cowles Bog in particular. Although the bog is now part of
the National Lakeshore, Noel explained how it had been
irreparably damaged by ditching and careless disposal of
industrial wastes earlier in this century. In spite of the
degraded hydrology, however, many beautiful and
rare plants persist in the area.

The trail paralleled the edge of the wetland, where
we saw a boreal relict forest including yellow birch,
paper birch and white pine. The understory of this
forest contained Cinnamon Fern (Osmunda cinna -
monea). Skunk Cabbage (Symplocarpus foetidus ),
and the delicate Club-Spur Orchid (Platanthera
clavellata). We then turned uphill into a black oak
woods containing lowbush blueberry (Vaecinium
angustifolium). Huckleberry (Gaylussacia baccata ). and
a single clump of the very rare Red Baneberry (Actaea
rubra). We returned via the same trail to the waiting bus.

Our final stop of the two-day tour was Pinhook Bog,

Indiana’s finest example of a sphagnum bog. Because of the
fragility of the site and the narrow boardwalk, the 35 partici¬
pants were divided into two groups to tour the bog, whose
fascinating flora included Tamarack (Larix laricina), Poison
Sumac (Rhus vernix), and the Orange-Fringed Orchid
(Platanthera ciliaris ). Carnivorous plants conspicuous along
the boardwalk included Pitcher Plant (Sarracenia purpurea)
and Round-Leaved Sundew (Drosera rot undifolia). Noel
explained the history of the bog and the continuing conserva¬
tion efforts to protect this rare and fragile environment.

After dropping off Neal Pavlovic with hearty thanks, we
headed south toward Indianapolis. As she had during the
entire trip, Hospitality Chairman Katrina Vollmcr kept us
well supplied with wonderful snacks and beverages on the
way home. On behalf of all the participants, I would like to
thank Katrina for her hard work. I would also like to thank
Carolyn Harstad for arranging the transportation and lodging
for the trip. Thanks also to Ruth Ann Ingraham for helping
Carolyn and Katrina with behind-the-scenes planning.

Rolland Kontak also deserves our gratitude for obtaining
delicious sweet rolls for a Saturday morning snack. Finally, I
would like to thank Sue Nord for providing me with a
detailed record of the botanical diversity seen on the trip. Her
species list greatly assisted my construction of this summary.

Kevin Tungesvick is Program Committee Chair. Call him at
317-354-2775 with your comments and ideas for future field
trips and activities.

December 1996 • Indiana Native Plant and WUIower Society News • 15

Indiana Native Plant and Wildflower Society

MEMBERSHIP APPLICATION

Yes! I/we have been waiting for this exciting opportunity! Enclosed is a check for the following:

□ Student $10 □ Family $25 □ Sponsor $250

□ Individual $18 □ Patron $100 □ Corporate $500

Additional Donation $.

Total Enclosed $.

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ADDRESS_

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COUNTY _ DNEW □ RENEWAL

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Annual dues pertain to the fiscal year January 1 through December 31 .
Dues paid after September 1 are applied to the following fiscal year.

Gifts Do Help

Your gift of any amount will
be most appreciated.
Donations above student,
individual and family mem¬
bership dues are tax-
deductible to the extent pro¬
vided by law. Gifts will be
used to help further the pro¬
grams and purposes of
INPAWS, such as publish¬
ing a newsletter and provid¬
ing services related to
monthly programs.

Membership Categories:

Student:

Individual:

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Patron:

Sponsor:

Corporate:

For full-time students under the age of 22,
Benefits include meeting notices, one vote
on organizational issues, newsletter, mem
bership directory.

Benefits are the same as for student.
Includes head(s) of household and depen
dents. Benefits include meeting notices,
newsletter, membership directory, and two
votes on organizational issues
Benefits are the same as for family, plus
donation.

Benefits are the same as for family, plus
donation.

Benefits include newsletter, meeting
notices, directory, special recognition, plus
donation.

I would like to help on the following
committee(s):

□ Annual Meeting □ Auction

□ Communications □ Conservation

□ Fund Raising □ Governance

□ Historian □ Hospitality

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□ Publications □ Publicity

□ Speakers Bureau □ Volunteers Coordinator

□ Other

Please complete this form and mail, along with your check made payable to:
Indiana Native Plant and Wildflower Society, or INPAWS
c/o Ruth Ann Ingraham, 6106 Kingsley Drive, Indianapolis, IN 46220.

It’s time to renew your membership for 1997 7

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