Fall 2010 Minnesota Plant Press ~ Minnesota Native Plant Society Newsletter

7/31/2019 Fall 2010 Minnesota Plant Press ~ Minnesota Native Plant Society Newsletter

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Minnesota Plant Press

Te Minnesota Native Plant Society Newsletter

Volume 29 Number 4 Fall 2010

Monthly meetingsThompson Park Center/Dakota

LodgeThompson County Park

360 Butler Ave. E.,West St. Paul, MN 55118

Programs

The Minnesota Native PlantSociety meets the rst Thursdayin October, November, December,February, March, April, May, andJune. Check at www.mnnps.orgfor more program information.

6 p.m. Social period7 9 p.m. Program, Society

business

In this issueConservation Corner ................2Native plant seed guidelines ....3Prairie research grants .............3Emerald ash borer ght ...........3Proposed bylaw changes ........4Boundary Waters plant search ..5New members ..........................5Book reviews ...........................6Plant Lore: Speckled alder .......7

MNNPS websiteFor information about Society

eld trips, meetings and events,check the website: www.mnnps.org

Nov. 4: Characterizingpatterns of natural disturbancein Minnesotas wet mesic

southern boreal mixed woodforest ecosystems, by MichaelReinikainen, master of sciencestudent, Department of ForestResources, U of M. Plant-of-the-Month: Naked miterwort(Mitella nuda), a good indicatorfor my research sites, by MichaelReinikainen. Seed exchange.

Dec. 2: To be announced.

Election will affectenvironmental legacyby Scott Milburn, MNNPS president

We live in a state that has had a reputation as a place of ubiquitous

natural resources. Its a legacy we hope will continue for future generations

and public support, such as the recent constitutional amendment, isencouraging.

Yet the overall political process seems counterintuitive when it comesto protecting and overseeing those natural resources. Ideally, the headsof agencies that oversee our natural resources would be chosen on meritand experience rather than political favor. However, that is not the usuapattern. We obviously have an election for the next governor of Minnesota

this November, and my concern is this trend will continue regardless ofwho presides over our state.

There are other issues dominating this election, and debate has neglected

detailed thought and discussion about natural resources. Instead, the debatehas focused the attention on jobs, taxes, and regulation due to the soureconomy. These are important issues, but this should not deter action fromother important concerns.

Unfortunately, we are often thinking only of today as dictated by thiscurrent political system. The majority of our politicians serve under thebanner of entitlement, all too often compromising to protect their politicacareers. The reason I bring this up is that it does affect the mission of theSociety. We continue to see a changing landscape that brings a series of

challenges. We face a growing population, which puts added pressureon our resources. We should be optimistic, however, because we have

opportunities to be creative andsolve problems before they appear.

This goes back to the issue ofputting the best and the brightestin positions of leadership. So asNovember approaches, membersof the Society need to considersuch issues and hope that the next

governor will appoint true leaders,

rather than continuing our current

system.

Seed exchange Nov. 4The annual seed exchange

provides an opportunity for membersto obtain seeds of native plants atno cost. Seeds must be placed inenvelopes and labeled. No bulkpiles of seeds will be accepted.


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by Dan Shaw, BWSR vegetationspecialist/landscape ecologist, and

Ken Graeve, Mn/DOT botanist.This is a summary of their talk at theJune 3, 2010, MNNPS meeting.

As an increasing number ofrestoration projects are underway inthe state, Board of Water and Soiland Resources (BWSR), Mn/DOTand DNR staffs have been workingto develop a new list of stateseed mixes as well as new nativevegetation standards and restorationresources to guide professionals.

The new list of state seed mixeshas been developed to combinemixes from the three agencies, keepspecies within their native ranges,eliminate confusion, and createmore consistency for restorationefforts. A new seed-mix numberingsystem and a substitution table thatlists pre-approved substitutions forspecies in mixes have also beendeveloped. The substitution table

will allow vendors more exibilityin preparing mixes, which will helpto keep costs down and will alsopromote landscape-scale diversityin the use of these standard mixes.

New BWSR Native VegetationEstablishment and EnhancementGuidelineswere developed througha collaborative effort by BWSRpartners. These partners includedfederal, state and local agencies,vendors, consultants, non-prots and

universities. These guidelines werewritten to meet legislative language,while developing consistentstandards for native vegetation seedand plant sources, diversity levels,and quality.

Since they were nalized lastwinter, the guidelines have beenadopted by the DNR, Legislative-Citizen Commission on MinnesotaResources, and Lessard-Sams

Outdoor Heritage Council grantprograms. New Mn/DOT seed

specs have also been developedfor construction projects. Thesespecs incorporate the new list ofstate seed mixes and bring Mn/DOTrequirements in line with the BWSRnative seed guidelines.

Examples of new restorationresources include a Mn/DOT NativeSeed Mix Design Manual to assistthe development of site-specicseed mixes (www.bwsr.state.mn.us/native_vegetation/); the Minnesota

Wetland Restoration Plant ID Guide;the Minnesota Wetland RestorationGuide Vegetation Section, and theBWSR Whats Working Website(www.bwsr.state.mn.us/grants/WhatsWorking.html#veg)

Weapons to fghtemerald ashborer are tested

Biological and chemical controlsare being tested in two areas asMinnesota ghts the invasiveemerald ash borer.

Stingless waspsOn Sept. 22, scientists from

the Minnesota Department ofAgricultures Plant ProtectionDivision released two species ofstingless, predatory wasps on adozen ash trees on a MississippiRiver island in Houston CountyDifferent proportions of male andfemale wasps were let loose on thetrees. The wasps search out ash

borer larvae or eggs and insert theirown eggs into them. The developingwasps then consume their hosts.

Release of the wasps wasapproved by the U.S. Department ofAgriculture. It will be several yearsbefore scientist can analyze theresults. The stingless wasps werereared in a Michigan laboratoryThe wasps and ash borers are bothnative to Asia.

Chemical control

Minneapolis parks ofcialsare testing the effectiveness ofinsecticide injections on aboutthree dozen ash trees in the LowryHill and Whittier neighborhoodsThere are no known infestations inthese areas, but they are consideredvulnerable to the emerald ash borerThe treatment costs about $17 pertree and must be repeated everythree years.

Treasurers reportTreasurers Ron and Cathy Huber

report that on Sept. 30, 2010, theSociety had assets of $24,115.40which included $8,867.30 incerticates of deposit.

Total income for the rst ninemonths of 2010 was $9,186.78Expenses totaled $9,700,18Estimated expenses for theremainder of the year are $1,543.

Prairie research

grants are availablePrairie Biotic Research (PBR)

has announced its 2011 competitivesmall grants program which funds

grants of up to $1,000 to individuals

for the study of any grassland taxon

anywhere in the United States.

Proposals must be received by Jan.

7, 2011.

PBR is an all-volunteer

Wisconsin non-prot established

in 2000 to foster basic research in

prairies and savannas. Grants are

funded by donations. Since 2002,

PBR has awarded 100 grants worth

$94,849 to people in 24 states. Many

of these grants supported graduate

students. They expect to award at

least 12 grants of up to $1,000 each

in 2011.

For additional information on the

grants or to make a donation, go to

prairiebioticresearch.org

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Three agencies work together,set restoration guidelines fornative plant communities


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Bylaw changes proposedThe MNNPS Board of Directors

has proposed changing theorganizations bylaws. Memberswill be asked to vote on the revisionsat the December and Februarymonthly meetings.

The proposed changes are shownbelow. Additions are underlinedlike this; deletions are indicatedby a strike-through line like this.If only the title letter of a section ischanged, and content of that sectionis unchanged, that change is notshown.

5. BYLAWS OF MINNESOTANATIVE PLANT SOCIETY(adopted 1983, revised 1988, 1989,

1998, 2003)ARTICLE III - MEMBERSHIP

SECTION A. There shall be seveneight classes of membership:[1. Individual, 2. Family, 3. Student,4. Senior]5. Institutional. A legal organization.Twice the Individual rate. Entitledto one vote and one mailingof newsletter, does not includeprivilege of holding ofce.

6. Donor. Those individuals ororganizations who make a gift,devise or memorial of $25.00 threetimes the Individual rate, or more.Same privileges as individual.7, Lifetime. Twenty times theIndividual rate. Same privileges asIndividual.[8. Honorary.]

SECTION B. Dues are payableupon application for membershipand annually on the rst of

October. Membership is basedupon the calendar year with duespayable in January. Any personwith delinquent dues shall not be amember in good standing entitled tomailing of newsletter, voting rightsor privileges of holding ofce.

SECTION H. New membersjoining after April June rst shallbeconsidered paid through Septemberof the following year. have the

choice of receiving back issuesof the newsletter for that year, orapplying the membership for thefull following calendar year.

SECTION I. Special assessments tocover agenda may be proposed at anymonthly meeting by the Presidentfor vote upon by the membership. Atwo-thirds majority of the memberspresent shall carry. A quorum of 20percent of the general membershipis necessary.

ARTICLE IV - MEETINGS

SECTION B. Regular meetingsof the Board of Directors shall beheld quarterly in June, September,December, and March at suchtime and place as the Presidentshall determine. The Secretary orProgram Chair shall give due noticeof all meetings via the website,Minnesota Plant Press newsletter,e-mail or by telephone. The meetingsshall be conducted by the Presidentwith assistance from other ofcersas requested and the Secretary shalltake and record minutes.

SECTION C. Special meetings of

the Board of Directors may be calledby the President at such time andplace as he or she shall determine.The Secretary shall give due noticeof all meetings by e-mail, post card,or telephone as appropriate. Saidmeetings shall be conducted by thePresident and the Secretary shalltake and record minutes.

SECTION D. The Annual meetingof the membership shall be during

the March meeting or at such timeand place as the President shalldetermine in the month of March.Notice of the Annual Meeting shallbe given by the Secretary via theMinnesota Plant Press newsletter.The election of Directors to theBoard and transaction of pertinentbusiness shall be conducted by thePresident. and the Secretary shall takeand record minutes. The Treasurershall prepare and give an annual

accounting of the corporationsreceipts and expenditures which shalbe published in the next newsletterChairpersons shall report on theircommittees activities. A dinnermay be held in conjunction as theBoard of Directors shall determineNotice of the Annual Meeting shalbe given by the Secretary via theMinnesota Plant Press newsletterDirectors will be elected by a simplemajority.

SECTION E. Directors will beelected by a simple majority. Anidentied absentee ballot may becast by mail. An absentee ballot maybe obtained from the Secretary andmust be returned to the Secretarybefore the election. Voting by proxyshall not be permitted. Election

results shall be immediatelyannounced by the President andpublished in the Minnesota PlanPress by the Secretary.

ARTICLE V - BOARD OFDIRECTORS

SECTION D. Board membersare expected to attend three of thefour board meetings, includingmandatory attendance at Junemeeting, and are expected to actively

participate in the operations of theSociety.

SECTION F. G. The Board ofDirectors shall each year appoint aNomination Committee of not lessthan three persons, chaired by theVice President, to propose a slate ofthree new directors, with notice of theproposed slate being mailed at least30 days prior to the annual meetingThe Nomination Committee shall

propose a slate of new ofcers tothe Board of Directors.

SECTION G. All members ingood standing are welcome toattend meetings of the Board ofDirectors and have standing tomake suggestions deemed in thebest interests of the corporation bythe President.

SECTION H. Directors shall servefrom the time of the June Board


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Searching for plants in the

Boundary Waters CanoeArea

MNNPS welcomes

new membersThe Society gives a warmwelcome to ve new members whojoined during the third quarter of2010. Listed alphabetically, theyare:

Nancy Lizette Berlin, RedWing;

Donald A. Doeksen, St. Paul;Daniel and Diane Stauner, New

Hope;Barbara Wieman, Burnsville.

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meeting following their electionto the June meeting following theelection of their successor.

SECTION I. In case any Directorshall by death, incapacity,resignation or absenteeism fail toserve his or her full three-year term,the Board of Directors shall appoint

a successor to serve out the balanceof such term.

SECTION J. Whenever a vacancyshall occur in any ofce, it shall beimmediately lled by the Board ofDirectors.

ARTICLE VI OFFICES

SECTION C. The Vice-Presidentshall actively assist the President,shall preside in the Presidents

absence, shall chair the nominationscommittee and may be consideredfor the next presidency.

SECTION D. The Secretary shalltake and record minutes of all boardmeetings and shall give due noticeof the Monthly and Board meetingsvia the Minnesota Native PlantPlant Press newsletter.

ARTICLE VIII - STANDINGCOMMITTEES

The standing committees of thecorporation are as follows:1. Program, Education, andLectures.2. Membership and Outreach.2. Publications (Minnesota PlantPress newsletter)3. Conservation4. Symposium

ARTICLE IX NEWSLETTER

The Minnesota Plant Pressnewsletter shall be published at leastthree times a year. in September(fall), January (winter), and May(spring) and at such other times thatthe Board of Directors determines.

ARTICLE XI - AMENDMENTS

A quorum to transact businessshall be 20 percent of the generalmembership. Changes to the Articlesof Incorporation or the Bylaws shall

require a two-thirds majority voteof the membership. present at twoconsecutive Monthly meetings.Members shall be notied by theMinnesota Plant Press newsletterof any change proposed by theBoard of Directors. Voting shallbe by secret ballot. or an identiedabsentee ballot.

Mike Lee, botanist/ecologist forthe Minnesota County BiologicalSurvey, studied plants in theBoundary Waters Canoe Areathis summer. His work includedidentifying plants and drying thespecimens he collected. This is partof the ongoing work by MCBS todocument plant communities and

rare fora in the Border Lakes area.

The photo above shows how MikeLee used solar power when pressingand drying plant specimens. In thephoto at the left, he is examining arock face, looking for potential areaswith rare plants. Both photos are byScott Milburn, MNNPS president.


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Book exploresstate wild places

Our Neck of the Woods:

Exploring Minnesotas Wild Places,

edited by Daniel J. Philippon

published by the University of

Minnesota Press, 2009; paperback

277 pages, $19.95.

Review by Gerry DrewryMost of these 57 personal Sense

of Place essays were published inissues ofMinnesota ConservationVolunteer since November 1994Each article reects the strong senseof place felt by the author.

Some are by well known writersincluding Paul Gruchow, Sigurd FOlson, Peter M. Leschak, Bill Holm

and Greg Breining. Some writers aremembers of the Minnesota NativePlant Society, including Erika RoweNancy Sather, Kathleen Ween, andVera Ming Wong.

It is easy to nd specic essaysThe table of contents sorts themby category: Making CampEncountering Wildness, GettingWet, Embracing Winter, DoingScience, Practicing Conservation

and Finding Home. A geographicalindex groups the essays by biomeConiferous Forest, DeciduousForest, and Prairie Grassland.

Some of the essays are lyricalespecially Sigurd Olsons TrappersCabin. Some are informative, suchas Anne M. Dunns Sugar BushJournal and Eric Hansons CounYour Loons. Some paint contrastingpictures of the same topics

including Lake Superior in winterand the Boundary Waters CanoeArea. Some praise specic aspectsof nature, from winter to nativeplants to exploring a cave.

In summary, if you enjoyMinnesotas outdoors, you will ndessays that reect your experiencesinspire you to visit other locationsor make you feel that you are therewith the author.

Helzer believes that invasivespecies removal needs to beprioritized. He feels that preventingnew weeds from becoming aproblem should always be rst.

He states that the reason grasslandbirds are so scarce is because theyneed a very large area for nesting.

Their predators come in from theedges of the prairie, especiallywhen trees are present. A greenwaypatchwork of areas that are close orconnected can provide corridors fortheir movement.

In the last half of the book, heidenties different ways to managethe prairie. Patch-burn grazing is asystem in which a third of the prairieis burned. Cattle (or the grazinganimal of choice) will eat from that

area and leave the rest of the prairieto grow. This allows the grasses andforbs to recover. Every year anotherthird of the prairie is burned, and thegrazing animals will move to thenew area without being fenced.

This is an excellent book to addto your nature library. It is publishedfor the Nature Conservancy by theUniversity of Iowa Press.

Prairie ecology,management arenew book topics

The Ecology and Management

of Prairies in the Central UnitedStates,by Chris Helzer, publishedfor the Nature Conservancy by theUniversity of Iowa Press, 2010,paperback, 208 pages, illustrated,$29.95.

Review by Arlene Kjar, MNNPSmember; president of PrairiePartners of Cannon Valley, avolunteer group in Northfeld thathelps others with nature areas; amember of Prairie Smoke Chapterof The Prairie Enthusiasts; and aretired teacher.

The Ecology and Management ofPrairies in the Central United Statesis an excellent book that providesbackground knowledge about howprairies work. The author providesinformation on how to mix andmatch management techniques inways that will help to keep prairiesvigorous and viable.

Chris Helzer is the programdirector for The Nature

Conservancys Eastern NebraskaProject Ofce in Aurora, Nebraska.He oversees the management andrestoration of approximately 5,000acres of conservancy-owned land.

The rst part of the book consistsof a description of the complexworkings of prairies. Grasslandsthat are dominated by only a fewplant species, especially non-nativegrasses, lack the ability to support

the majority of prairie-dependentspecies and, in Helzers opinion,are not prairies. He denes a plantcommunity as all the plants thatgrow and interact together in aparticular place. The strategies theplants develop to survive strengthenthe communitys ability to respondto drought, ooding, intense grazing,re and other disturbances. A highquality prairie can have as many as150 - 300 species of plants.

Bell Museum opensexhibit on shelterSustainable Shelter: Dwelling

within the Forces of Nature openedOct. 16 and runs through May 15,2011. Just as birds gather localmaterials for their nests, humansbuild homes that use naturalresources to meet their needs anddesires. But while shelters in theanimal kingdom work in tandem

with natural cycles, most humanshelters consume more naturalresources and energy than theyneed.

This exhibit explores innovativehome building technologies andstrategies that can help restore theviability of natural systems; contrastshuman dwellings with those of otheranimals; looks at housing around theworld, and changes in U.S. housesover the past 150 years.

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Plant Loreby Thor KommedahlWhat is speckled alder?

Speckled alder is Alnus incanasubsp. rugosa, and native toMinnesota. It belongs in the birchfamily.

How did it get its names?Alder is an ancient name for

tree. The Old English name wasalor. Alnus is the Latin name foralder. Incana means gray (stemcolor), and rugosa means wrinkled(network of sunken veins onundersides of leaves). It is calledspeckled because of the numerouswarty lenticels on the stem that arepale yellow or orange.

What does the plant look like?It is a thicket-forming shrub,occasionally a small tree, withsimple and alternate leaves. Theterminal bud is stalked. It producesyellowish male ower clusters(catkins or aments) and reddishfemale, cone-like inorescencesbearing small, one-seeded, wingedfruits (samaras). Wind dispersessamaras. This female catkin remainson the plant in winter useful foridentication.

Where does the shrub grow?It grows in wetlands or moistlowlands in the wooded areas ofMinnesota, often as an understoryin forests.

Is it poisonous or medicinal?It is not poisonous or edible,

but American Indians used a barktea for diarrhea treatment, as adiuretic, for toothache, anemia, andmany other problems.

Is it ecologically signifcant?Alder roots x nitrogen

comparable to that by legumes. Asan understory plant in forests, alderpromotes growth of many deciduousand coniferous trees. Songbirds eatthe seeds, and it is the larval hostfor the green comma buttery; italso attracts the tent caterpillar mothand other moths.

Is it part of any other lore?Henry Wadsworth Longfellow,

in hisMidnight Ride of Paul Revere,wrote:And under the alders that skirt itsedge,Now soft on the sand, now loud onthe ledge,Is heard the tramp of his steed as herides.

Right: Stalked speckled alderterminal bud. Below, top:Male and female speckledalder catkins, in winter.Below, bottom: Leaves,female catkins of speckledalder. Photos are by PeterDziuk.

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Directions:

Take MN Hwy. 52 to the Butler Ave. E. exit in West St. Paul.Go west on Butler 0.2 mile to Stassen Lane.

Go south on Stassen Lane to Thompson County Park.

Fall 2009

Minnesota Native Plant Society

P.O. Box 20401

Bloomington, MN 55420

Fall 2010 Minnesota Plant Press ~ Minnesota Native Plant Society Newsletter

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Transcript of Fall 2010 Minnesota Plant Press ~ Minnesota Native Plant Society Newsletter