Flora-Quest 2015 finale

For those who know me, the fact that I devote a good part of my year organizing Flora-Quest comes as no surprise.  Flora-Quest was the brain-child of Jim McCormac, and Paula Harper and I provided the first "boots on the ground" so to speak.  From 2007-2015 it has been a good run, many of those years were held in Shawnee State Park and Forest.  This year it was time for something new, and Flora-Quest 2015 moved to Mohican Forest and Malabar Farm State Park.

Maidenhair Spleenwort, photo by Steve McKee

With a name like Flora-Quest one might expect flowers.  Most of our Quests have been flora-centric, however this year we focused more on eco-systems. We wanted to convey a better understanding why the hemlock trees and hellbenders are as important as rare ferns, like this Maidenhair Spleenwort, and Roundleaf Orchids.

Mohican's own Steve McKee,  photo by Jennifer Kubicki

But a long time ago I learned what was really important at Flora-Quest: the people.  The incredible guides who share their knowledge.  The fascinating attendees - often guides, authors, conservationists and professional naturalists- who bring so much collective intelligence to our programs.  Many of them are old friends and even more of them have become our new friends.

Long-time guide, Bob Scott Placier and friends. Photo  by Mark Dilley

Bird Banding, photo Zach Pocock

Many of our guides have dedicated their lives to environmental and outdoor education.  Bob Scott Placier recently retired from a long career teaching Dendrology and Ornithology at Hocking College. He is Flora-Quest lifer,  and a guide I can always count on to pitch in and help out in the wee hours of the morning.  There is nothing in the world to capture one's heart like seeing a tiny wild bird, up-close and personal. Bob makes that happen.

Judy Semroc, photo by Jennifer Kubicki

One of our sponsors, The Cleveland Museum of Natural History sends people to our event.  Guides Judy Semroc and Larry Rosche are experts in the field.  They literally wrote the book on Northeast Ohio's Dragonflies. Their combined abilities identifying birds, bugs and plants is legendary.

Greg Lipps and Hellbender, photo by Jeff  Belth.

This year we went to -hellbender- in a basket, or rather a plastic tube. Greg Lipps, Ohio's foremost expert on these endangered, prehistoric aquatic creatures brought some fauna to our flora program. The health of our watersheds matter and the flora we love filters the run-off to our rivers.  Eco-systems are important and we must protect entire ecosystems to protect individual charismatic species, like hellbenders.

Lousie Warner, Chis Riley, Clyde Gosnell 

 For me, the addition of interns or Flora-Fellows took the entire event to a whole new level.  We provide students and young professionals the opportunity to meet the movers and shakers in the world of conservation.  Pictured here, Chris was sponsored by The Stratford Ecological Center (represented by Louise and Clyde.)

Tim McNiven, intern Nicole Hoekstra and Greg Blum

 Nicole Hoekstra brought her many talents to us as an intern, and she was funded by two wonderful individuals who have attended past Flora-Quests.  Greg and Tim wanted to provide this educational opportunity to someone who would not be able to attend without a scholarship.

These are the people of Flora-Quest: intelligent folks who want to share their knowledge and love for nature. People who care.

Mark and Michelle Goodman-  photo selfie

Especially nice for me, my daughter and son-in-law helped by coordinating the efforts of those interns. They also remind me why bringing people closer to nature and learning about our environment really matters.  We do this, not only for our own enjoyment, but rather for future generations.  We are growing a constituency for our parks and forests.

Sure, we all feel better when we breath clean air. We are happier when we are trotting down a wooded trail. My friends all want to have a personal encounters with a bird, butterfly or beetle. Flora-Questers are the people who help us ensure these special places are here for the next generations as well.

Special thanks to all those who have sent in photos!  I rarely have time to get decent pictures during the event. This blog is strictly the result of using the photos I have been given to share.  There were 20 fabulous guides, 4 awesome interns, 1 energetic emcee, 4 excellent speakers- and I will hope to share more of their photos in the future.  For now I would like to say thank you to the paying participants; YOU make this event happen.  "Thank You." 

Ohio Amphibian Conference

It is not everyday we get to rub shoulders with our heroes.  But today was just that opportunity for a group one might call the Fraternity for the Frogs.  It was  like Christmas morning for an enthusiastic crowd of  big kids who grew up playing in ditches and streams.  Over 200 people gathered in Columbus for the 2nd Ohio Amphibian Conference, an assemblage of  programs and scientific findings from the wild-about-wetlands crowd.

Greg Lipps and Dr. Tyrone Hayes 

One of America's best known experts on frogs and the chemicals which disrupt their breeding, Tyrone Hayes presented The Cause of  Amphibian Declines.  He has studied the effects of  herbicides which mimic estrogen and  "chemically castrate" male frogs.  These chemicals do not kill frogs, but rather create mayhem in their reproductive cycle.  These same chemicals can cause estrogen-fed cancers in humans as well.  

 Dr. Hayes' research has become an environmental calling card, warning us about chemicals which are negatively impacting our lives in ways we have never dreamed.  Hayes has an amusing delivery of a less-than-funny story.  Think about those chemicals next time you buy herbicide saturated lettuce.  It won't take long to realize why there are no frogs calling in those chemically managed landscapes.

                                           Hellbender- photo from OhioAmphibians.com

Greg Lipps spoke about Ohio's largest and most endangered salamander- the Hellbender.  Most of Ohio's populations have ceased to reproduce.  Young are rarely found.  Since these unusual creatures are only found in the Ohio River watershed, it is more important than ever to stabilize their populations before anymore potential harm comes to their streams and waterways.   Ohio will soon be in the business of selling water to industry throughout shale-gas regions. Let's not forget who resides in that water.

Clean water.
Amphibians are the canaries in the aquatic "coal-mines".  Their health should be important to us, as they are bio indicators for our future.  We should all be thinking about this a little more.

A special "thank you" to  Greg and all the people who made this incredible day possible, from all of us overgrown kids.

To read all of the speaker's abstracts go here.

Wetland Plants and Dragonfly Fever

Seasons change in due time, and I am not one to push them. Each one has something special to offer- winter: snow skiing, spring: wildflowers and warblers, summer: dragonflies!

Oh man, I miss those dragonflies and the lovely wetland plants.

Gorman Nature Center has a pond edged in Pickerel-weed, Pontederia cordata. This is one of my favorite spots to watch the wild-winged dragons in pursuit for food, mating and fighting. That pretty much sums up a dragonfly's lifestyle. It is just like an aquatic Las Vegas- without the gambling.

A river edge dragonfly, the American Rubyspot is commonly found hiding amongst Water- willow, Justicia americana. This beaut was photographed along the Batelle-Darby, which will be the location of the upcoming Great Lakes Odonata Meeting- July 9-11, 2010.

Keep an eye on the Ohio Odes website for details.

Ah, a once in a lifer: Carolina Saddlebags (on a sedge, possibly Carex lacustris?), this is one worth longing to see. Maybe 2010 will be my lucky year again.

Least Clubtail is a bit of a rarity, found along the edge of the Black Fork in the Ashland park of the same name. This will be one of the field trip locations for the Managing Wetlands for Biodiversity Workshop- Ashland April 10, 2010, hosted by GMAS and FOWL.


And the coolest ever, Mr. Dragonfly himself (don't tell him I said that... ;) Dr. Dennis Paulson (shown here with Mary Jo White) who was infinitely patient with beginners at the Ohio Dragonfly Conference in 2007.

So if you like dragonflies and wetland plants... high-tail it over to the Friends of Wetlands (FOWL) website and sign up for the workshop on Saturday April 10. John Mack and Jim Bissell will be on hand to teach us the ins and outs of wetland plants (can't have dragonflies without them.) And the added kicker: Greg Lipps, the salamander king!

Hope to see you there!