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A Male Rufous Hummingbird visited our garden for a few days

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We had a beautiful male Rufous Hummingbird show up at our house last Wed. afternoon, July 29, 2020. He spent his time guarding our nectar feeders and keeping away all of the local and migrant ruby-throats. According to Scott Weidensaul this was the earliest "Fall" record for this species in PA. Several close friends got a chance to see him and we were hoping more people would get a chance spread out over time, but he was only here He was here through Friday evening. On July 31 he left after being banded.  We invited Sandy Lockerman and her husband to come and try to trap him and band him because I think that it is a good thing to try to understand the changing migration patterns of hummingbirds from western North America like this species. I hope that he may be re-trapped sometime and contribute to our knowledge base about these wonderful creatures. Sandy tells me that hummingbirds usually stay after banding, but this one took off and hasn't been back, Mike Slater  

Moss Walk at French Creek State Park - October 4th starting at 1 pm

Dr. Susan Munch lead a moss walk for the Muhlenberg Botanic Club and friends at  Six Penny Trail French Creek State Park on Oct. 4, 2014. List of Bryophytes observed: Liverworts Bazzania trilobata and most likely a Chiloscyphus sp. (with tiny 2 or 3 toothed leaves).   Jubula pennsylvanica (with tiny round leaves),  Pellia epiphylla Mosses  Sphagnum sp.  Atrichum undulatum (and most likely angustatum also) Aulocomium palustre Dicranum scoparium Dicranum sp. Entodon cladorrhizans Fissidens sp.  Fontinalis sp. Hedwigia ciliate Hypnum imponens Leucobryum sp. Mnium cuspidatum,  M. affine  M. punctatum Polytrichum commune  P. ohioense, Thuidium delicatulum About French Creek State Park:  Once an industrial complex for the fledgling United State of America, today French Creek State Park is an oasis for people and wildlife. Straddling the Schuylkill Highlands, the 7,730-acre park is the largest block of contiguous forest between Washington D

Summer 2014 Walks

Schedule of walks for summer 2014 by the Muhlenberg Botanic Society Muhlenberg Botanical Society walk list, summer 2014 July 12                    Muhlenberg Meadow located in the Lancaster County Central Park. Lancaster, Pa.  Starting at 1 PM . Combined walk with the Sierra Club. N 40.00.769 W 76.17.098 Started in 1991, this restoration project spearheaded by Tim Draude and the Muhlenberg Botanical Society has expanded to five acres. Come and view the wide array of field flowers and what techniques worked and didn’t work in turning a cornfield into a dazzling native ecosystem.                 From Lancaster, go south on Rte. 222/272 for about 0.5 miles past the point where the north and south lanes rejoin. Turn left onto Golf Rd. and go about 0.6 miles to the intersection with Exhibit Farm Rd The parking area is a few hundred feet past Exhibit Farm Rd. on the right hand side. The sign for the meadow is up against the tree line and not easily visible from the road. Par

A public Shenk's Ferry Wild flower walk on April 19th, Led by Muhlenberg Botanic Society President Joan King

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Saturday  April 19  at 1:00 PM Shenk's Ferry Wildflower Preserve Thousands of trilliums and Mertensia, and rich woods ephemerals. Open to the public, walk rating: easy. Parking is limited, carpool if you can. Parking area GPS: N 39.89317 W 76.34204 Directions From the north: Starting at Willow Street, Lancaster County, PA From the intersection of Rte. 272 & 741 in Willow Street, go 4.5 miles to Pennsy Rd. Turn right onto Pennsy Rd. and go 3.5 miles to Rte. 324. Go left (straight) onto Rte. 324 south and go 1.2 miles to River Rd. Turn right (NOT LEFT) onto River Rd. and go 2.1 miles & turn left onto Shenks Ferry Rd. go 1.2 miles & turn left onto Green Hill Rd. Go  0.8 miles down the paved road, becoming a gravel road to the parking area next to Grubb Run. From the south: At the intersection of 272 & 372 at the Buck in Lancaster County, PA, go north 4.3 miles to Pennsy Rd. Turn right onto Pennsy Rd. and go 3.5 miles to Rte. 32

Feb 2014 Muhlenberg Newsletter

       Below is the Feb newsletter for 2014, The first meeting is thurs Feb. 20th  (a PDF is avaialble at this link)        Muhlenberg Bulletin      Volume 33  1/31/ 2014            Number 2 MUHLENBERG BOTANICAL SOCIETY c/o Joan King, 205 Fox Hollow Rd. Pequea, Pa. 17565 www.muhlenbergbotanic.org Presiesident:   Officers:      Board Members: President: Joan King (717-284-5239) jsking121@gmail.com Vice Pres.: Mike Slater (610-775-3757)  mslater@voicenet.com Tim Draude Recording Secretary: John Ambler (717-394-1121) Ray Uhlig Newsletter Editor: Ruthann Richards (717-872-7574) Kevin Weir Treasurer: Matt Dilley (717-871-6279) PRESIDENT'S MESSAGE Winter's harsh grip is on us again, and it's time to think ahead to spring and summer. Give me ideas of places you would like to walk, habitat you want to see, and speakers you want to hear. Our vice-president, Mike Slater, would like to relinquish his post d
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I just found the following web site. I will have to start reporting and using it for invasive species monitoring: There is a lot of data on these maps about where invasive species are found right now. EDDMapS - Early Detection and Distribution Mapping System Invasive Species Mapping Made Easy! Real time tracking of invasive species occurrences Local and national distribution maps Electronic early detection reporting tools Library of identification and management information Japanese Stiltgrass ( Microstegium vimineum) photo by Mike Slater

Nov. 21st Meeting - Local Ecologist to speak about new possibilities in biocontrol of invasive species .

Richard T. Gardner, "Non-native Invasive Plants."  Non-native invasive plants are a major problem throughout the world. This presentation will identify major local invasive plants, discuss their biocontrol and bioeradication and finish with new exciting local developments in the field which have the potential to radically change how non-native invaders are dealt with. 7 pm at the north museum:    See the newsletter for info about other programs -Newsletter link