November 17 Muhlenberg Botanic Club Meeting: David McNaughton : " From Wastelands to Wetlands: The Strange and Dark Arts of Wetland Restoration"

When wetlands are disturbed, mitigation and restoration projects initiate and are meant to result in the protection and expansion of wetland habitat across the United States. These habitats are ecological hotspots significant for their pollution abatement (nature’s filters), fecundity (amphibian, fish, and other taxonomic breeding grounds), and beauty (the Everglades, the Pantanal, and Monet’s water lilies). The presentation will explore how organizations, firms, and individuals restore and rehabilitate these
ecological habitats and construct new habitat with examples from Fort Indiantown Gap and past commercial projects in Pennsylvania, Maryland, New York, and New Jersey. We will discuss typical native plantings, design strategies, and function, and compare intensive and natural re-vegetation methods.

Dave received his B.S. in Environmental Studies from George Washington University (DC) in 2000. He
worked summers at a small wetlands consulting and restoration firm as a field and nursery assistant, and later as a wetland scientist and crew leader. Since 2004 Dave has worked at Fort Indiantown Gap for the Wildlife Office, where he is currently the Assistant Wildlife Program Manager. His fields of study include botany, herpetology, management and restoration ecology, military ecology, and rare species conservation (Allegheny woodrat, regal fritillary butterfly, striped gentian, etc.). He is the current Vice President of the National Military Fish and Wildlife Association, a national group of military lands managers and conservationists.

7:00pm at the North Museum in Lancaster PA

Muhlenberg Botanic Fall 2011 Newsletter

The newsletter is available in pdf format.

The September Muhlenberg Newsletter is on line

The September Edition of the Muhlenberg Bulletin is online now. It is in both PDF and MSWord formats.

Saturday Field Trip to Lock 12 on the Susquehanna River is Cancelled Due to Flooding

Hi Muhlenberg Members and Friends,
Due to the High Water and serious flooding we are cancelling the field trip on Saturday September 10, 2011. The plants we are interested in are underwater and the riverbank will not be a safe place to hike with the rocks being very wet. We will try to visit the area next year.

Muhlenberg Botanic Club Members Night and Plant Exchange

 September 15, 2011   7:00pm
Officer Elections, Members' Night and Plant Exchange

Bring pictures, slides, or a digital show to share; we will have a laptop and digital projector setup. (Also a traditional projector can be brought if someone wants to share film slides please tell mike so he can bring it!)
For the plant exchange, please bring well-potted plants you think other members might like to adopt. We focus on native plants, but others are perfectly fine, too. Members who don't have plants to share are welcome—actually encouraged—to take plants home. We always have a lot to share with everybody! We must continue to KEEP THE MEETING ROOM CLEAN, SO PLEASE BRING PLANTS IN FAIRLY CLEAN POTS AND MAKE SURE THERE ARE NO INSECTS ON THEM.  If you spill dirt/plants, etc., YOU are responsible for cleaning up the mess. We want to leave the Kinsey room as clean as or cleaner than we found it so we can continue these exchanges. Thank you.

The full Newsletter will be online Soon.

Muhlenberg August field trip Change! Aug 6th trip now to the Muhlenberg meadow instead of Laurel Hill St.Pk.

We have received a report on the Purple Fringeless Orchids at Laurel Hill State Park and it looks like they will be done blooming before our scheduled trip. So on August 6th we are going to have a walk to the Muhlenberg Meadow in Lancaster Central Park instead. We will be meeting by the Meadow sign along Golf Rd. at 10 am. This will be a joint walk with the Lancaster Entomological and Butterfly Club.

Muhlenberg Meadow, Lancaster County central Park

10 am  to (approx.) 12 noon

A walk for meadow flowers and butterflies (co-sponsored but the Lancaster Butterfly and Entomological Club)

Co-Leaders: Fred Habegger and Mike Slater

Started in 1991, this restoration project spearheaded by Tim Draude and the Muhlenberg Botanical Society has expanded to five acres.. In the last year some major work at removing invasive plants by our recording Secretary John Ambler with some help from other Muhlenberg volunteers.
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. The sign for the meadow is up against the tree line and not easily visible from the road. Park on the grass in front of the sign.