May 10, 2018 Meeting

. Steve Leitkam, retired aquatic botanist with the Pennsylvania EPA,  presented Critters From My Backyard Jungle. Years ago, while working on a new business card design, Steve came up with the following blurb in an attempt to summarize a particular factor regarding his passion for nature: “Seeking out the often overlooked. Be amazed at what’s out there.” And truth be told, years later he still finds himself being amazed on a relatively regular basis; often in his own backyard. There are so many really cool things all around us that most people are completely unaware of. And often, with those sorts of things, he’s like a kid in a candy shop. Steve’s extremely close-up photos of insects, ie beetles, aphids, leafhoppers, ants, wasps and various nymph instars,  showed us a view of these tiny animals that few of us have ever seen.

This was the last meeting of the season.  See you on the trails this summer and back at Fern Hollow in September.

Constant companion, Cookie.

Reticulated Python

Trip Report Brady’s Creek Outing April 22, 2018

Checking out the partridge berry and wintergreen

About 15 folks attended this walk led by Judy Stark. After snow the previous week we were treated with a sunny and warm day. We walked the road on the forested hill behind the Maple Syrup buildings and back around the lake. We saw about a dozen flowering plants, Bloodroot being the most prolific.  (Photos by: Judy Stark)

Here is the list:
bloodroot
sharp-lobed hepatica
grandiflora trillium
trout lily
Virginia spring beauty
cut-leaved toothwart
two-leaved toothwart
blue cohosh
trailing arbutys
kidney-leaved buttercup
wild ginger
Virginia Bluebells
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partridgeberry
teaberry
striped wintergreen

Kim searches Newcomb’s Wildflower Guide

Bloodroot

Grandiflora Trillium

Sharp lobed hepatica

Virginia Spring Beauty

Trailing Arbutus