Yale Bulletin and Calendar

April 22, 2005|Volume 33, Number 27|Two-Week Issue

This watercolor of Purple Loosestrife (Lythrum salicaria) by Leah Rohrbaugh is part of the exhibit "Landscape Under Siege: Invasive Plants of Connecticut."

Programs highlight native and
invasive flora of New England

From native wildflowers to invasive plant species, New England's flora will be the focus of a series of courses and programs being offered by the Peabody Museum of Natural History now through September.

Educators from the Peabody and the New England Wild Flower Society (NEWFS) will lead the programs, which are designed for both beginning and advanced plant and natural history enthusiasts. Educators affiliated with both institutions will conduct the sessions.

The following is the list of offerings. The free programs do not require reservations but are on a first-come basis. Fee-based courses require advance registration. Peabody Museum members receive substantial discounts. To register, call Jim Sirch, Peabody educator, at (203) 432-6919.

"Wildflowers of New England"

Botanist Bryan Connelly will lead this course, which will focus on learning to identify wild plants through firsthand experience with New England's diverse flora. Sessions will include classroom instruction on plant identification and family characteristics. Participants will become familiar with the names, growth patterns, habitats and pollination mechanisms of our native wildflowers, and learn to identify species using field guides and botanical keys. Trips into the field will facilitate the study of plants in their natural habitats. This is a core course in the New England Wild Flower Society's Certificate in Native Plant Studies Program.

Four sessions: Mondays, April 25 and May 2, 6:30-9 p.m., and Saturdays, April 30 and May 7, 10:30 a.m.-1 p.m. at the Peabody Museum, 170 Whitney Ave., and local habitats. Fee: $110 Peabody and NEWFS members, $132 non-members.

"New England's Invasive Plants"

Chris Mattrick, NEWFS senior conservation program manager, will present an illustrated talk on "New England's Invasive Plants" and why they pose one of the greatest threats to the region's native flora. Mattrick will discuss the identification, natural history and ecology of common invasive plant species. This special lecture is held in conjunction with "Landscape Under Siege: Invasive Plants of Connecticut," an exhibition at the Peabody of botanically accurate watercolor paintings by members of the Greater New York Chapter of the Guild of Natural Science Illustrators. Co-sponsored by NEWFS.

Thursday, May 12, 4-5:30 p.m. in Peabody's third-floor invasive plants exhibition area. Free admission.

Butterfly and Bird Plant Sale

Visitors can learn how to attract wildlife to their gardens and create a haven for butterflies and birds. Perennials, annuals and shrubs will be on sale.

Saturday, May 14, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. on the Peabody's front lawn. Free admission to the sale.

Sleeping Giant State Park

Botanist Ted Elliman will lead a hike through the park, which has habitats that include mixed stands of oaks, hickories and sugar maples; hemlock groves; red maple swamps; and cedar ridge tops, with views in many directions. Hikers can expect to see columbine, fringed polygala, early saxifrage, wood and rue anenome, pale corydalis, dwarf ginseng, and a display of blue, white and yellow violets along the trails. In wetter areas, there will be a variety of ferns, marsh marigold and perhaps golden saxifrage. This hike is moderately strenuous on rocky trails. Co-sponsored by NEWFS.

Sunday, May 15, 10 a.m.-2 p.m. Meet at Sleeping Giant State Park; directions will be provided. Fee: $24 Peabody and NEWFS members, $28 non-members.

Peabody Museum Natural Area

Lauren Brown, author of "Weeds in Winter" and "Grasses," will lead a field trip to this rocky coastal property, which features oak-hickory woods and views of Long Island Sound and the Thimble Islands. Yale students and others have discovered over 200 plant species on the property's 36 acres. Co-sponsored by NEWFS.

Saturday, June 11, 10 a.m.-1 p.m. Meet at the Branford site; directions will be provided. Fee: $20 Peabody and NEWFS members, $23 non-members.

Horse Island (Thimble Islands)

Botanist Brown, who is also co-author of "The Vegetation of the Thimble Islands," will lead a short excursion to Horse Island, a Peabody-owned property that is one of the Thimble Islands off the coast of Connecticut. Participants will learn about the Thimble Islands' unusual ecosystem and see a mix of coastal and early successional vegetation. Co-sponsored by NEWFS.

Sunday, June 12, 9:45 a.m.-1:15 p.m. Meet at the ferry dock; directions will be provided. Fee: $26 Peabody and NEWFS members, $29 non-members (includes ferry).

"The Art and Science of Woody Plant Propagation"

This hands-on workshop will focus on the propagation of woody plants by softwood cuttings, layering, and seed at the Broken Arrow Nursery in Hamden. It will be led by Adam Wheeler, propagator, and Andy Brand, manager of Broken Arrow Nursery. Basic propagation methods will be discussed and demonstrated. Each participant will have a chance to sow seed and bring home cuttings of several varieties of plants. Co-sponsored by NEWFS.

Saturday, June 25, 9 a.m.-noon. Meet at Broken Arrow Nursery; directions will be provided. Fee: $25 Peabody and NEWFS members, $30 non-members.

"Controlling Invasive Plants for the Homeowner"

This hands-on workshop will take place at a local home site to illustrate many of the challenges facing homeowners who want to control exotic invasive plants as part of their overall landscape strategy. Mattrick, also an invasive plant expert, will show participants how to evaluate the problem, develop a plan and manage individual invasive species. Co-sponsored by NEWFS.

Saturday, September 24, 9 a.m.-noon. Location TBA. Fee: $27 Peabody and NEWFS members, $33 non-members.

T H I SW E E K ' SS T O R I E S

Yale increases its voluntary payment to city

Levin appoints new V.P. for Development: Inge Reichenbach

Event honors former Yale chaplain's ministry, activism

Thomas C. Duffy chosen to serve as interim dean of the School of Music

Link between stress, insomnia and obesity shown

Event explores unique singing tradition shared by disparate groups

Conference explores historic impact of global quest for oil

Unbiased reporting is not always noble, CNN journalist says

Veteran coach with over 400 wins to head women's basketball

Symposium honors chemist's '30 years in the trenches'

The drama school stages 'The Real Thing' . . .

Yale honors 116 staff members at Long-Service Recognition Dinner

Juniors honored for their scholarship, contributions

IN MEMORIAM

Biologist Dr. Alvin Novick, noted advocate for people with AIDS

Lloyd Reynolds, shaped fields of labor relations and economics