Skunk Cabbage Field Trip – **REGISTER BELOW**
Date & Time: Saturday April 11, from 10 – noon
Location: The site, which is near Maple, WI, offers very little parking, so the trip will be limited to 12 people, including the trip leader, traveling in no more than 4 cars. We’ll meet at, & carpool from, the Super One parking lot in Superior, WI (2202 E 2nd St, Superior, WI 54880) at 10:00am. From Super One, the driving time to the site is 30 minutes, one way.
Skill Level: Beginner. No special knowledge or skills are needed. Plants can be viewed from the edge of the dirt road, which may be wet and muddy, or icy, depending on the weather. Those who want to walk further off-road should be prepared for wet, muddy ditches, as well as rough walking over fallen & cut brush that may be fully or partly covered by snow.
Event Description: The Eastern Skunk Cabbage (Symplocarpus foetidus) produces one of the most unusual flowers you can find in a wetland. Its color, shape, and fragrance are unforgettable! Think of it as the Arrowhead’s version of the Corpse Flower–like the one at the Como Zoo–just smaller and not quite as stinky! Notable for its thermogenic properties, it melts the ice and snow around itself, producing little circular islands of early spring warmth, attractive to pollinators. Although Minnesota is on the western edge of its range, we will travel to northwestern Wisconsin to visit an undeveloped tract of land owned by Douglas County which is loaded with hundreds of Skunk Cabbage plants.
REGISTRATION: Registration HERE is required for this event, and participation will be limited to the first 11 people to sign up, as we need to keep the number of cars in the area to a minimum. If there is lots of interest in this event, Susan may be able to offer a second trip; email her here if you were not able to register for the first trip and would be interested in a second opportunity (most likely on Sunday, April 12, from 1:00 pm to 3:00 pm).
Field Trip Leader: ANPE Member, Susan Nygaard
A Duluth native, Susan Nygaard has been interested in wildflowers since childhood, but her fascination with native orchids began around 2010. Since then, she has been hunting for as many orchids and wildflowers as she can find. A retired teacher, she has trouble restraining herself from sharing what she knows with random strangers. You will often find her along the Munger Trail or in Jay Cooke State Park. Email Susan with any questions or for more information.
Event cost: Your $20 (per household) annual Arrowhead Native Plant Explorers membership includes access to all events and field trips ($10 for students). For nonmembers, your first meeting or event is free and subsequent events are $10 per event.
INTRODUCING THE WILLOW
Date & Time: April 21 from 6:30-7:30 pm
Location: Hartley Nature Center
Event Description: Weep with joy for willows and learn about the nuanced features that help us determine which willow is which! Willows have rich history in medicine, have deep roots in cultures around the globe, serve as an important food source for invertebrates, and are so effective with river bank and soil erosion stabilization they can become problematic. Join ANPE to discover the willow family!
Event Leader: Reed Schwarting is a botanist with a decade worth of experience performing a variety of plant taxonomic work in Northern Wisconsin. From dry sandy pine barrens to the wet peaty bogs, he’s spent much of his career and free time trouncing through remote landscapes.
Have an idea for a presentation or field trip? Share ideas HERE.
Arrowhead Native Plant Explorers 