Tall Grass Prairie Flowers in Bloom

Walking through the prairie yesterday afternoon, I looked up and saw the waxing moon, a few more days to the full moon. The changing of the moon seems to coincide with the transitions I see in the prairie. The pale purple coneflowers heads are dark with seeds and the flowering spiderwort, thimbleflowers, larspurs and baptisias are now more a study of seeds, not petals.

With the fading of the early wildflowers, new summer wildflowers are getting my attention and the prairie grasses are starting to take their rightful place. Prairie clover, one of my favorite prairie flowers is now in bloom and echinacea purpurea the stiffer upright coneflower is just starting another purple show. Prairie coreopsis, lead plant, wild quinine and a few Mexican hats (Ratibida columnifera) join the new list of flowers I keep at my desk.

Walking back through the prairie, I notice some a few new flowering balls emerging from a Rattlesnake Master, Eryngium yuccifolium. What a great plant! This time I was lucky enough to have just enough battery in my camera to catch a picture of the small flowers that bloom hidden, nestled inside their prickly bracts.

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A Lesson in Tree Identification

Andy Schmitz, the Arboretum's general manager came into the office yesterday chuckling over a list of trees he made while weeding under our weeping crabapple trees. He had a list of 11 different species of tree and shrub saplings under the 5 Louisa crabapples we have in our collection. These weeping crabapple trees touch the ground and provide a nice cover for the seeds left by birds.
The list includes:
Black Cherry
Hackberry
Dogwood
Cranberry Bush Viburnum
Mulberry
Cat Briar
Eastern Redcedar
Cottonwood
Multiflora Rose
Tree of Heaven
Poison Ivy

As I tell the kids; What's a weed?
A plant growing where it is not wanted.

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Second Friday Nature Club

For the last year, a homeschool group has been visiting the Arboretum the second Friday of each month. We started in July and went on a prairie flower walk looking for pollen. Over the next 10 months we have watched those flowers go to seed and become winter food for birds.

We have discovered muskrats, slid on ice, watched the trees bud and watched the Arboretum come into bloom again. It has been an extremely rewarding experience and given me a new perspective on what is good environmental education.

We are expanding the 2nd Friday Nature Club over the summer to include an evening group. Let's take advantage of the long evenings to walk and enjoy all that nature has to offer. You know the old adage about stopping to smell the flowers? Let's stop and look for pollen, or find caterpillars and examine dragonflies.

Current scientific evidence indicates that frequent, positive experiences in nature benefits children. This is true for adults as well. You wouldn't think twice about not taking kids to the library regularly, perhaps it's time to schedule a regular trip into nature.

2nd Friday Nature Club
6:00 PM until 7:30 PM
June through September
The group will decide on a winter weekend meeting time.
The nature club is free for a one time trial. To join for the year, please become a family member.

The Afternoon group keeps a nature blog of their walks and other discoveries they make on thier own. Check it out- http://heednature.blogspot.com/
For more about the expanding popularity of Nature Clubs and Nature play visit Richard Louv's (Author of Last Child in the Woods) website; http://www.childrenandnature.org/

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Good Weather Day

With dire predictions of rain and thunderstorms, it was a relief to see the sun shining brightly this morning. Eighty kindergarten and first graders from Rolling Green Urbandale School were scheduled to visit the Arboretum and rain would have been an unwanted wet experience for these first time visitors.

Kori Lawson, Nancy Kunce and I had a great time with this school group. Kori took the kids to the "V" bridge to learn about tree leaves, Nancy explored the prairie comparing the burned prairie areas to those areas with last years grasses. The kids and I examined plum tree flowers to learn about fruits and seeds.

The kids were very knowledgeable about flowers and plants. One group named the grasses brushing against their legs, "ticklegrass" they were having such a good time.

All four classes enjoyed lunch at the pavilion. After the morning group left, we led the afternoon students on the planned walks and activities. Everyone enjoyed the warm afternoon sun, budding tree leaves and dandelions. By the way, do you like butter?

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