Botany Hike at the Van Vliet Hemlocks SNA

Join Alex Graeff, botanist for the National Ecological Observatory Network, for an outdoor-based plant identification workshop held at the VanVliet Hemlocks State Natural Area. The session will emphasize recognition of common vascular plant species found in typical north woods plant communities, and terminology and morphological features important for plant identification. While exploring the forests and bog at NLDC, we will apply identification techniques to the plants we encounter while discussing tidbits of north woods ecology. The hike will be about 1.5 miles, but with plenty of time stopped to discuss plants! Alex is a botanist by profession, and is most well-versed in vascular flora of the northern Great Lakes region. He holds bachelor’s and master’s degrees from Northern Michigan University, where he studied biology and plant community ecology. After picking up an interest in plant identification at a Michigan Botanical Club trip in 2012, he spent much of the next decade focused on exploring and learning our native flora.

Registered participants will be sent hike details prior to the trip.  Registration required by 8/9.  Friday, 9:30 AM – 12 PM.  This program is sponsored by the Friends of VanVliet and is free of charge