lead by Bill Moorhead
This workshop focuses
on identification and ecology of grasses (family Poaceae) that are detectable
and identifiable in the field in late summer and early fall. The emphasis will be on the “warm-season”
grasses, but we will also cover a number of other important grass species that
are commonly encountered and are identifiable at this time of year. We will cover the basic features of grasses
that distinguish them from other grass-like plants, the terminology used in
identification manuals to describe and distinguish grass species, the
characteristics of major groups, distinguishing warm-season from cool-season
grasses, distinguishing invasive and other non-native species from native
species, endangered grass species, wetland indicator values and other
ecological affinities of various species.
The
workshop is broken into two days:
o
The first day that is largely devoted to
introductory lecture and lab.
o
The second day that is entirely devoted to field
identification of grasses in several representative habitats in the region (to
which we will travel via car pool).
Participants
may register for one or both days.
Grasses are a difficult group, and it is recommended that serious
students who do not consider themselves advanced students register for both
days. If you do not consider yourself an
advanced student of grasses and can only attend one session, we recommend the
first rather than the second day, as we will not be able to cover the basics
again on the second day. People who
prefer to, or are only able to, register for only one day of the workshop are
welcome, but first preference for
space will be given to people registering for both days, so there is the
possibility that one-day-only registrants may be “bumped’ out of the workshop
by people registering for both days, even if they are registering later than
the one-day-registrants. NOTE: The second day of the workshop is
conditional upon interest, i.e. if too few participants choose to register for
the second day, it may be cancelled.
Please
contact instructor Bill Moorhead, at whmoorhead@optonline.net
or 860-567-4920, if you have any questions about the level and content of the
workshop (particularly as they relate to decisions about taking only one day versus
both days of the workshop).
Each
participant should bring: a good quality hand lens with at least 10X
magnification; fine-pointed forceps that can be carried in the field; a
centimeter/millimeter ruler; hip or chest waders; his/her choice of insect
repellant, sun protection, etc. The waders are not absolutely essential, but
participants should in any case be prepared be in thigh-deep water/muck some of
the time. A waterproof field notebook and collecting bags are highly
recommended.
Taxonomy
will follow The New Engand Wildflower Societiy’s GoBotany web-site and Arthur
Haines' Flora Novae Angliae.
BILL MOORHEAD is an independent consulting field botanist based
in western Connecticut. He has
specialized for 25 years in the search for populations of rare plants and their
habitats, and the study of plant communities and the factors determining their
species composition and distribution. He
leads plant and plant community walks and “eco-tours”, and teaches plant
identification workshops in difficult plant groups, such as sedges, grasses,
asters and goldenrods, as well as invasive species and their native
look-a-likes.
Continuing Education Units (CEU) are offered for this course:
NOFA Accredited Organic Landscape Professionals - 4.0
CT Forest Practitioner - 5.0
CT Pesticide Applicator - 7.0 (3A,6)
Continuing Education Units (CEU) are offered for this course:
NOFA Accredited Organic Landscape Professionals - 4.0
CT Forest Practitioner - 5.0
CT Pesticide Applicator - 7.0 (3A,6)
Location: Aton Forest Headquarters - 270 North Colebrook Rd. Norfolk, CT 06058
Date: Wednesday September 25 & October 2, 2013
Time: 8:30 AM – 5:00 PM
Tuition: $95 (per day), lunches and refreshments provided