Nineteen members met to hear Sarada Sangameswaran present “From Black to Green: The Story of Pittsburgh Botanic Garden.” We learned how they are transforming an old coal-mining site into a beautiful botanic garden. This presentation provided a brief history of the garden and details the land reclamation project that continue to restore our natural habitats She showed pictures of the established areas and the future plans for creating a vibrant place for visitors to enjoy.
Eight members joined the hike along Beaver Creek: Carl, our leader, Dick, Mark, Loree, Bob, Dianne, Mary and Ken. It was a sunny, hot day in the upper 80’s. 63 species of flowers were noted, along with 20 species in fruit. See the complete list here:
WINE AND CHEESE RECEPTION
On Thursday, September 13th, Bob and Dianne Machesney presented “Panama, December 2017.” Photos from their butterfly tour at the Canopy Tower and Lodge showed the flora, fauna, birds, butterflies of the area, along with some history and geography. Did you know that Panama means ” abundance of fish?” This was our annual wine and cheese reception.
Eighteen people enjoyed beautiful 84 degree, sunny weather to hike the prairie at Jennings. We saw a good variety of blooming flowers, grasses, mushrooms, birds and butterflies. Click here to see the list.
Fr. Bob, Susanne, Sharon
Colleen, Kate, Evan, Sue, Melissa and Adam
Groundnut Apios Americana
Culver’s Root Veronicastrum virginicum
Cordyceps Mushroom
Chanterelle Mushroom
Jack – that is one tall sunflower!! Helianthus giganteus
Water horehound Lycopus americanus
Swamp Milkweed Asclepias incarnate
August 4, Saturday, 10:00 Jennings Prairie, by Dianne Machesney
Visit the unique ecosystem at Jennings Prairie.
This is the perfect time to explore the relict prairie. The hot weather brings the stunning Blazing Star and some of the other dazzling summer flowers to peak performance. The goldenrods of fall will begin to show. Don’t miss the spectacular butterflies that grace the prairie with their breathtaking beauty. Flycatchers, vireos, tanagers, Common Yellowthroats and Cedar Waxwings sometimes make an appearance. We may come across a Red Eft, the larval form of a Red-spotted Newt.
Outings are free and open to the public. Bring your friends. Trails are wheelchair accessible.Wear a hat and sunscreen. Bring binoculars, field guides, water and a lunch.
Directions From Pittsburgh: take I-79 North to Exit 99, New Castle/ Butler. Drive east on Route 422 roughly 5.8 miles to the Prospect Exit. Turn left (north) onto Route 528.
Continue on Route 528 for about 7 miles. Meet in the Jennings Environmental Center Parking Lot on the left (west) side of the road.
On Saturday, July 21, Loree Speedy and Mark Bowers led the hike along the bike trail at Duff Park. We entered from the new parking lot on Route 22. Click here to see the list of plants we admired along the way. Thanks to Mark for submitting his photos. Other photos by Dianne Machesney.
Witch Hazel in Bud
Spikenard
Jumpseed
Joe Pye Weed
Helleborine
We have our schedule for the new club year finalized. Click the 2018-2019 tab on the banner on the home page to preview. First meeting will be our wine and cheese reception. The club will supply the wine. Members, please bring hor d’oeuvres or desserts. Don’t forget to bring your dues.
. Steve Leitkam, retired aquatic botanist with the Pennsylvania EPA, presented Critters From My Backyard Jungle. Years ago, while working on a new business card design, Steve came up with the following blurb in an attempt to summarize a particular factor regarding his passion for nature: “Seeking out the often overlooked. Be amazed at what’s out there.” And truth be told, years later he still finds himself being amazed on a relatively regular basis; often in his own backyard. There are so many really cool things all around us that most people are completely unaware of. And often, with those sorts of things, he’s like a kid in a candy shop. Steve’s extremely close-up photos of insects, ie beetles, aphids, leafhoppers, ants, wasps and various nymph instars, showed us a view of these tiny animals that few of us have ever seen.
This was the last meeting of the season. See you on the trails this summer and back at Fern Hollow in September.
Constant companion, Cookie.
Reticulated Python
13 people attended the walk on a 65 degree, partly sunny day. We saw 51 species of flowers in bloom and 34 birds. Only two butterflies: Cabbage White and E. Tiger Swallowtail. See the whole list here.
Paul and Pam
Kim and Melissa
Virginia Bluebells
Long Spur Violet
Sessile-leaved Bellwort
Grandiflora Trilliums covered the woodland floor
Walking Fern