June, 2013 Plant hunt summary

The month of June catalogued a total of 3053 records for the database, with Ashleigh Cleary as one of our newest contributors.  We are grateful that Ashleigh added new records for Ottawa-Carlton, including a new species for the database - Marsh dandelion (Taraxacum palustre).  Eleven counties and regions were surveyed by 3 contributors; Brian Popelier of the Bruce Trail Conservancy (BTC), Dave Jolly of EARTHQUEST and Ashleigh.  Brian added 272 records for Bruce, Grey, Halton and Hamilton counties, Ashleigh submitted 10 records for Ottawa-Carlton and Dave contributed 2771 records for Brant, Elgin, Halton, Hamilton, Oxford, Norfolk, Middlesex and Waterloo counties.

Ten new records for the database were found by June's contributors; Balloon flower (Platycodon grandiflorus), Common flax (Linum usitatissimum), Candle lantern sedge (Carex limosa), Marsh dandelion (Taraxacum palustre), Rhubarb (Rheum rhabarbum), Sage leaved willow (Salix candida), Starved sedge (Carex exilis), Sweet pignut hickory (Carya ovalis), Tufted club rush (Scirpus cespitosus), Virginia spiderwort (Tradescantia virginiana).  Of these, C. ovalis was the rarest, with a provincial rank of S3.  This was a plant Dave was specifically searching for in 2013.  Dave gave the differentiation between C. ovalis and another confusing look-a-like provincially rare S3 ranked tree species called Red or Pignut hickory in the May, 2013 Plant hunt summary.  L. usitatissimum was also observed as a new plant record for Bruce county by Brian on June 10, 2013, but is introduced to Ontario.  Dave observed it along a road in Waterloo county on June 12, 2013 as well as adjacent to a parking lot in Waterloo on June 18 and 21, 2013.

A visit to wetlands by Brian revealed a number of new wetland plant species for the Bruce peninsula; S. candida and S. cespitosus in Grey county C. exilis, C. limosa and A. glaucophylla in Bruce county. These records will be compiled with all others collected by Brian and 56 contributors of the master EARTHQUEST plant database to develop a master plant species list for the Bruce Trail and BTC properties.  Additionally, we hope to use them in an upcoming publication on all vascular plants of the Bruce Trail.  We look forward to working with the BTC on this project.

Only 369 species of vascular plants were found in June.  The all time record of 433 species for the month of June was set in 2011, possibly due to the early spring experienced in April and May, 2011.  

Twelve provincially and federally listed Species at Risk (Endangered, threatened, vulnerable, special concern) and provincially rare (S1 - S3 ranked) plants were observed in June; American chesnut (Castanea dentata); END/S3, American ginseng (Panax quinquefolius); END/END/S2, Butternut (Juglans cinerea); END/END/S3?, Culver's root (Veronicastrum virginicum); S2, Green milkweed (Asclepias viridiflora); S3, Hoary puccoon (Lithospermum canescens); S3, Honey locust (Gleditsia tricanthos); S2, Kentucky coffee tree (Gymnocladus dioicus); THR/THR/S2, Red or Pignut hickory (Carya glabra); S3, Round leaved ragwort (Senecio obovatus); S3, Sweet pignut hickory (Carya ovalis); S3 and Wild or Sundial lupine (Lupulinus perennis); S3

A visit to a Conservation Area in Waterloo county between June 11 and 18, 2013 revealed 43 records for the Grand River Conservation Authority (GRCA), including 34 records of provincially rare - S2 ranked G. tricanthos found along a fence line.  These records likely represented planted individuals used to form a wind break between the adjacent road and the Conservation Area.

The database now contains 95 402 records.  It is anticipated that the land mark record of 100 000 records will be reached once we complete data entry for the next two months; July and August.  

Dave's BTC fund raising goal of finding a total of 850 species of plants for the 2013 field season is becoming a reality.  As of June, he now has 592 species compiled.  If you wish to sponsor him - with all proceeds donated to the BTC for conservation efforts please contact him at; earthquestcanada@yahoo.com by December 15th, 2013.

To view the month of June monthly summary please go to the following link;

http://earthquestcanada.ca/June2013summary.pdf

October, 2013 Plant hunt summary

October was another record breaking month, breaking the all time record with a total of 193 species observed, surpassing the old record of 188 set in October, 2010.  A big thanks to Kim Palonen, who ventured to Misery Bay on Manitoulin Island at the end of the month to help attain the land mark record.

Three observers added 4 new records for the database; a trip to Ottawa by Dave Jolly contributed a new hybrid goldenrod Canada x Tall goldenrod (Solidago canadensis x gigantea) and Macouni's everlasting (Gnalphalium macounii), Kim discovered Creeping wood sorrel (Oxalis corniculata) in Halton region, and Brian Popelier of the Bruce Trail Conservancy (BTC) found Naked miterwort (Mitella nuda) in Halton region.

A total of 22 counties were surveyed by all surveyors; Brant, Bruce, Elgin, Durham, Frontenac, Grey, Halton, Hamilton, Hastings, Leeds and Renfrew, Lennox and Addington, Manitoulin, Middlesex, Norfolk, Northumberland, Ottawa-Carlton, Oxford, Peel, Peterborough, Waterloo, Wellington, and York.  The most new records were found in Ottawa-Carlton (47), largely due to a lack of survey effort, or people available to investigate that region.  Additionally, Dave Jolly observed Azure aster (Aster oolentangiensis) which is likely a new record, but yet to be confirmed, for the Ottawa region according to the 2005 master plant list compiled by the prominent and respected Botanist Dan Brunton.

The flowering date for Witch hazel (Hammelis virginiana) was finally obtained in Durham region, where this shrub is locally rare.  Witch hazel was first observed at a site in Durham region in the spring of 2011.  A search for provincially rare Yellow bartonia (Bartonica virginica); S2 in Norfolk county revealed an exciting discovery on October 12, 2013.  Kim and Dave uncovered a substantial natural population of provincially rare Bristly buttercup (Ranunculus hispidus var. hispidus); S3, with over 20 plants observed.  A site visit in May, 2014 will make this a new flowering date record for Norfolk county.

Dave is currently at 401 total species for the 2013 field season - raising funds and awareness for conservation projects on behalf of the BTC, so I am almost half way to my goal of reaching a total of 850 species.  A special thanks to Tanya Forde, who participated in an EARTHQUEST Bruce Trail expedition in 2000 to collect data for the Bruce Trail flora and fauna book published in 2004, for donating funds to our cause!  There is still time for the rest of you to donate.  We'll be accepting donations until December 15th, 2013 - so why not make it a generous gift for Christmas.

Thank you to all contributors for making October a fantastic month.

To download the monthly summary please go to;

http://earthquestcanada.ca/October2013summary.pdf

September, 2013 Plant hunt summary

The month of September was a record breaking one, with nearly 3000 records added to the database, pushing it over the 90 000 total record mark!  More significantly, we broke the all time record for the month of September with a total of 308 species observed, breaking the old record of 283 set in 2011.

Four new records were added to the database; 1. Apple of Peru (Nicandra physalodes), 2. Ground cedar (Lycopodium tristachym), 3. Stiff haired sunflower (Helianthus hirsutus) and 4. Smooth hawksbeard (Crepis capillaris) discovered by our newest contributor to the Plants of Ontario database - Kim Palonen - a contractor with Environment Canada.  Kim took the Level 1 FBT, Level 2 FBT terrestrial plant and Level 3 Asters and Goldenrods of Ontario certification courses and is shown here among a patch of endangered Spotted wintergreen (Chimaphila maculatum).

Field work at Oliphant on behalf of the Lake Huron Centre for Coastal Conservation resulted in the addition of a number of wetland plants for Bruce county as well as over 75 records for provincially rare Blue leaf willow (Salix myricoides), Dwarf lake iris (Iris lacustris), Stiff yellow flax (Linum medium) and Special concern Tuberous indian plantain (Arnoglossum plantagineum).

Hiking the Bruce Trail on behalf of the Bruce Trail Conservancy (BTC) continued this month along the Georgian Bay shoreline near Sydney Bay north of Wiarton.  A search along a side trail to the Bruce Trail called Boundary Bluffs side trail lead to the discovery of several new records for Bruce county, including Special concern Hart's tongue fern (Asplenium scolopendrium).  We would like to thank Yves Scholten - an Ecologist with Beacon Environmental for his information about locating this rare Ontario fern species for the database.

If you are keeping track of our 2013 plant hunt challenge of obtaining at least 850 species of plants to raise funds and awareness for BTC conservation projects in honour of my wife - Jan I am currently at 353 species for the 2013 field season.  A special thanks to Jan Graves of the BTC for donating a copy of the most recent Bruce Trail Reference guide to me so I could find my way around the white and blue blazed trails.

To download a copy of this month's summary please go to;

http://earthquestcanada.ca/September2013summary.pdf

Raising funds for the Bruce Trail Conservancy

Today my wife - Jan was admitted into a 6 week rehabilitation program at Hamilton General Hospital with the goal of helping her to get onto the lung transplant list.  Jan was diagnosed with non-interstitial pneumatitis in November, 2011, but this terminology only implies that they really don't know what it is.  In March, 2013 her diagnosis was changed to some type of pulmonary fibrosis because she wasn't responding to the medications she was prescribed.  Long story short; they still don't know what she has, but they're treating it like pulmonary fibrosis.

Jan and I used to hike the Bruce Trail and spend a considerable amount of time in the Bruce peninsula camping at Mountain Trout Camp with family.  In the late 1990s, I started hiking the trail with teams of volunteers, students and staff collecting flora and fauna records for a book.  In May, 2005, with the help of Ann Bard and her husband Don, of the Cape Chin Connection Inn, near Dyer's Bay,  we launched our book on the flora and fauna of the Bruce Trail.  Ann passed away in February, 2012

In honour of my wife and in the memory of Ann I am going to hike the entire length of the Bruce Trail - 800 km from end to end to make a book on plants.  Data collection will begin this year with the trail being tackled in small spurts.  For example, this month I'd like to hike around Hamilton and Dundas close to the hospital where Jan is admitted.  The book will supplement the Bruce Trail hiker's guide and will be donated to the Bruce Trail Conservancy (BTC).

A secondary goal this year, and to mark the beginning of my wife's successful rehabilitation back to health, is to observe as many vascular plants as possible to raise funds for the BTC's conservation efforts.  My goal is to find 850 species by mid November.  To date I have accumulated 302 species.  Data from these fund raising efforts will be used by the BTC and EARTHQUEST (Canada) to track and monitor the status and distribution of plants on BTC property as well as along the trail system.  EARTHQUEST uses this data to determine the rarity of plants within forest regions, counties and watersheds.

Please help me raise funds in honour of my wife and in Ann's memory by donating to the Bruce Trail Conservancy today!  You may pledge your support by donating any amount as a lump sum, or per plant (eg. $0.50 per plant species).  Updates to my forays along the Bruce and finding as many plant species as possible will be added to this blog site montly.  To request sponsorship forms please contact me at EARTHQUEST.  All donations greater than $10 will be given a charitable receipt from the BTC.

Thank you for your support
Dave Jolly,
EARTHQUEST

May, 2013 Plant hunt summary

A total of 2530 records recorded between 10 counties surveyed added 13 new records to the database among 4 contributors.  A small patch of 5 provincially rare Perfoliate bellwort (Uvularia perfoliata); S3 was located within a Conservation Area in Brant county and the Grand River Conservation Authority (GRCA) was alerted.

Provincially rare Sweet pignut hickory (Carya ovalis) was also located in Norfolk county.  Superficially, there is almost no distinguishing difference between provincially rare Red or Pignut hickory (Carya glabra); S3 and C. ovalis with flowers, bark, leaves and fruits almost identical.  The most noteable difference seems to be in the average number of leaflets; 5 - 7 per leaf for C. ovalis, opposed to 7 - 9 for C. glabra.  The terminal bud of most C. ovalis also seem to lack 3 carpel bracts, which are present in C. glabra, but not as large and distinctive as Shagbark hickory (Carya ovata).

Photo: Dave Jolly

Terminal bud of C. ovalis

Unfortunately, we did not brake the all time record of 420 species for the month of May set in 2012 with only 321 species recorded, but a late spring is the most likely contributing factor to this low number.

Thanks are extended to Brian Popelier of the Bruce Trail Conservancy for discovering 2 exciting new additions to the database - Early coralroot (Coralorrhiza trifida) and Painted trillium (Trillium undulatum).

Download May 2013 summary

April, 2013 Plant hunt summary

With the cold temperatures during the month of April spring arrived later than previous years.  A total of 77 species were recorded in April, compared to 210 found in April, 2012.  April matched 2009 with the number of plant species observed.

Some spring flowering shrubs - mainly willow species were recorded as new additions for Simcoe and Muskoka counties with 17 new records found for Muskoka.  Of interest were Early saxifrage (Saxifraga virginiensis) found in a shrubby rock barren in Muskoka on April 30th.  This plant is regionally rare in Ecoregion 7E, but not 6E, where it was found.

One new record was added to the database - Carolina poplar (Populus canadensis).

To download the summary table of the plant records (PDF file) observed across 17 counties surveyed; Brant, Elgin, Dufferin, Essex, Haldimand, Halton, Hamilton, Kent, Middlesex, Muskoka, Oxford, Parry Sound, Peel, Simcoe, Waterloo, Wellington, and York - please go to;

http://www.earthquestcanada.ca/April%202013%20summary.pdf

A special thanks to Brian Popelier for surveying Halton, Hamilton, and Haldimand counties on behalf of the Bruce Trail Conservancy.

The field visit to Sudden Tract has been postponed until Sat. May 11th.

Last week's mystery plant was Bristly buttercup (Ranunculus hispidus var. hispidus) which is ranked S3 by the NHIC.  This is a rare variety of the pure stand Hispid buttercup (Ranunculus hispidus) which is found near or in wetlands.  The photo depicts the seed pod with individual achenes.

This week's mystery plant is shown below;

Mystery plant quiz for the week

The answer to the mystery plant posted on April 9th was Harbinger of spring (Erigenia bulbosa), which is a provincially rare plant in Ontario - ranked S3 by the Natural Heritage Information Centre (NHIC).

The NHIC is government agency responsible for maintaining records and data on all provincially rare flora and fauna in the province of Ontario.  Biologists, planners, ecologists, foresters and other professionals use their information and data to monitor, track and develop policies for protection and preservation purposes.  The NHIC is linked to a network of Conservation Data Centers (CDC).  In Canada, each province typically has it's own  CDC.  For example, in Alberta the CDC is the Alberta Conservation Information Management System (ACIMS).  Alberta has approximately 458 provincially rare plants that are tracked by the ACIMS, where Ontario has over 720 tracked by the NHIC.  To be listed as provincially rare in the province plant species must fall within a specific criteria related to the number of records, populations or occurrences.  Extremely rare plants may have only 1 - 5 records, populations or occurrences for the entire province and are ranked S1, very rare plants have 6 - 20 records, populations or occurrences with a rank of S2 and rare plants have 21 - 100 records, populations or occurrences with an S3 rank.

Unfortunately, at the present time, no rare plant or vegetation survey protocols exist for Ontario, so professionals are unable to ascertain how and where to search for rare plants while conducting baseline surveys.  The University of Alberta in partnership with the Alberta Biodiversity Monitoring Institute are currently investigating new survey methodology for rare plants.  EARTHQUEST shall be putting forth a rare plant survey protocol shortly and has incorporated it into the content of some of the plant certification courses.  Stay tuned until further notice as we continue to prepare this much needed document.

This week's mystery plant may be in bloom.  The photo depicts seed pods which develop after the flowers fall off.

Let the plant hunt begin!

The 2013 field season officially began on March 9th with flowering Skunk cabbage (Symplocarpus feotidus), but it has been a late spring with only 18 species recorded so far for the month of April.  

This year we hope to break several landmark records to add to our massive 88 231 record database; 

i. 100 000 records total and 

ii. 1300 taxa for all provinces in Ontario

Provincially rare plants to hunt for this year are;

1.       Butternut (Juglans cinerea); S3?/END/END – Norfolk & Hamilton Counties

2.       Sharp leaved goldenrod (Solidago arguta); S3 – Lanark County

3.       Green milkweed (Asclepias viridis); S2 – Norfolk County

4.        White prairie orchid (Platanthera leucophaea); S2/END – Essex County

5.       Dense blazing star (Liatris spicata); S3 – Essex County

6.       Perfoliate bellwort (Uvularia perfoliata); S3 – Norfolk County

7.       Sweet pignut hickory (Carya ovalis); S3 – Brant & Norfolk Counties

For the first time since we began the Plants of Ontario project in 2006 we've been able to construct regionally rare plant (R1 - 3 ranked) lists for Ecoregions 6E (Mixed deciduous forest region) and 7E (Carolinian forest region).  This list includes 1101 taxa for 7E and 942 taxa for 6E.  We also greatly appreciate UTM coordinates for any R1 - 3 ranked plants you may encounter while performing field surveys/investigations this year.  I'll be posting the regionally rare plant list on the EARTHQUEST website, so that you may download it and know which plants to hunt for over the next several weeks.  

If you find any S1 - 3 ranked plants I would appreciate UTM coordinates for our SAR plants of Ontario book.  I also plan on conducting a site visit to some natural areas in search of targeted plants on the hunt list above or regionally rare plants from the official EARTHQUEST regionally rare plant lists.  Site visits will be announced periodically.  The first site visit may be to Sudden bog in Waterloo county for the month of May.  If you'd like to attend please let me know.  

We were also able to produce a master plant species list for the Grand River Conservation Authority on 637 species of vascular plants, including locally rare (L1 - 3 ranked) plants within their watershed.  We hope to do the same for the Bruce Trail Conservancy's Bruce Trail and the Lower Thames Valley Conservation Authority.

This week's mystery plant emerged from the ground today.  Please let me know what it is - species common/latin name and S (provincial) rank by next week.  We'll continue these mystery plant quizes as the spring/summer progresses as they are an excellent way to prepare you for field investigations and practice your field ID skills.

Paying it forward; from monkeys to environmental consulting

When I was in university environmental jobs were at a minimum and it was harder to find work.  My solution to this dilemma was to work at odd jobs, not related to my field to save up the money to travel to an exotic destination and volunteer, or take a field course.  One of my first field courses was in primate social behaviour and reproductive biology with The School for Field Studies.  I studied endangered Panamanian tamarin (Saguinus oedipus geoffroyi) monkeys (a juvenile female is depicted below).

I also volunteered for Earthwatch studying tropical rainforests and observed Black mantled howler monkeys (Alouatta paliatta) like the adult female below.

This was a great way to "get your feet wet".  I explored Central America, lived with indigenous people, studied 6 species of primates and eventually started organizing international expeditions myself.

Along the way, I met some great people who assisted me with enhancing my scientific skills in research, orchestrating logistical details and people skills.  In particular, I am grateful to have met Mr. Steve Rinder.  At the time, Steve was working at Novack's in London, Ontario, Canada.  When I told him about my desire to put together research/conservation expeditions to Panama to work on the tiny 33 hectare island of Isla Tigre on the Atlantic side of the Panama Canal he was estatic.  He saw that I needed help organizing the program, so I hired him as a consultant.  He opened my eyes to the world of ecotourism.  He also introduced me to Dr. Jane Goodall as he knew I was fascinated by Chimpanzees.  Steve was kind enough to write an article about his experiences with EARTHQUEST in Panama for Planeta.

If you're really interested in ecotourism or studying primates abroad try investigating these sites;

• Broad reach
• Maderas Rainforest Conservancy

EARTHQUEST also works with the Maderas Rainforest Conservancy to run primate programs in Costa Rica and Nicaragua.

In April, 1999 I led an expedition into the Peruvian Amazon in search of primates, mammals and a newly formed ecological preserve called Curyiaco, located 300 kilometres in the interior from the rustic gold mining town of Puerto Maldonaldo.  I was fortunate to recruit Mr. Sean Donovan on that team.  Logistically, this riverboat excursion was very challenging.  The troubles began when I mistakenly forgot my camera at the international airport in Lima, Peru.  The airport authorities had to evacuate the premises because my camera was in a water proof Pelican case, which resembled something carrying a bomb.  Sean was very helpful to me while on this trip, coming to my aid to assist with logistical details and alleviating the "bomb scare" for Peruvians.

Sean later signed up to my expedition to Nepal in late August, 2001 and was equally beneficial to the team and myself there.

I recently met Sean again after he spent more than a decade teaching English in Japan, where he met and married is lovely wife.

Since Nepal, I have trained or prepared hundreds of people in the biological sciences and for employment in the environmental industry.  Many of which found fantastic jobs with environmental consulting firms, Conservation Authorities, provincial, federal government jobs and non-profit organizations.

I owe part of my success with building the careers of my students to people like Sean and Steve. Through Sean and Steve I have been motivated to assist people like Emily Thorne.  Emily is currently looking for work in the environmental field.  Tiffany Gilchrist took my GIS certification course and recently found employment with Stantec.  As her first environmental consulting firm I felt Tiffany should be well informed about the pay range for consultants and presenting a professional resume to potential employers.

Other former EARTHQUEST Biological Field School students have been the source of a great deal of pride and satisfaction because they too have used their EARTHQUEST training to continue building their careers.

I am forever grateful and appreciative of all the help I've received over the years; through my struggles and successes.  My hope is to continue to pay it forward.  I would encourage and challenge you to find ways to pay it forward as well.  It can be as simple as opening a door for a stranger, giving somebody a compliment, or contributing to your local food bank.

In my view, this is how we can all make the world a better place to live.

It is job hunting time, so if you need some help revamping your CV, how to apply to environmental jobs, how to handle interviews, etc. simply contact me or visit the EARTHQUEST website.

By: Dave Jolly

EARTHQUEST to launch plant hunt 2013

Hello everyone; welcome to the official EARTHQUEST (Canada) for the Environment blog.  This is the forum where we will share updates, announcements and news specific to the EARTHQUEST circle of supporters, friends and affiliates.

In March, 2006 EARTHQUEST initiated the Plants of Ontario Project.  This project enlisted the assistance of 55 volunteers, students and staff of EARTHQUEST (Canada) for the Environment and the EARTHQUEST Biological Field School to build an ACCESS database of all vascular plants (ie. trees, shrubs, wildflowers, grasses, sedges, rushes, ferns and club mosses) which may be found in the Province of Ontario.  This would allow EARTHQUEST to track and rank vascular plants that are not monitored by the Natural Heritage Information Centre (NHIC) in Peterborough, Ontario.  The NHIC only tracks provincially rare and Species at Risk (SAR) plants, but has no idea about the rarity or status of vascular plants at the regional or local level.  Our aim back in 2006 was to tackle this knowledge gap and determine the patterns and trends on rarity levels to get a sense of where the plants are and how rare they are.

In March, 2013, entering the 7th season since the project launch, the database has grown to 88 118 records representing 43 counties, 1299 taxa (including 21 hybrids and sub-species), 16 Ontario SARs protected under the provisions of the Ontario Species at Risk Act (SARA), 18 federally listed SARs protected under the federal SARA, and 84 provincially rare plants.  We are now able to pull enough data from the database to construct master plant species lists for watersheds.  The Grand River Conservation Authority (GRCA) received a preliminary master plant species list of all plants found within their watershed - 637 species in December, 2012.  This year, we hope to generate similiar lists for the Bruce Trail Conservancy and Lower Thames watershed.

With spring only several weeks away we will begin collecting data for the 2013 field season.  If you'd like to contribute please contact EARTHQUEST.  The rules for participation are simple; simply submit the flowering date, location, county and watershed (eg. GRCA).  In order to count, however, we only include 1 flowering plant species per county, per day, so if you saw Red maple flowering in Elgin county on April 24th, 2013 and again on the same day, only 1 of these records will be entered into the database.  If you move over to Middlesex county and see another Red maple flowering then that record will count for that county.  Generally, among the first plants to start flowering in March/April are Skunk cabbage (Symplocarpus feotidus), Pennsylvania bittercress (Cardamine pensylvanica) and Coltsfolt (Tussilago farfara).  Usually, among the earliest provincially rare plants to bloom is Harbinger of spring (Erigenia bulbosa).

Contributing to the database is fun and adds valuable data for mapping regionally and locally rare plant habitats, updating our SAR Plants of Ontario book, and increasing your knowledge of vascular plants.  We usually have a photo identification quiz and you're welcome to share any photos of plants you can't identify with Dave Jolly.

Why not sign up today, or let us know your thoughts?  If you've seen a SAR or rare plant somewhere in Ontario we'd love to hear from you.