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