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
