Talk at Norfolk Public Library & Chapters in London: Aster & Goldenrods of Ontario

Scheduled for Saturday October 28, 2017 from 1:30 pm to 3:00 pm at the Norfolk Public Library, 46 Colborne Street, Simcoe, Ontario, will be a talk and signing for our Asters and Goldenrods of Ontario book.  This will be a free event and open to the public.  Families with children welcome.

Another talk is scheduled for Sunday October 22, 2017 at the Chapters on Wellington Road South in London, Ontario.  The time will be from 12 N to 4 pm with book signing and a presentation on how to attract butterflies to your garden by planting asters and goldenrods.

Dave Jolly at Chapters Store in London, Ontario, Canada

The speaker will be Dave Jolly of EARTHQUEST (Canada) for the Environment and the EARTHQUEST Biological Field School.  Armed with 22 years of field experience and his B.Sc. degree from the University of Western Ontario Dave spent the last 13 years studying and photographing asters and goldenrods in their natural environment.  As a professional Ecologist he is considered a botanical expert on vascular plants and habitat restoration projects for insect pollinators and butterflies.  He has written several field guides on flora and fauna and was commissioned by the Ontario Ministry of Natural Resources and Forestry to write the recovery strategy for threatened Goldenseal.  To add to his botany porfolio on Ontario asters and goldenrods he has personally observed 53 taxa (5 hybrids, 1 variety) of these unique plants, including 5 Species at Risk, and 8 provincially rare.

In addition to Dave's contributions, a total of 252 plant records were recorded since April, 2006, collected by 26 students, volunteers, and staff from EARTHQUEST (Canada) for the Environment and the EARTHQUEST Biological Field School.

The Asters and Goldenrods of Ontario book showcases 34 species, 2 varieties, including 6 Ontario Species at Risk (SAR) based on visual cues.  It includes a binomial key for differentiating this confusing group according to flower colour, flowerhead arrangement, leaf width, venation and habitat characteristics.

The talks will cover topics in propagation for bee pollinator and restoration projects, how to select plants for butterfly gardens, as well as how to field identify plants as you walk through a woodland, forest, meadow, or wetland.

For those interested in purchasing a copy of our book the cost is $35 Canadian dollars plus shipping and handling.  Simply click on the Paypal link on the Asters and Goldenrods of Ontario book page, or contact us at: earthquestcanada@yahoo.com. Tel: 226-926-1470.

May 2017 plant hunt summary

A total of 2291 records were contributed by Dave Jolly and Brian Popelier for the month of May.

The beginning stretch of the Bruce Trail was hiked at Queenston Heights revealed 6 Butternut (Juglans cinerea) that have not been assessed.  These records will be shared with the Bruce Trail Conservancy and Niagara Region Conservation Authority.

Hiking along the Bruce Trail (McCormick Road Trail) near Dundas by Dave and Talia Plaskett also revealed 2 Butternuts needing assessment.

Nine new records were contributed to the database; Crawe's Sedge (Carex crawii), Inflated Narrow Leaved Sedge (Carex grisea), Northern Red Currant (Ribes rubrum), Peck's Sedge (Carex peckii), Pubescent Sedge (Carex hirtifolia), and Wood Witlow-grass contribtued by Brian and Muhlenberg's Sedge (Carex muhlenbergii var. muhlenbergii), Swamp Pin Oak (Quercus palustris), and Yellow Cordyalis (Cordyalis flavula) from Dave.

While leading bird hikes at Point Pelee National Park Dave discovered provincially rare Yellow Cordyalis in full bloom - a new record for the database.  This plant was first observed by Dave on Middle Island in June, 2008 when he was sent to survey rare plants, but it was not flowering at that time.

Photo: Dave Jolly

A total of 9 Species at Risk (SAR), and 17 species of special concern vascular plants were surveyed.  Four records of special concern Shumard Oak (Quercus shumardii) were observed flowering in Essex region between May 6th and 17th.

To view the monthly summary go to May, 2017 summary